JAI-ALAI HISTORY

(hī´lī´´) , handball-like game of Spanish Basque origin. It is also called pelota. Jai alai is played on a three-walled court with a hard rubber ball that must be hurled against the front wall with the cesta, a wicker basket attached to the player's arm. The court is about 175 ft (53 m) long, 40 ft (12.2 m) wide, and 40 ft (12.2 m) high. Spectators sit behind a wire fence or plexiglass wall on the fourth side. To their right is the front wall, or frontis. The object is to hurl the ball against the front wall in such a way that it cannot be returned. The ball may hit the side or rear wall, but not the spectator wall, before striking the frontis. The ball, which reaches speeds of 150 mph (240 kph), is caught in the cesta and thrown in a continuous motion. Jai alai is played as either singles or doubles with scoring similar to that of court handball. Betting on games is popular; parimutuel wagering is legal in a few U.S. states. Jai alai is also popular in parts of Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, and the Philippines.

Jai-Alai originated in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. The game was played outdoors using the church walls as the first playing courts. Jai-Alai means "Merry Festival" in the Basque language. Professional Jai-Alai in America originated at the Miami Fronton.

Over three centuries ago, in the Basque area of Spain's Pyrenees Mountains, Pelota Vasca (Basque Ball) developed. Some games were played at festivals and were called Jai-Alai (Merry Festival).

The most daring of these games (Cesta Punta) evolved into the game you see in America. It is the world's fastest ball game. Jai-Alai came to Cuba from Spain in 1898, and was successfully introduced as a professional game at the Miami Fronton in 1926.

While it is hard to imagine, helmets were not introduced until 1968 after a champion player named Orbea was hit in the head, ending his career.

While the round-robin form of play is common in the United States, overseas two teams play head to head in the Partido. In Spain, for example, a Partido runs 25 to 40 points and may last an hour or more. Each point is bet as well as the game itself.