What is Racketlon?

 

Introduction Racketlon is the sport in which you challenge your opponent in each of the four racket sports table tennis, squash, badminton and tennis. A racketlon match contains four sets, one in each sport. Each set is played to 21 points, much like in table tennis, but the total winner of a racketlon match is not the one that wins most sets but the one that scores the most points in total. The winner is the best all round racket player.

 

The History of Racketlon

 

The origins of racketlon can be traced back to Finland in the mid Eighties, where four people representing each of the four racket federations got together to form a game they called mailapelit - i.e. "racket games". The first Finnish Championships were held in Helsinki in 1986 and the sport rapidly grew to a size that made it possible to attract almost 400 people to some tournaments. Since then it has been made clear that mailapelit is a sport that will stay around. Finnish championships are still organized on a yearly basis although the venue has been moved from Helsinki to Lahti.

 

In Sweden racketlon can be traced back to - at least - the end of the 1980:s. That is when (in May 1989) the "Mr Racketlon" of Sweden and twice national champion, Peter Landberg, organized the first competition. The following year, in 1990, the first Swedish Championships took place and attracted considerable interest from start; no less than 218 people participated. Since then, Peter Landberg has organized national championships every year and the sport has become fairly well established. Still, after more than ten years, about half of the participants in the national championships are people that have not taken part before. This is a reflection of the fact that racketlon is a sport that is spreading to an ever wider audience. At least among racket players in the Stockholm area, where all national championships so far have been played, racketlon is no longer an unknown sport.

 

Rules of a racketlon match

 

You play your opponent in each of the four racket-sports, in the order of table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis. In each sport, the same scoring rules apply: In each sport, one set to 21 points is played. Every rally results in a point to the winner of the rally (PARS). The winner of a set needs a margin of at least two points (21-20 is not possible). After every two points, the serve goes to the other player (at the score of 20-20 or above, the serve changes every single point). In tennis, the server has two changes - first and second service - just as in normal tennis.All other aspects of the game are regulated by the rules of the individual sports. The winner of a racketlon match is not the one that wins most sets but the one that scores the most points in total over the 4 sets. If, after 4 sets, both players have exactly the same number of points, the final tennis is extended with one single point which decides who wins the match. The winner of the lot decides who will serve, and there is no second service in the single point