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JAI ALAI

Jai-Alai (IPA pronunciation: [haɪ laɪ] in English and [haɪ ɑ laɪ] in Basque) means "Merry Festival" in the Basque language. The term is used to denote a fronton (or open-walled arena) used to play a variety of Pelota called Cesta Punta, and, more broadly, to the game itself. The game is characterized by the fast pace of play, in which a 125g-140g ball covered with goat-skin can travel up to 180 mph. The ball is placed into play and volleyed by players wearing a wicker cesta basket with a glove approximately 63 to 70 cm long.

The glove, known as a Cesta-punta (in Spanish) or xistera (Basque), was invented by the French Basque Gantchiqui Diturbide (also Gantxiki Iturbide) in the 19th century.

Rules and Play

The court (or cancha) for Jai-Alai consists of 3 walls (front, back, and left), and the floor between them in play. If the ball touches the floor outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds. Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3ft of the front wall that is also out of bounds. The ceiling on the court is usually very high, so the ball has a more predictable path.

The court is divided by 14 vertical lines going horizontially across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall. When serving, the server must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it bounces between lines 4 and 7 off the front wall, the ball is then in play.

The goal in Jai-Alai is to score 7 or 9 points, to win the game. Points are scored by the other team dropping, missing, holding, or sending the ball out of bounds. The game is played in a round-robin format, rotating teams every point, where the team to score a point stays on the court and the opposing team rotates off the court to the end of the list of opponents.

Geographic distribution

In European countries such as France and Spain and in the North American country of Mexico the game of jai-alai is popular; in some regions, the game is played in almost every town and city.

In the United States, jai-alai enjoyed some popularity as a gambling alternative to horse racing, greyhound racing and harness racing and remains popular in Florida, where the game is used as a basis for parimutuel gambling at six frontons throughout the State: Dania Beach, Miami, Ocala, Fort Pierce, Orlando and Hamilton. The first Jai-Alai fronton in the United States was located at the site of Hialeah Race Course near Miami (1924). The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near Miami International Airport. Year 'round jai-alai operations include Miami Jai-Alai, Dania Jai-Alai and Hamilton Jai-Alai in North Florida. Seasonal facilities are: Fort Pierce Jai-Alai, Ocala Jai-Alai and Orlando-Seminole Jai-Alai. Inactive jai-alai permits are located: Tampa, Daytona Beach, West Palm Beach and Quincy. One Florida fronton was converted from jai-alai to Greyhound Racing in Melbourne.

By contrast, jai-alai's popularity in the north-eastern and western United States waned as other gambling options became available. Frontons in the Connecticut towns of Hartford and Milford permanently closed, while the fronton in Bridgeport was converted to a Greyhound race track. A fronton in Newport, Rhode Island has been converted to a general gaming facility.

Jai-alai enjoyed a brief and popular stint in Las Vegas, Nevada with the opening of a fronton at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino; however, by the early 1980s the fronton was losing money and was closed by MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian.

In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the Florida State Legislature passed HB 1059, a bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of poker in a Pari-Mutuel facility such as a jai-alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003.

The International Jai Alai Player Association-UAW Local 8868 is the recognized bargaining agent for jai-alai players and fronton employees in Florida. The union had also represented jai-alai players and fronton employees in Connecticut until its three frontons permanently closed, and in Rhode Island where at the behest of the gaming regulators, the Rhode Island Legislature abolished the playing of live Jai-Alai in favor of video lottery terminals.

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