<P> Jai alai (/ ˈhaɪ. əlaɪ /; Basque: (ˈxai aˈlai)) is a sport involving a ball bounced off a walled space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand - held device (cesta). It is a variation of Basque pelota . The term, coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton (the open - walled playing area) where the sport is played . The game is called "zesta - punta" (basket tip) in Basque . </P> <P> The Basque Government promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world" because of the speed of the ball . The sport once held the world record for ball speed with a 125--140 g ball covered with goatskin that traveled at 302 km / h (188 mph), performed by José Ramón Areitio at the Newport Rhode Island Jai Alai, until it was broken by Canadian 5 - time long drive champion Jason Zuback on a 2007 episode of Sport Science with a golf ball speed of 328 km / h (204 mph). </P> <P> The court for jai alai consists of walls on the front, back and left, and the floor between them . If the ball (called a "pelota", "ball" in Euskara) touches the floor outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds . Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3 feet (0.9 m) 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 parallel lines going horizontally across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall . In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player . The game begins when the frontcourt player of the first team serves the ball to the second team . The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation . Losers go to the end of the line to await another turn on the court . The first team to score 7 points (or 9 in Superfecta games) wins . The next highest scores are awarded "place" (second) and "show" (third) positions, respectively . Playoffs decide tied scores . </P> <P> A jai alai game is played in round robin format, usually between eight teams of two players each or eight single players . The first team to score 7 or 9 points wins the game . Two of the eight teams are in the court for each point . The server on one team must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it bounces from there to between lines 4 and 7 on the floor . The ball is then in play . The ball used in jai alai consists of metal strands tightly wound together and then wrapped in goat skin . Teams alternate catching the ball in their cesta and throwing it "in one fluid motion" without holding or juggling it . The ball must be caught either on the fly or after bouncing once on the floor . A team scores a point if an opposing player: </P>

What is the ball called in jai alai