Connecticut Administrative Code
Title 12 - Taxation
574-F - Operation of Greyhound Racing, Jai Alai and Off-Track Betting General Provisions
Operation of Jai-Alai
Section 12-574-F55 - Rules of the game

Universal Citation: CT Reg of State Agencies 12-574-F55

Current through September 9, 2024

(a) Cancellations. The association may, in an emergency, postpone or cancel any game. The association shall immediately notify the division judge of any change and the reasons therefore, in writing, and said notification shall be filed with the division within twenty-four (24) hours after taking effect.

(b) Termination of game. Except as provided herein when a game is started, it cannot be terminated until win, place and show positions have been officially posted. In the event of a player or players competing out of rotation before the win position has been determined, rotation being the point by point progression of any game, the game shall be declared "off" by the division judge and a full and complete refund made on all wagers for that game. However, if a player or players compete out of rotation during a playoff for place or show the division judge shall cause the game to be returned to the situation prior to the rotational error, and play shall resume with the position(s) determined prior to the rotational error intact. However, in the case where a game is completed and the official results determined, and where it is subsequently discovered that errors of rotation had occurred in that game, the official results shall stand and the payouts shall be made accordingly.

(c) Start of game. When a game is started, the player representing post position one and the player representing post position two shall appear on the playing court. When signaled by the chief judge, the player in post position one shall serve the first ball from the service line. In accordance with section 12-574-F55(e) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, the game shall have been officially started.

(d) Defective ball. Should a ball become defective during the playing of a game, any player on the court shall have the right to call said defect to the attention of the chief court judge and if in the opinion of the chief court judge it is defective another ball shall be put in play at the conclusion of a point.

(e) The serve.

(1) A designated uniform serve area approved by the division shall be specified on the playing court. A ball shall be served from this area and failure to do so shall cause the server to forfeit the point to his opponent.

(2) If the server for any reason does not complete a serve or should the ball touch any article of clothing or anything on the person of the server or his partner before being caught by the cesta, the server shall forfeit the point to his opponent.

(3) Only one serve shall be allowed for each point in all games, except partido matches when one (1) overserve is permitted for each point played. No carom serves shall be permitted in singles games.

(f) Ball in play. Upon the serve hitting the front wall, a ball shall be in play and the ball shall be ruled in play until a point or a judges' ruling is made.

(g) Interference. Should the ball hit any of the server's opponents, the chief judge shall decide whether it is a foul or whether the server should be credited with the point. The judges shall also decide, in the case of a contender obstructing a play of his opponent, whether it was done intentionally or accidentally. Should it be an intentional interference, the player who caused it shall forfeit the point. If accidental or unavoidable, the point shall be played over. The judges cannot rule interference if, in their opinion, the player could not complete the shot if the interference had not occurred.

(h) Official games. Official games shall be known as elimination singles, elimination doubles, elimination triples, spectacular seven, spectacular nine and two team partidos to twelve or more points or any other game format approved by the division. Only official games shall be eligible for pari-mutuel wagering.

(i) Elimination games. In elimination singles, elimination doubles, elimination triples and spectacular seven games, all players, with the exception of those in first and second positions, shall be seated on a bench in the rear of the court according to their post position. When the game has started, players occupying first and second positions shall compete for the first point until one of the players is eliminated. The player winning the point shall then become the server and his opponent shall be that player which is next in line on the front of the bench. The player who has just been eliminated is to take the rear seat on the other end of the bench until such time as all other players seated on the bench have had an opportunity to play through elimination of one another, and he becomes the first man on the bench again. These games are ruled by the elimination of players until the total required points are scored to decide the win, place and show positions.

(j) Points to win. In elimination singles, elimination doubles, elimination triples and spectacular seven games, the number of points required to decide the winner shall be one less than the number of post positions competing in the game. Spectacular seven shall be an eight-post position seven-point game in which all points are doubled after each post position has been on the court once.

(k) Play-off.

(1) After a winner has been declared, playoff rules to decide place and show positions vary according to the number of points scored by the participating players or teams and shall be played according to the players' or teams' rotating position (not post position) i.e. in the order in which they were defeated.

(2) When there still remain five or seven players or teams, all of which are tied without a point to their credit, the play-off shall be for a goal of one point less than the number of post positions represented in the play-off.

(3) When there still remain five or seven players or teams, all of which are tied with one point or more, the play-off shall be continued until one player or team reaches the number of points designated for the game.

(4) In case of two ties after a winner has been declared official, and there are still two players or teams tied with the same number of points, the place position shall be awarded to the player or team making the next point, and show position shall go to the loser of said point.

(5) In the case of three ties after a winner has been declared official, and there remain three players or teams tied for place or show, or both, the play-off shall be through elimination, according to their rotating position. If at any time during a play-off a player or team reaches the designated number of points that the game calls for, said player, or team, shall immediately be awarded the place or show position, as the case may be, and the remaining players or teams shall forfeit the right to play for said position.

(6) In case of four or six ties after a winner has been declared official and there remain four or six players or teams, tied for place or show, or both, the play-off shall be through elimination according to their rotating position. The first two players or teams will play the first point. The next two players or teams will play for one point, and the remaining (in case of six) players or teams will also play for one point. Winners of these points will play additional points to decide place or show position, as the case may require. If at any time during a play-off a player or team reaches the designated number of points that the game calls for, said player, or team shall immediately be awarded the place or show position, as the case may be, and the remaining players or teams shall forfeit the right to play for said position.

(l) Notice of cancellation, substitutions. When for any reason a change shall be made by substitution of one or more players, or should a game be canceled for any reason, official notice thereof shall be made and posted in the lobby near the parimutuel windows. Announcements shall also be made over the public address system, notifying the public of any such changes. Said notices and announcements shall be made as soon as possible before the start of the game.

(m) House rules. The game of jai alai shall be played only in accordance with sections 12-574-F50 to 12-574-F56, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Association modifications or "house rules" shall have prior division approval.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Connecticut may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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