You can serve standing close to the wall, and hit along the same wall only on lobs, half-lobs and Z serves

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Subject: Otto - question on standing in the drive service zone and hitting a lob
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 20:26:33 -0800
From: Alex Glaros

Otto,

Can I serve a lob (or hard, soft Z, half-lob, but not a drive) standing
1 inch from the side wall. My shoe is touching the right side wall and my
racquet is almost touching the right side wall. The ball travels very close
to and parallel to the right side wall that I'm touching.

Thanks,

Alex Glaros

Rule 3.6 DRIVE SERVICE ZONES
The drive serve lines will be 3 feet from each side wall in the service
zone. Viewed one at a time, the drive serve line divides the service
area into a 3-foot and a 17-foot section that apply only to drive
serves. The player may drive serve between the body and the side wall
nearest to where the service motion began only if the player starts and
remains outside of the 3-foot drive service zone. In the event that the
service motion begins in one 3-foot drive service zone and continues
into the other 3-foot drive serve zone, the player may not hit a drive
serve at all.

(a) The drive serve zones are not observed for cross-court drive serves,
the hard-Z, soft-Z, lob or half-lob serves.
(b) The racquet may not break the plane of the 17-foot zone while making
contact with the ball.
(c) The drive serve line is not part of the 17-foot zone. Dropping the
ball on the line or standing on the line while serving to the same side
is an infraction.

*************

Subject: Re: Otto - question on standing in the drive service zone and hitting a lob
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 11:08:39 -0500
From: "Otto Dietrich"
To: "Alex Glaros"

Hi Alex

Once again, if it is NOT a drive serve, then there is NO violation of the
drive serve rule. But if you stand very near a wall and also lob very near
that same wall, you better bail out quickly or else you will be in one of
those two avoidable hinder paths (straight in or cross court) on the return
of serve.

Regards,

Otto

OTTO E. DIETRICH
President, United States Racquetball Association 1998-Present
National Rules Commissioner 1988-1998
Member of National Rules Committee 1982-Present