Jai-Alai Extra - News, Fronton Info, and Stats

Welcome to JaialaiExtra.com. Home of the latest Jai-alai news, fronton updates, player info and more!  We hope that JaialaiExtra serves as a place for current jai-alai fans as well as new ones to find information regarding the sport of jai-alai. 

Jai-alai is a spectator sport but most importantly it is the only sport where spectators can legally place bets on the teams competing.  Jai-alai is played in a closed-in facility or fronton.  In the United States, active frontons can only be found in the state of Florida.  Dania Jai-alai, Miami Jai-alai, and Hamilton Jai-alai and Poker operate live jai-alai year round.  Orlando Jai-alai, Ocala Jai-alai, and Ft. Pierce Jai-alai operate seasonally in short seasons of three months or less.  Big Bend Jai-alai, also known as Quincy Jai-alai, is scheduled to reopen in September of 2007.  Be sure to check back for updates on this fronton.  For more information on Florida’s active jai-alai frontons, please follow our fronton tabs where you will find their locations, season dates, schedules, and important links.

Jai-alai originated in the Basque region of northern Spain and France.  A small region that is full of solid traditions.  Jai-alai, also known as cesta punta, was originally played outdoors with the use of church walls during festivals.  In the Basque Country, Cesta Punta is played in partido format to a total of 20 to 30 points between two teams.  Here in the United States it is played in a quiniela format where 8 teams of one or two compete using a round robin format until a total of 7 or 9 points are reached.  One point is awarded to each team during the first round of play with points doubling during the second round.  Jai-alai players use a basket or cesta, made of wicker, to hurl the ball or pelota toward the front wall.  The object of the game is to out play and out wit your opponent with the use raw power and kill shots in order to win a point.  The pelota has been clocked at more than 185 miles per hour.  Jai-alai players risk serious injury or possibly death every time they set foot on a jai-alai court or cancha.  This danger or unpredictability adds to the sport’s already exciting nature.       

The standard jai-alai uniform is white trousers, red belt or faja, colored jersey with the numbers 1 – 8 on the front to depict the player’s post position and the player’s unique roster number on the back.  At some frontons you will also find the player’s name on the back of his jersey.  A helmet or casco is also required as part of the uniform. 

Jai-alai has been played in many parts of the world.  Today when visiting a fronton, you will find a mixture of players from here in the United States as well as Mexico, Cuba, Spain and France.     

For more information on this exciting sport, please follow our links where we hope you will find answers to any questions you may have on this very exciting sport.  For current or more up-to-date information, please visit our Jai-alai Blog.