16 Pelota : HID Betfair Education

The fastest game on Earth

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:12:06 +0000

The Guinness Book of Records lists Basque pelota (in its Zesta discipline) as the fastest ball game on Earth. The ball can hit the wall of the frontón at an amazing 300km/h (nearly 200 miles/hour), making pelota one of the most exciting sports to watch. The term pelota covers many different versions of the sport.

The history of Basque pelota

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:10:33 +0000

The game has been played for at least eight centuries in the Basque country. The first written documents on the game are French, and date back to the 13th century. With the "Conquista" of the new world, and the later migrations of Basques to America and Asia, the game spread as the Basque communities in South America, the United States, and Asia began to grow.

Tournaments and Competitions

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:07:50 +0000

Basque pelota was an official Olympic sport in the 1900 Paris Games, and a demonstration sport in 1924, 1968 and 1992. The World Cup, organized by the International Basque Pelota Federation takes place every 4 years since 1952, but it is played by amateur pelotaris.

21st Century betting for an 800 year old sport

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:26:34 +0000

Betfair's in-play markets are the natural habitat for pelota fans, used to exchanging bets with fellow punters, backing and laying, and trading positions live as the games develop in front of their eyes. If you want to enjoy the thrills of the fastest game on earth in the comfort of your home, you can navigate to our pelota markets, and test your trading skills against the old school exchange punters.

Things to look out for when betting

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:16:34 +0000

Serving in pelota is at least as important as in tennis if not more so. When a player or pair has scored a point, chances are they will score the next one too. In pelota games the score can change dramatically when a player manages to score after losing a few points as runs of up to 6-8 points are quite common.

Key Websites

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:58:41 +0000

For further details on the game, information on upcoming fixtures and past results, check these websites: