who we are
The World Jai-Alai League plays host to the world’s fastest ball game, a sport which once attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands packing frontons in the United States, Mexico, Europe, and portions of Asia. Now, the WJAL’s mission is to reignite the same enthusiasm for the thrilling sport of jai-alai by modernizing gameplay, capitalizing on the exploding international sports wagering market, and delivering the sport through social media to a new generation of fans.
Matches can be seen live on ESPN+, FUBO TV, and the WJAL YouTube Channel. Wagering platforms offering World Jai Alai League Battle Court matches include DraftKings, Hard Rock Bet, Rush Street, and Fanduel. Over 750k fans follow the WJAL across several social media platforms.
World Jai Alai League
Former president of Gulfstream Park and The Casino at Dania Beach. Scott served as COO of Magic City Casino for 16 years and currently oversees World Jai Alai League operations. He was the Executive Producer of Magic City Hustle, the award-winning documentary which chronicled the evolution of the World Jai Alai League.
NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP. Ray Lewis brings his motivating presence to the sport of Jai Alai. A 13-time Pro Bowl selection and host of the Ray Lewis Show, Ray provides the League with his competitive nature and passion as he assists in the League pursuit of breakout growth.
The most celebrated American born Jai Alai player in history. Joey revolutionized the sport with his remate, a type of kill shot. A five-time Tournament of Champions winner holding over 25(As per AP style format) individual championships. Joey is considered the Michael Jordan of the sport and continues to be a champion for Jai alai off the court.
General manager of the Battle Court Fireballs, Nina is a devout fan of the sport and a key ambassador of the World Jai-Alai League. A retired printing industry executive, she is now able to enjoy her family and help grow the sport of Jai Alai.
"Izzy" Havenick has a lifetime of involvement with sports. His family is a major benefactor of the University of Miami athletic program. Izzy has or currently serves on the University of Miami's Presidents Council and Athletic Department Visiting Committee. He also previously served on the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council.
A graduate of the Boston University School of Communications, Lindsay leads the efforts to expand awareness and growth of the sport through social media as well as overseeing all broadcast and production efforts for the World Jai Alai League.
Known in Jai Alai circles as "Tevin", Leon played professional Jai Alai for 28 years and was a 3-time World Series of Jai Alai champion. Leon was instrumental in the early stages of the Magic City Jai Alai program working closely with many of the new players and mentoring them in the sport.
All things Jai-Alai
The rules involve specific regulations for serving, catching, and returning the ball. A valid serve must hit the front wall within a certain area. The ball can only bounce once on the court before being caught and returned. Points are scored when a player:
We have a detailed rules page on our website at https://jaialaiworld.com/BattleCourt-Rules
The first player in singles or the first team in doubles that wins two out of three sets to six points wins the match.
Players get two serves just like in tennis.
A rebote occurs when the ball hits off the back wall of the court and a player catches and throws the ball in one continuous motion.
Juggling occurs when a player catches the ball in their cesta [equal to a glove in baseball] and the judges observe the ball actively bouncing around in the cesta.
Jai-Alai courts have no defined size but the current Battle Court is 120' long and 40' wide in total.
There are six teams in the Battle Court league.
Each Battle Court team has a roster of six players. In addition, the league carries a taxi squad of two or three additional players who can fill in for an injured player on any team.
The Battle Court season consists of 45 game days with each team playing 15 gamedays and a total of 90 individual matches. The top four teams advance to a single elimination playoff format.
A chic chak occurs when the ball lands between the back wall and the floor and results in no bounce or return to the opposing player. This is a perfect shot in Jai-Alai!
A cesta is the basket players tie to their wrist and use to catch the ball. It is similar to a glove worn in baseball.
A Jai-Alai cesta is made from Pyrenees mountain reeds woven over a light ribbed frame of Spanish chestnut. A leather glove is then sewn onto the basket to securely hold the player's hand in place.
The Battle Court ball or pelota is made from a highly concentrated plastic core that is then hand-wrapped with tape to provide for grab and a true bounce on the Jai-Alai court.
Battle Court Jai-Alai players are paid professionals and regarded as the best players of the sport in the world.
There are only a handful of amateur Jai-Alai facilities in the United States. Locations include San Francisco, North Miami, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Connecticut.
You can currently wager on Battle Court Jai-Alai on popular sports betting platforms such as DraftKings, Hard Rock Bet (for those in Florida), FanDuel and ESPNBet. Please ensure you are of legal gambling age and in a jurisdiction where online sports betting is permitted.
Betting on Battle Court Jai-Alai is similar to wagering on other sports. Common bet types may include Moneyline, Correct Score, Set Winner, Team Game Day and Championship Winner. Other prop bets might be available depending on the platform. Check your preferred sportsbook for all available options.
You have several options to watch Battle Court Jai-Alai live! You can watch our YouTube channel live, or tune into our broadcasts on ESPN and Fubo during scheduled match times, or you can experience the energy in person every Friday night in Miami, Florida. You can find all the ways to watch in one place on our website here: https://jaialaiworld.com/battlecourt#WaysToWatch
Yes, ESPN is a broadcast partner of World Jai-Alai League and airs live Battle Court Jai-Alai matches. To watch on ESPN, you will typically need a cable or satellite TV subscription that includes ESPN, or a subscription to a streaming service that carries ESPN. You can then watch live through your TV or the ESPN app on your mobile device or smart TV. Check your local ESPN channel listings or the ESPN app for the schedule.
Yes, Battle Court Jai-Alai is streamed live on Fubo as part of their sports channel lineup. To watch on Fubo, you will need to subscribe to one of their streaming plans that includes the channel broadcasting Battle Court Jai-Alai. You can then watch live through the Fubo app on your preferred device.You will need a valid Fubo subscription to access the streams.
Yes, we have an official YouTube channel where you can watch Live and we also share highlights, behind-the-scenes content, and full match replays. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/c/jaialainetwork. Please subscribe to stay updated!
Absolutely! You can experience the thrill of Battle Court Jai-Alai live and in person every Friday night at the Magic City Fronton in Miami, Florida. Come join us for an exciting night of action! You can find all the info here: https://jaialaifridays.com/
No, admission is currently free, but this is subject to change. Please check our website for the latest information.
You can find our complete match schedule on our official website at https://jaialaiworld.com/battlecourt#Schedule.
The correct and most widely accepted spelling is "Jai-Alai" (with a hyphen). "Jai Alai" (without a hyphen) is also commonly used. "Hi-Li" was a historical American term for the sport. "Hili" is simply a misspelling. When searching for information, you might find results for all these variations, but we primarily use "Jai-Alai" and "Battle Court Jai-Alai."
