It is also called pelota. Jai alai is played on a three-walled court with a hard rubber ball that must be hurled against the front wall with the cesta, a wicker basket attached to the player's arm.
Spectators sit behind a wire fence or plexiglass wall on the fourth side.
To their right is the front wall, or frontis. The object is to hurl the ball against the front wall in such a way that it cannot be returned. The ball may hit the side or rear wall, but not the spectator wall, before striking the frontis. Jai alai is played as either singles or doubles with scoring similar to that of handball. It is also popular in parts of Europe, the Caribbean, and the Philippines.