The Circuit Bancaixa officially Lliga Professional d'Escala i Corda, is the Escala i corda

Escala i corda

Escala i corda is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.- History :...

 league for this Valencian pilota

Valencian pilota

Valencian pilota is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community. Its origins are not known, but seems to be related to the French Jeu de paume....

 modality professional players. They are arranged in teams of two or three members of the ValNet

ValNet

ValNet is the company gathering all Valencian pilota professional players.In 2005 the retired pilotaris Alfred Hernando , Daniel Ribera and the trinquet owner Emili Peris, joined to create a brand new company that professionalized this old sport's environment: Assured minimal fees for the players,...

 firm (since the season 05/06), promoted by other companies and the towns.

It is named after its main sponsor, the Valencian Savings bank

Savings bank (Spain)

In Spain, a savings bank is a financial institution which specializes in accepting savings deposits and granting loans. Their original aim was to create the habit of thrift amongst the very poor but they have evolved to compete with and rival commercial banks.Their trade association is the Spanish...

 Bancaixa and it came to replace the Campionat Nacional d'Escala i Corda (1952-1993) starting in the 1991/92 season. It is organized by the retired pilotari Alfred Hernando

Alfred Hernando

Alfred Hernando Hueso , known as Fredi, is a retired Valencian pilota professional player working now as a pilota businessman. He was a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad....

 (aka Fredi). Since the very beginning the best players compited and nowadays it's the most prestigious trophy and an honor to be chosen to play, with names suchs as Sarasol I

Enric Sarasol

Enric Sarasol Soler , known as Sarasol I, was a professional Valencian pilota player. He retired on 2004 and for 3 years he was the Sports General Director of the Generalitat Valenciana, until 2007....

, Pigat II or Álvaro

Álvaro Navarro Serra

Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad...

.

The season 2007/08 is played by 8 teams (for the first time, all of them trios), with 3 feridors and 6 replacing pilotaris. The competition is an all against all league trying to achieve as much points as possible (3 points for victory, and 1 point in case of lost but scoring 50 tants), the best 6 teams earn a place for the second phase with the same rules. When there are only 4 teams they play two matches, and the winners get to the final, which is played to the best of 3 matches.

Statistics

Season	Winner	Runner-up	Score	Trinquet Valencian trinquet Valencian trinquet, or simply trinquet , is the court used in the Valencian Community for two different modalities of Valencian pilota: the Escala i corda and the Raspall.- Court :...
2007/08 Circuit Bancaixa 07/08 The Escala i Corda XVII Professional League 07-08 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Escala i corda, a modality of Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet...
2006/07 Circuit Bancaixa 06/07 The Escala i Corda XVI Professional League 06-07 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....	Núñez, Melchor and Tino	Mezquita José Jorge Mezquita García José Jorge Mezquita García , simply known as Mezquita, is a Valencian pilota professional player, one of the best reboters of the Escala i corda variant in the ValNet company... , Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...  and Oñate	60-50	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )	2nd match
			60-35	Guadassuar Guadassuar Guadassuar is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain....	1st match
2005/06 Circuit Bancaixa 05/06 The Escala and Corda XV Professional League 05-06 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....	Mezquita José Jorge Mezquita García José Jorge Mezquita García , simply known as Mezquita, is a Valencian pilota professional player, one of the best reboters of the Escala i corda variant in the ValNet company... , Tato Jaume Morales Moltó Jaume Morales Moltó , sporting nickname Tato, is a Valencian pilota professional player in the ValNet company team. He plays as mitger of the Escala i corda variant with a unique and unorthodox style due to his early experiences as a player, playing the Llargues variant in the streets...  and Canari	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad...  and Pigat III	60-40	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )	2nd match
			60-50	El Zurdo (Gandia Gandia Gandia is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar, 65 km south of Valencia and 96 km north of Alicante.... )	1st match
2004/05 Circuit Bancaixa 04/05 The Escala and Corda XIV Professional League 04-05 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....	Mezquita José Jorge Mezquita García José Jorge Mezquita García , simply known as Mezquita, is a Valencian pilota professional player, one of the best reboters of the Escala i corda variant in the ValNet company... , Tato Jaume Morales Moltó Jaume Morales Moltó , sporting nickname Tato, is a Valencian pilota professional player in the ValNet company team. He plays as mitger of the Escala i corda variant with a unique and unorthodox style due to his early experiences as a player, playing the Llargues variant in the streets...  and Canari	León and Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...	60-55	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
2003/04	Mezquita José Jorge Mezquita García José Jorge Mezquita García , simply known as Mezquita, is a Valencian pilota professional player, one of the best reboters of the Escala i corda variant in the ValNet company... , Tato Jaume Morales Moltó Jaume Morales Moltó , sporting nickname Tato, is a Valencian pilota professional player in the ValNet company team. He plays as mitger of the Escala i corda variant with a unique and unorthodox style due to his early experiences as a player, playing the Llargues variant in the streets...  and Tino	Sarasol I Enric Sarasol Enric Sarasol Soler , known as Sarasol I, was a professional Valencian pilota player. He retired on 2004 and for 3 years he was the Sports General Director of the Generalitat Valenciana, until 2007....  and Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...	60-45	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
2002/03	Núñez, Fèlix and Jesús	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad...  and Tino	60-35	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
2001/02	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad...  and Tino	Cervera and Solaz	60-30	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
2000/01	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad...  and Dani	León, Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...  and Fèlix	60-45	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1999/00	Ribera II, Tino and Oñate	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad... , Pasqual II and Tato Jaume Morales Moltó Jaume Morales Moltó , sporting nickname Tato, is a Valencian pilota professional player in the ValNet company team. He plays as mitger of the Escala i corda variant with a unique and unorthodox style due to his early experiences as a player, playing the Llargues variant in the streets...	60-35	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1998/99	Sarasol I Enric Sarasol Enric Sarasol Soler , known as Sarasol I, was a professional Valencian pilota player. He retired on 2004 and for 3 years he was the Sports General Director of the Generalitat Valenciana, until 2007....  and Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...	Pigat II, Pigat III and Sanchis	60-50	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1997/98	Sarasol I Enric Sarasol Enric Sarasol Soler , known as Sarasol I, was a professional Valencian pilota player. He retired on 2004 and for 3 years he was the Sports General Director of the Generalitat Valenciana, until 2007....  and Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...	Núñez, Voro and Tino	60-20	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1996/97	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad... , Oñate and Muedra	Oltra and José María	60-30	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1995/96	Pigat II, Pigat III and Serrano	Álvaro Álvaro Navarro Serra Álvaro Navarro Serra , simply known as Álvaro, is one of the main Valencian pilota professional players. He is one of the most reputed dauers due to his strong left hand and his professionality, and has got to be a member of the Valencian Pilota Squad... , Solaz and Joaquín	60-55	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1994/95	Pigat II, Pigat III and Pepet	Oltra, Solaz and Tino	60-45	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1993/94	Perele I, Perele II and Oltra	Pigat II, Xatet II de Carlet and Pepet	60-50	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1992/93	Pigat II, Xatet II de Carlet and Pepet	Puchol, Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...  and Pasqual II	60-55	Pelayo Pelayo trinquet The Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...  (València Valencia -In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community... )
1991/92	Sarasol I Enric Sarasol Enric Sarasol Soler , known as Sarasol I, was a professional Valencian pilota player. He retired on 2004 and for 3 years he was the Sports General Director of the Generalitat Valenciana, until 2007....  and Sarasol II José María Sarasol José María Sarasol Soler , Sarasol II, is a Valencian pilota professional player. His brother Enric was Sarasol I. He has been member of the Valencian Pilota Squad for 11 years and has deserved to be awarded as the Best Player at the Argentina'02 Handball International Championships.For many years,...	Fenollosa , Edi and Tino	60-45	Vila-real Vila-real Vila-real is a city in the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain. Located 7 km to the south of the province's capital , at 42 m above sea level, it has 51,367 inhabitants , most of them living in the urban area that covers about 10.72% of its county's 55.4 km2 surface...

Circuit Bancaixa specifical rules

The Circuit Bancaixa changes slightly the Escala i corda

Escala i corda

Escala i corda is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.- History :...

 rules in order to promote the show and the TV broadcastings.

• First scoring: The match is won by the team who first scores 60 jocs. In order to make matches faster, in benefit of bets, and force pilotaris to effort since the very first ball, the matches begin scoring 15-15 jocs.

• Forbidden galleries: The team who throws the ball to the dau or rest galleries loses the quinze if it doesn't come back to the playing area. This way pilotaris are forced to try to achieve more difficult plays by searching bounces or corners instead of throwing the ball to the top. This rule means an additional effort for the players, specially when playing against a trio.

• The ferida: The first fault of the joc is not scored. In the ferida, if the ball doesn't enter into the dau, it's a fault, that is, a won quinze for the team at the dau. But if this situation happens for the first time in the current joc it's not scored. This way, feridors may risk much more.

• The feridors: Before every match begins the special players, the feridors, are raffled. That is, they don't know who will be they playing for until minutes before. In case the team is formed by 3 players the punter (forwarder) may choose to play also as a feridor (as Tino uses to do), if he doesn't want then he must begin every quinze under the mid-field net

Non-relevant facts about the Circuit Bancaixa

• Every season's poster features a picture of last year's winner team. So, on the 2006/07 Circuit Bancaixa
  Circuit Bancaixa 06/07
  The Escala i Corda XVI Professional League 06-07 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....
  
   poster there are Mezquita
  José Jorge Mezquita García
  José Jorge Mezquita García , simply known as Mezquita, is a Valencian pilota professional player, one of the best reboters of the Escala i corda variant in the ValNet company...
  
  , Tato
  Jaume Morales Moltó
  Jaume Morales Moltó , sporting nickname Tato, is a Valencian pilota professional player in the ValNet company team. He plays as mitger of the Escala i corda variant with a unique and unorthodox style due to his early experiences as a player, playing the Llargues variant in the streets...
  
   (hitting the ball) and Canari on their positions, escalater, mitger and punter.

Seasons of the Circuit Bancaixa

• Circuit Bancaixa 04/05
  Circuit Bancaixa 04/05
  The Escala and Corda XIV Professional League 04-05 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....
  
  
• Circuit Bancaixa 05/06
  Circuit Bancaixa 05/06
  The Escala and Corda XV Professional League 05-06 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....
  
  
• Circuit Bancaixa 06/07
  Circuit Bancaixa 06/07
  The Escala i Corda XVI Professional League 06-07 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet, on the Escala i corda variant....
  
  
• Circuit Bancaixa 07/08
  Circuit Bancaixa 07/08
  The Escala i Corda XVII Professional League 07-08 of the Circuit Bancaixa is the top-level championship of the Escala i corda, a modality of Valencian pilota, organized by the firm ValNet...
  
  , ongoing

External links

• XVI Lliga Professional d'Escala i Corda 06.07