Platform tennis is a variant of the regular tennis game which can be enjoyed the whole year round regardless of the weather, well except during storms. This sport is played during winter months on a dais, raised from the ground leaving room for heating elements that melt the ice from the surface at the same time giving warmth to the players. Twelve-foot screens surround the court making them part of the game play. The following paragraphs discuss the dos and don’ts on playing the game.
The game is also called paddle tennis because the players use a flat wooden paddle that is eighteen inches in length with about 87 3/8″ perforations. The balls being used are as big as a tennis ball but harder. The balls are changed repeatedly throughout the game because the wetness of melted snow weighs it down.
In order to settle on who gets to serve first, spin a paddle using the handle as a pointer. The player closest to where the handle end points gets to choose whether to serve first or to receive the service.
The serving player takes his position behind the baseline on the edge of the court. The object is to get the ball to a spot diagonally across to the opposing player’s side without hitting the net, of course, within the bounds of the baseline.
With your teammate, take alternate turns in returning the ball after the service. Change to the opposing side of the court after every set. The serve must bounce within that spot diagonally across the server otherwise it is considered a bad serve. Bad serves are considered faults which award points to the opposing team.
Other service faults are when you miss the service toss (that’s the toss the server makes to hit the serve) and when the server steps on the baseline as the serve is made. Faults are also called in cases where the server hits the teammate or the net and also when not in the right position for serving (this is on the right hand of the serving player’s corner).
Points are also awarded to the opposing team when a current team’s ball hits the cage before it bounces or when it goes over the cage out of bounds. Kudos when the ball hits one of the opposing team members. When anybody from any team touches the net with any part of their equipment, clothing, or body, the points go to the opposing team. If the ball from a team lands beyond the baselines, the opposing team gets the points.
The balls are still in play even if they hit a screen or any other objects around the platform. Scoring follows the standard of lawn tennis.
AUTOPOST by BEDEWY VISIT GAHZLY
