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FIRST
LESSON – PLATFORM
TENNIS 101
By Charles
E. Vasoll
Now that you know where to get detailed information, I want to help you
with those initial problems that I have indicated that you should know.
RULES
When it is your turn to serve – It is custom to determine the
first choice of serving or receiving by one team spinning the racquet
and their
opponents called “Up” or “Down”. The “Up” or “Down” is
the way that the end of the racquet handle indicates. Each racquet
manufacturer has a logo or mark of some nature to aid in this indication.
For example,
Wilson is an “M” or a “W” and Viking has “horns” pointed
up or down. After this decision is made, the players on each team
alternate and serve from opposite ends of the court. As a player
you must know
when it is your turn to serve. There are procedures to correct
serving rotation errors. To avoid these problems, make a mental
note of what
background or sun position you are facing when you serve.
Keeping
score – The
first point won by your team or your opponent is “15”,
sometimes called “5” for short. The second point won
by either team is “30” and the third point is “40”.
When both teams have won two points the score is “30 all”.
When both teams have won three points, the score is “deuce”.
The score of the team serving is always stated first. For example,
if your team
is serving and wins three points and your opponents win one, the
score is announced as “40 – 15”. With your team
serving and the opponents’ winning three points and your
team one, the score is announced as “15 – 40”.
A team must win four points by a margin of two to win a game.
If both teams win three points (deuce) the next point won is “ad” for
the serving team or the receiving team and is called “Ad In” for
the serving team or “Ad Out” for the receiving team. If the
team having the “Ad” loses the next point, the score returns
to “Deuce” and play continues until a two-point margin
is achieved by either team.
One important point of etiquette is that the server is
expected to announce the score before the next serve. There is no penalty
for failure to follow
this procedure but it is important to keep the score accurate,
agreed upon by both teams and avoid misunderstandings.
Another format is sometimes used to speed up play and is called “No
Ad” scoring. In this method of scoring, when points reach
deuce, the next point decides the winner of the game. The receiving
team
selects which of its players will receive the serve. Usually the
points are
called 1 - 2 - 3 instead of 15 - 30 - 40.
What
is a “let” and what is it not – A “let” is
an opportunity to replay a point for some reason outside of the play.
The most usual is when a ball from an adjoining court comes into the
court on which you are playing and interferes with your playing of
a point. The latest addition to the Official Rules provides for an
opposing team to call a “let” when his opponent loses an
item of clothing such as a hat or glasses. A “let” must
be called immediately when the problem occurs.
It is no longer a “let” when a service touches the net.
The serve must be played by the receiver. The replay of the “let” on
service, which is still used in tennis, was eliminated from platform
tennis rules several years ago.
What is a “foot fault” – Official
Rule 11 defines the term “footfault” by stating, “The
server shall, throughout delivery of the service, up to the moment
of impact of paddle and ball:
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Not
change position by walking or running. |
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Not
touch, with either foot, any area other than that behind the
baseline within the imaginary extension of the center mark and
the sideline. |
Unfortunately this important rule of the game has not been able
to be successfully monitored. In the rush to “get to the net” after
serving, players step on or over the baseline before the impact
of the paddle and ball. Beginning players, observing this violation,
quickly adapt to it. It is improper and is a blight on the sport.
If you are a new player, you should have a partner observe your
practice serves before a game and inform you whether your serving
stroke is
causing you to footfault.
What is a “carry” or a “double hit” - It is
a loss of point when a player touches or strikes the ball more than
once in making a stroke (double hit) or in making overlong contact
with the ball (carry). Both are illegal. There is no question of “intent” as
in the rules of tennis. Since often times only the player is able
to detect this improper play, it is incumbent upon that player
to declare
the loss of point immediately when it happens.
I encourage beginning players to refer to the Official Rules for
more detailed descriptions of proper play. This article is only
intended to scratch the surface of critical rules that beginners
should know.
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