Deck tennis is a combination of two sports--lawn tennis and quoits. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, it was originally designed to be played on the limited deck space aboard ships, but it grew to be known as a garden game, too. Deck tennis can be played with two or four players who toss a rubber ring, or quoit, across a net. Deck tennis tends to be a rather informal sport with no rules set in stone, but there are some general guidelines for playing the game.
The Court
A typical court is 30 to 40 feet long and 10 to 15 feet wide. Masters Traditional Games says there is no official court size because the playing area is adapted to the size of the ship on which the game is held. It says for a doubles game, the length of the court might be a little less, but the width should be 14 to 15 feet. A net is strung across the middle, and the court is divided into four sections. Lines are drawn across the court about 3 feet on both sides of the net. The area around the net is neutral territory and the line is called a neutral line. A back line is drawn 6 to 8 feet from the back of each court. A third line is drawn from the middle of the neutral line to the back line on each side. The net should be strung at about the same height as a tennis net--around 36 inches.
The Play
Masters Traditional Games says play begins with a toss of a coin. That decides who will be the first to serve. The first serve is from the right hand court, then serves alternate from left to right. The server throws the quoit from one side, behind the back line, and tries to get it into the diagonally opposite area across the net. If the quoit hits the ground in the target area, the serving player or team get the point. If the target area isn't reached, the opposition scores. If the receiving side catches the quoit, it then tosses it back from that point. The opposition tries to throw across the net into the court area within the neutral and back lines. The receiving side scores if the quoit lands legally on the court on the other side of the net. Play continues until the quoit hits the ground.
Throwing
According to Masters Traditional Games, the quoit must be served in an upward direction and be delivered underarm. When throwing, at least one foot must be touching the ground. Feints or baulking are prohibited and result in the loss of the point being played.
Scoring
Deck tennis is scored just like tennis. Masters Traditional Games says the scoring is 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage, game. There are six games to a set, and three sets are usually played.
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