Platform tennis is most often played as a doubles game. This game is played at both private and public facilities on levels that range from recreational to competitive. Platform tennis is played on an elevated aluminum deck that's about a quarter the size of a regular court. The deck is surrounded by fencing that allows play off the walls. Paddles for the game consist of a composite material with holes drilled into the head. Players commonly refer to platform tennis as "paddle."
Serving
A player delivers service diagonally crosscourt from a designated receiver. She throws the ball into the air and strikes it before it hits the ground to deliver the serve. The receiver can stand wherever she wants on her side of the net, and the partners to the servers and receiver can stand anywhere they choose on their own sides of the net. The server alternates sides of the court when serving, and the opposing team members switch off in receiving the ball. Before the receiver can return the ball, it has to pass over the net and hit the ground in the proper service court. The receiver cannot strike the ball before bounces. If she does, the receiver gets the point, according to the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA).
Let
A service becomes a let if the ball is served before the receiving team is ready, the ball hits an overhead obstruction like a tree limb, the ball breaks, play gets interrupted, the ball gets stuck in the screen or goes out of the court via a hole in the screen, or a player has a piece of clothing like a hat fall off. When a let occurs, the point is replayed.
In Play
After a ball is served, it stays in play until the point gets decided, unless there's a fault or a let. Players cannot catch balls that look like they are going out of bounds. This results in loss of the point, according to APTA. The ball stays in play until it actually hits the deck out of bounds or the screen on the fly. It also goes out of play if it bounces twice on one side in bounds or goes over the screen.
Points
The loss of a point occurs if the ball bounces twice on one side's court, the ball gets returned but hits the deck out of bounds on the other side of the net, hits an object other than one of the opposing players on the other side of the net that's out of bounds, or hits the net. Players also can lose the point by carrying or catching the ball in play on the paddle, or deliberately touching the ball it with the paddle more than once. Players also must wait for the ball to cross to their side of the net before hitting it. Players also may not touch the net, cord, post or court on the opponents' when the ball is in play, advises APTA.
Scoring
AT the start of the game, when the score is zero, the score is called "love." The initial point is called 15, the next point is 30, the third point equals 40 and the fourth point results in "game." When both teams have a score of 40, the score is referred to as "deuce." The following point after deuce is called "advantage" for the team that wins it. If the team with the advantage gains the next point, that team wins the game. If the other team gains the point, the score reverts to deuce. This goes indefinitely until a team wins two points in a row from deuce. That wins the game. Teams play sets to determine the ultimate winner. The team that wins six games takes the set. The winning team, however, needs a two-game margin. A set keeps going until one team gains that two-game margin, such as eight to six or 11 to nine, according to APTA.
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