Description

Court Tennis is a mixture of tennis, squash, and chess - played across a sloping net, around walls and into areas of floor marked by 'chase' lines. The game of tennis is the same everywhere. However, the name given to the game differs in different countries. In Great Britain, it is called Tennis; or, to distinguish it from Lawn Tennis, Real Tennis or Royal Tennis. In the United States, it is Court Tennis. In France, it is Jeu de Paume and in Australia it is Royal Tennis.

The Court

The court is divided by the net into two ends. The end from which the game is viewed by most spectators, usually from the dedans, is called the service end. The other end is called the hazard end. The lines on the floor are there to measure the length of the chase from the back wall, e.g., if the second bounce was on the 5-yard line, then 'chase 5' has been set.

The Service

The service is always delivered from the service end; and the ball must bounce at least once on the side roof (penthouse) on the hazard side. If the first serve is a fault, a second is allowed.

Points

Points are won when errors are made by the opposition (e.g., hitting the ball into the net or out of court). They may also be won by striking the ball into one of the winning openings - the dedans, the grille, or the winning gallery. If a ball enters any other gallery, a chase is set.

The Chase

A chase occurs whenever a ball bounces twice on the floor at the service end before a player touches it. Chases can also occur at the hazard end, but only if the second bounce is closer to the net than the service line. These are called 'hazard chases'. The players change ends when there are two chases, or if there is one chase outstanding and the score is at game point, e.g., 40-15 or advantage. Immediately after changing ends, the chase or chases are 'played off'. This means the receiving player must hit his shot so that the second bounce is closer to the back wall than the chase being played (e.g., if the chase is 5-yards, he must play to 4,3,2, or 1 in order to win the point).

Marking

In 'marking' (scoring) a game, the score announced first always relates to the player who won the last point. To remember the score correctly and to mark a chase accurately requires skill and focus. For this reason, a Marker is often present, particularly in match or tournament play.

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