Platform tennis is a game in which the players–usually two on each side–use paddles to hit a ball back and forth over a net. The game is played outdoors on a raised court enclosed by a tight wire screen that measures 12 feet (3.7 meters) high. The paddles are larger than those used in table tennis, and they have small round holes in the striking surface. The players use yellow balls made of sponge rubber.
A platform-tennis court measures 44 feet (13 meters) long and 20 feet (6 meters) wide, and is laid out on a playing area of 60 feet (18 meters) by 30 feet (9 meters). The game is played and scored like tennis, with two important differences. A player has only one serve, rather than two as in tennis. Also, a player may return a ball that has landed in the court and bounced against the wire fence. The ball must be returned before it hits the platform a second time. See Tennis .
Platform tennis originated in 1928 in Scarsdale, New York. It was played mainly in the northeastern United States until the 1960’s, when it began to gain nationwide popularity. The game attracts many players during the winter because it can be played in cold weather and snow can be swept off the platform.
