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Rules

Platform tennis: rules

Platform tennis is a doubles game played outdoors on a small raised court enclosed by wire screens: the ball may be played off the screens after it bounces inside the court. Scoring follows tennis, with games, sets and tiebreakers, but each server gets only one serve.

Importance 2 out of 5Importance rating
RacketWiki EditorsVerified 25 October 20261 source

Serve

  • The server stands behind the baseline between the centre mark and the sideline, throws the ball up by hand and hits it before it lands; the serve may be overarm, underarm or sidearm and must land in the diagonally opposite service courtSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rules 9a, 9d and 9f · tier 1
  • Only one serve is allowed in doubles: a service fault loses the pointSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 9g · tier 1
  • There are no service lets: a serve that clips the net cord and lands in the correct service court is in playSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 9h · tier 1
  • The receiver must let the serve bounce; volleying it loses the point outrightSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 10d · tier 1
  • If the serve hits either receiver, or anything they wear or carry, before it bounces, the server wins the pointSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 9i · tier 1

Scoring

  • Games are scored love, 15, 30, 40, game; from deuce a team must win two points in a rowSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 6a · tier 1
  • A set goes to the first team to win 6 games with a two-game lead; at 6-all a 7-point tiebreaker is normally playedSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rules 6b and 6d · tier 1
  • A match is usually the best of three sets; in some events a 10-point match tiebreaker replaces the third setSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rules 6c and 6d · tier 1

The screens

  • Once the ball has bounced inside the court it stays in play off the screens until it bounces a second time, lands out, or goes over the screen; a ball that hits the screen before bouncing is out of playSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 11 · tier 1
  • A team loses the point if its shot lands in, rebounds off the back screen or corner, and comes back over the net to the hitter's side without the opponents touching it; this does not apply to the serveSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 14n · tier 1
  • Hitting the ball over the screen and out of the enclosure, or into a light or the netting above the cross bar, loses the pointSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 14m · tier 1

Faults and losing the point

  • A serve is a fault if the server stands in the wrong place or foot-faults, misses the ball, or the serve lands outside the correct service court or hits the server's partnerSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rule 9j · tier 1
  • A team loses the point if the ball bounces twice on its side, or if its return lands outside the court on the other side of the netSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rules 14a and 14b · tier 1
  • A player loses the point if the ball touches them or their clothing, if they touch the net or posts while the ball is in play, or if both partners hit the ball on the same returnSource: Official Rules of Platform Tennis, APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis (web page), Rules 14g, 14i and 14j · tier 1

Sources

  1. Official Rules of Platform Tennis, American Platform Tennis Association, Web page; no edition stated (site copyright 2010-2026)platformtennis.orgOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)