Platform tennis is a form of tennis that was originally
designed to be played outdoors in winter on courts
built on raised platforms that could be cleared of snow
and ice. The game combines elements of court or lawn
tennis with several other sports, including squash, racquetball, and paddle tennis.
History
Platform tennis originated in Scarsdale, New York, in
1928 when two tennis players, Fessenden S. Blanchard
and James K. Cogswell, wanted to develop an outside
court they could use for racket in the colder weather
and wound up developing a new sport and court to go
with it. They used the wooden paddles and rubber balls
that were already being used in paddle tennis and devised rules that were based on tennis but that accommodated the smaller size of the court.
The game became popular among their friends, and
in 1931 the nearby Fox Meadow Tennis Club installed a
platform tennis court. Other tennis clubs adopted the
sport, and in 1934 the American Paddle Tennis Association was formed. The name was changed to the American Platform Tennis Association in the early 1950s to
avoid confusion with the original form of paddle tennis
and its related organizations.
Platform tennis, originally a sport primarily for the
affluent, became more widely popular in the 1960s and
1970s. Courts were built in parks, resorts, and on other
sites, and it was played in warmer seasons and climates.
Rules and Play
Platform tennis is played on a court surrounded by a
wire-mesh fence. The layout is similar to tennis courts
but with smaller proportions. Paddles are made of
wood, plastic, aluminum, and other materials.
The basic rules of platform tennis are based on
court tennis. Although platform tennis can be played
by two opponents as a singles game, it is more often
played by four people as doubles. Competitive matches
and tournaments are doubles matches.
Games are scored in the same way as tennis. The
rules for platform tennis differ from court tennis in two
basic ways: (1) platform tennis allows only one serve
per point; (2) the ball remains in play if it lands within
the area of play, but then bounces up and hits the side
or back screens.
These differences give platform tennis its unique
characteristics. Although play can be fast and strong, it
is less oriented to rapid, powerful shots than tennis.
Strategy in placing shots and the use of the screens to
carom the ball at appropriate angles are especially important. Many young people play platform tennis, but
the game is also popular among older players because
although it is demanding it does not necessarily require the same amount of running, speed, and exertion
as tennis.
—JOHN TOWNES