Platform tennis is derived from tennis, developed in 1928 at Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, New York by James Cogswell and Fessenden Blanchard.[1]
Cogswell and Blanchard had been seeking to develop a sport that could be played outdoors during the winter. The original platform they constructed was long and wide, dimensions that were dictated by the Cogswell property's steep slope and constrained by the presence of a large rock.[2] The court was too small for volleyball and the overhanging foliage precluded badminton, two alternatives that Cogswell and Blanchard had considered, leaving a form of deck tennis as the only option that they deemed viable.[3] Cogswell found paddle tennis equipment in a sporting goods store and started using it on their court after lowering the net that they had used to play deck tennis.[4] As the balls they used tended to go out of play, fencing was added, rising from an initial height of up to as of 1932. The dimensions of by were expanded to the by size of a badminton court. As this left a narrow strip out of play between the court and the fencing, the fences were put into play and players were allowed to hit the ball after it hit off of the fence.[5] The court dimensions expanded to their final size in 1932, making it equivalent to one-quarter the size of a standard tennis court.[6] In 1935, Scarsdale's Fox Meadow Club hosted the first national championship.[1]
The court is one-quarter the size of a traditional tennis court and is surrounded by a chicken wire fence high. The taut fencing allows balls to be played off the wall and remain in play. Originally developed on land unsuitable for traditional tennis courts, such as along hills, the space under the platform allows for the installation of heating equipment that, together with lighting, can allow for year-long play around the clock, even in cold weather. Courts in warm-weather locations are more likely to be constructed on level ground, as the need for clearing snow and ice is obviated.[7] The deck is long by in width. The court measures in length by in width and is divided by a net that is kept taut at a height of at its center and at either end.
A spongy ball measuring in diameter is used. The ball can be served overhand. The ball is struck with a paddle that extends and which may have up to 87 holes measuring no more than in diameter to improve its aerodynamics.[8]
A serve is the first shot to begin a point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it into the diagonally opposite service box. The ball may make contact with the net: if it lands in the service box, it is a valid serve. There are no "lets" in platform tennis.
The rules governing the serve are different for singles and doubles play. In a game of singles, similar rules of tennis apply, i.e. the server may make two attempts at a valid serve. Only after a second failed attempt (a "fault") is the point lost. In a game of doubles, the server is given a single chance for a valid serve. For this reason, serves are often much less aggressive in a doubles game.
Platform tennis uses the same scoring rules of tennis for game, set and match. See: Tennis scoring system