Beach tennis, an exciting and gambling game accessible to many, is gaining popularity in Russia. Learning to play is not at all difficult, you just need to stock up on inventory or learn the rules.
Badminton or tennis?
Beach tennis is a relatively young sport. The first discipline tournaments took place at the end of the twentieth century, they were held in the homeland of the game - in Italy. Initially, the game was similar to badminton, that is, the players hit the ball off the net, without hitting the court, as in tennis. In addition, in beach tennis it is allowed to play with the accompaniment of music, which gives the game dynamics and, of course, entertainment.
The requirements for the coating are obvious: smooth sand, free of shells, stones, glass. The referees, and the players themselves, are very demanding to the layout of the court. It does not differ from the beach volleyball line: 8x16 meters, with a line width of 2, 5 - 5 cm. Since the range of the ball is not limited, the court for the game must be equipped with fences around the court perimeter. A prerequisite is the height of the net, which is 170 cm and, unlike lawn tennis, the height of the net means its height from the ground to the end of the metal rods on which it is held laterally.
Beach tennis is played with a ball with reduced compression, or half deflated. Rackets are made of carbon fiber, fiberglass or Kevlar. Racket length 50 cm, width - 26 cm.
Three sets for friends
The game is played in three or five sets, the conditions for winning are announced before the match. The score in beach tennis is the same as in tennis. That is, the players play games and, when they win six games, they win the set. There is a stipulation that in the absence of a referee on the court, for example, during a match “for fun”, the server announces the score before each game. If the gap between games is less than two, then the decisive ball is played.
Beach tennis is a team game, played by teams of two, which again brings tennis and beach volleyball together. By lot, the teams choose the side of the field, the right to be serving or receiving, they can transfer the choice to an opponent.
A change of courts occurs every odd game in the set. If the ball touches the court lines, it counts as a point towards the attacker. If the ball touches the equipment of the court (net, refereeing tower, fences), the point is lost by the striking team.
The ball is served from behind the back marking line according to the sequence determined before the game. The ball is bounced only after it has crossed the net line. If the ball hits the net, then it is not considered lost, the game continues.
Beach tennis is inherently a continuous game, the maximum break allowed in the game, 90 seconds, is given by the players to change courts.
