Fred Gumbinner, Chair of the Players Committee filed the report in PTM

As most of us are aware, foot faulting has become a pervasive problem in the game of platform tennis – both at the social level and at the competitive tournament level. It has been exacerbated by the fact that there is often resentment or even outrage when a player calls a foot fault violation.The one enforcing the rule as opposed to the perpetrator is sometimes labeled the “bad guy.”This phenomenon does not occur when one calls a dearly out ball out; yet it does with respect to foot fault violations, even though both instances constitute a loss of point under the rules of the game.

There is no need to discuss the policies against foot faulting as there is almost universal concurrence that players should not foot fault. Various ideas have been suggested and debated as to how to effectively enforce the foot fault rule and to get players to abide by the rule while maintaining harmony among competitors. The fact is, that most players that foot fault are not even aware that their service motion results in a foot fault. As such, procedures or mechanisms to increase awareness are often effective. This article will not discuss the numerous suggestions that have been made to increase foot fault awareness and enforcement, but will explain the current proposal the Board adopted.

At the Annual Board meeting last May (2008), the APTA took specific action on the matter. The Players Committee recommended, and the Board unanimously approved, the following policy for the 2008-09 competitive season:

Each Region is required to have one or more Roving Foot Fault Judges (“RFJ”) in at least one of its regional tournaments. The RFJ may issue one warning to a player before a violation renders a loss of point. The RFJs are encouraged to move around to as many courts and locations as reasonable and practical. Furthermore, RFJs are mandated at the 2009 Nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Region Presidents are to determine which regional tournament or tournaments will use the Roving Foot Fault Judges. The Region Presidents along with the respective tournament chair will determine the logistics (and any dispute resolution mechanisms) for the RFJs at the tournament(s). In general, the RFJs have the same responsibility and authority as an umpire with a respect to making the calls. i.e., they are required to make the call and such calls stand without discussion or debate.

Furthermore, the National Championships in Cincinnati will have RFJs at various locations and, as usual, the umpires for the semi-finals and finals will continue to call foot fault violations.

The Players Committee and the Board recognize that this interim solution is not perfect. The goal is to start a program that increases the awareness of foot faults and leads to the reduction in violations. The policy adopted by the APTA does not limit, nor is it intended to limit, any player’s right to call a foot fault during a match. In fact, it is hoped that more players will do so. The RFJs are merely a supplement to the existing mechanisms.

Regions, tournament directors and players are encouraged to continue and increase their own monitoring and enforcement of the issue.

This policy is a requirement and the Board hopes that all players give the RFJs the deference, respect and support that these volunteers, that are trying to help the game, deserve.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 10, Issue 3, January, 2009

The APTA Rules Committee (Martin Sturgess, Bob Callaway, Steve Nycum and Mike Stulac) filed this update with PTM:

There have been a couple of rule changes that you should be aware of before your next venture on to the court.

No, the let rule has not been changed and lobs out of the court are still a loss of point.

However, a major change passed by the Board at the May 2008 meeting is that a “carry” or “double hit” is now a legal shot providing that the player uses a continuous motion, and hits the ball before it reaches the screen. This rule has been changed mainly because it is felt that a “continuous motion” is a much clearer concept and thus should eliminate disagreements. Tennis made this switch many years ago for the same reason.

To summarize this rule, any ball struck using a continuous motion is now legal.

In 2007, a rule was established that if player A strikes a ball which lands in the opposite court and then hits the screen and rebounds all the way back into player A’s court without being touched, player A loses the point. This rule has been amended to apply to only those balls that rebound off of the back screen (including either corner). In other words if a player hits a ball into the opposition’s court that hits a side screen and returns into the ball striker’s court without touching the back screen it is a legal shot. Yes, it is apparently possible to do this, although I wouldn’t advise trying it too often!

Bullet and Jacki Brown, owners of BulletWorks Platform Tennis, are pleased to announce the formation of Advantage Paddle Courts. The new entity was created to market ground level courts in Regions VI and VII. The first official Advantage court was installed this spring in Napa Valley, California.

“We see tremendous growth potential for the sport in the Southeast and West,” says Bullet Brown. “There are tens of thousands of active seniors in these areas who have never heard of platform tennis. We plan to introduce targeted groups to the sport and position our product as a smart recreational amenity for their home or community.”

BulletWorks, Inc. operates out of a 5,000 square foot manufacturing space in Rutland, Vermont. Currently, in response to limited market demand for new courts from the existing platform tennis community, BulletWorks manufactures 10-20 courts a year. “We could easily produce 80-100 Advantage courts a year,” says Brown. “We hope to get to that point within the next few years.”

The Browns are focusing efforts on ground level court construction for a number of reasons – one being that they are a lot less expensive for the buyer than traditional platform tennis courts. An Advantage Paddle Court is basically a standard platform tennis court superstructure installed on a concrete pad. By eliminating the heavy, expensive aluminum deck, the price drops significantly – for the purchaser of one court it can mean a $20,000 savings. That cost differential makes the discretionary purchase more realistic for many potential clients. [enlarge image to read full story]

A few years back, David Dodge of Premier Platform Tennis built two concrete grade-level courts at Ocean Pines, Maryland. The warmer climate sees little snow and therefore the necessity of a conventional deck was absent.

A few months ago, Dodge and Bullet Brown (Bulletworks Platform Tennis) completed two more courts at Ocean Pines.

The courts – not yet approved by the APTA – were not painted, except for the red lines. A broom finish was applied to the court for better footing. So what is the post installation verdict?

Resident players claim:

• The broom-finish provides very good footing and is considerably easier on the knees and ankles.

• The non-painted court is much brighter under the lights.

• The non-painted surface initially saves $3,000 per court and $2,500 every few years thereafter.

• Pitching the courts just two inches from the net to either end works well to drain rainfall by gravity compared to a level deck.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 3, January, 2007

Bob Callaway, Chair, Rules Committee reported:

At the Annual Board of Directors meeting in May, a number of rule changes were approved and will be in effect for this 2006- 2007 season. Since a most recent edition of the Official Rules of Platform Tennis has not been printed and distributed, the APTA wanted to alert all players of the following changes:

Rule 1: Dimensions and Terminology
The Board approved as an option, a gap of up to six inches in the alley lines where the alley lines meet the service line and extending toward the baseline. It was felt that this optional alteration in the painting of the lines will make it easier to make calls on serves.

Rule 10: Fault or Out
In the third paragraph an additional sentence will be added: “In an officiated match, depending on the Chair Umpire’s responsibilities regarding line calls, agreed to ahead of time with the Tournament Director, the Chair Umpire may call for a let or loss of point if he overrules the player’s call. If the players make an incorrect “out” call on a ball that is returnable, the Chair Umpire will call for a let, and the point will be replayed. If the players make an incorrect “out” call on a ball that is unreturnable, the Chair Umpire will call for a loss of point to the team making the out call.”

Rule 13: A Let
The third sentence (a) will now read: “it hits an overhanging obstruction such as a corner cross piece on a court or a tree limb.” Also, an additional clause will be added: “(e) a player loses an item of clothing; i.e., hat, glasses, hair accessory, etc., the opposing team has the option to call a let. A let must be called immediately. If not, the point will stand as concluded. ”

Rule 18: Loss of Point
An additional clause will be added: “(j) A player strikes a ball in the court which then rebounds off a screen, comes back across the net and lands inside the lines without being touched by an opponent.”

This rule was added because there are players who are capable of hitting balls off the back screen which will rebound all the way back over the net. If an opposing player attempts to field such a ball by either running around the net or jumping over the net, the player will have lost the point as soon as his/her feet touch inside the court on the other side. However, this does not preclude a player running around the net and hitting a ball while staying outside the court lines. Also, please note this rule change only refers to balls hit off a screen. It does not affect, for instance, a ball struck with such severe underspin that it crosses the net and then comes back across the net.

These changes are intended to facilitate play and make the game more enjoyable and safe.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 2, November, 2006

Jerry Brown of The Paddle Company provided an update:

Since 1995, platform tennis has enjoyed an amazing technological transformation with graphite, carbon fiber and titanium making paddles lighter, stronger and easier to play with. This has helped to reduce the stress on players’ bodies and encouraged a broader participation in the sport. Developing new paddles for the sport has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. Within standards developed, by the American Platform Tennis Association, there are numerous ways which paddles can be adjusted and made to look and feel different from one another. And with the new materials accepting vibrant colors, the new graphics allow paddles that are distinctive and attractive.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 1, September, 2006

As competitive play increases in platform tennis, so does the need for accurate line calls. Platform tennis courts are smaller than tennis courts and line calls are typically easier to make, with the exception of where the singles line meets the service box. To solve this issue Jason Gray (Beckett Ridge Country Club in West Chester, OH) and David Dodge (Premier Platform Tennis) implemented an idea used in tennis which is to leave a three inch gap in the singles line. Jason had mentioned this idea to David two years ago but with ‘The Battle of Beckett’ during the Cincinnati Midwesterns, and the Premier Purple introduction, the service gap issue was unintentionally neglected until the idea surfaced by John Stefanik, a private court owner from Philadelphia. John wants the service gap incorporated in his court when he resurfaces with Premier Purple this spring 2005. Jason put this new idea into play and got positive feedback from his players with renewed excitement for competitive play. Again, this innovative introduction gained national attention when it was incorporated in the stadium court in the 2005 APTA National tournament in Pittsburgh.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 5, April 2005

Platform Tennis Magazine editor Wayne Dollard surveyed the manufacturing companies supporting the game.

Platform tennis has been called the best kept secret of winter sports. The game has a small following of die-hards that would have difficulty imagining what winter would be like without their favorite pastime. This article is a look into those six service and manufacturing companies that provide us the opportunity to enjoy our “little secret.” Representatives from Viking Athletics, Wilson Racquet Sports, Bulletworks, Premier Platform Tennis, Reilly/Green Mountain and The Paddle Company opine on the state of the game from their perspectives.

[enlarge the images to read full story]

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 2, November, 2004

Jason Gray from Beckett Ridge Country Club (BRCC) in West Chester, Ohio, was the first to take the courageous step of transforming traditional green and brown platform tennis decks to the bold custom mixed colors of ‘Premier Purple’ and green. Research indicated that ball visibility was increased because purple provided the most intense color contrast to yellow (and orange). The ease of making line calls is greatly enhanced also by the purple background and white line contrast.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 5, April, 2004

Dick Squires had some thoughts on how court construction should change to grow the game:

The November, 2002 edition of Platform Tennis Magazine was primarily concerned about where our lovely sport is going…or not going. We should all be concerned.

The premier tennis court in America was built less than 50 years before the first
paddle court. Why did that sport experience widespread, meteoric growth not only in this country, but around the world? The tennis court consumes four times the amount of land and it too was initially a recreational activity for the wealthy, yet, it took off like a Southern California forest fire. How come?

It is truly a mystery why a rather boorish game like racquetball could experience astronomical growth during the late 70’s. Even though participation eventually leveled off almost as fast as it grew in the ensuing years, there are millions still playing racquetball regularly today. And this sport was `invented’ 25 years after platform tennis!

As we all know, platform tennis is the best of the racquet/paddle and ball sports, including tennis. It is fun, healthy, social, easy-to-learn and difficult-to-master, offers exciting and extended rallies, has several built-in equalizers (single serve, small court, the screens), the equipment is relatively inexpensive, etc., blah, blah. Why then aren’t there 100,000 courts spread out across the States and a few million paddlers enjoying its proven, built-in pleasures?

Certainly one of the reasons is because, as Gary Horvath wrote in his fine article, “The Future of Platform Tennis,” it has been a well-kept secret. There is only a handful of Americans who have any knowledge about the sport, seen it played, and fewer who have actually been on a court. This wonderful game is given absolutely zero coverage or exposure in the media. No one is aggressively promoting it as an ideal athletic, recreational facility for colleges, resorts, upscale retirement communities, ski resorts, country clubs or any place that now has (frequently used) tennis courts.

What is desperately needed is a change in mind-set for those that play and govern the sport. Although its heritage is a pleasurable pastime played outdoors in the winter months installed at county clubs, in actuality platform tennis could and should be enjoyed anywhere and any time of the year.

Yes, one of its distinct attractions and advantages is that it can be played outdoors in cold weather, but its true appeal and benefits far transcend this traditional point of view held and espoused by insular purists. Such a theory is tantamount to the attitude of every tennis pioneer who believed real tennis had to be played outdoors and on grass. Thank God they didn’t win out.

A $50,000 aluminum court with a heated deck built on piers is a wonderful luxury and necessary for courts sited in chilly, snowy climates and hilly terrain, but for most of the geographical areas of the country such an expensive structure is total overkill and stifles the game’s expansion. Take the raised platform out of the court
and substitute a ground-level, hard playing surface perhaps made with a little latex mixed in with the final coat pitch it slightly for drainage, and add an easily-assembled and installed superstructure (the essence of the game) and voila, you’ve got all the court components necessary to play platform tennis. The snow gates would remain as leaf or debris gates. In the same area of one tennis court, three paddle courts could be laid out, including a club house for viewing and displaying paddle equipment and attire – no longer called a warming hut.

The individuals who love to play and those who administrate platform tennis have to stop “preaching to the choir” and start telling their friends at other clubs, their town’s rec. directors, community developers in the neighborhood, architects, resort owners, and university athletic directors that platform tennis represents the ideal athletic pastime for fitness and healthy competition 12 months a year. Continuing to be a well-kept secret and building courts in the air is a sure-fire way to precipitate the ultimate and sad demise of this great game that offers so much for everybody.

Not-so-incidentally, that other game, paddle tennis, played without the wires, has two governing bodies overseeing two different versions (East and West Coast), the United States Paddle Tennis Association and the American Paddle Tennis League. Our APTA could be renamed the American Paddle Tennis Association without infringing or even having to change it’s logo!

It took the USTA almost 100 years to drop the “L” (for Lawn) from it’s acronym. Someone finally discovered that 99% of the tennis courts were clay, hard, or composition. Grass was too expensive to lay down and maintain. Hello? Hopefully, in the near future there will be as few raised platform tennis courts under construction as there are new grass tennis courts being installed today. Then we will know for sure that our sport is on its way to realizing the widespread popularity it deserves.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 3, January, 2003