Glossary
B
A strip of wood immediately below the penthouse around three sides of the court.
A rarely used handicap device whereby the player receiving a bisque can elect when to win a point each game.
A shot which is hit directly into a wall.
A gentle serve which “bobbles” along the penthouse and is intended to land close to the back wall. Often used as a second serve.
A serve which hits the side penthouse, the back penthouse, and then the side penthouse again loosely imitating the path of a boomerang.
C
If the receiver (Player A) hits the ball so that it bounces twice on the floor this is not yet a point won but instead a chase is laid. Horizontal lines are painted across the court to identify where second bounces land. When there are two chases or there is one chase and it is game point, the players change ends and Player B is now the receiver. They now aim to “beat the chase” i.e. hit the ball so that the second bounce is further away from the net than Player A’s landed previously. Player B will win the point if they play a better shot, but will lose the point if they play a worse shot.
When Player B tries to beat a chase laid by Player A, the ball’s second bounce might land on exactly the same length as the chase of Player A. In this circumstance, “chase off” is called and neither player receives any points.
The basic stroke in real tennis involves cutting the ball (similar to slice in from lawn tennis or squash). Imparting slice onto the ball enables the ball to hit the wall and cut down onto the floor (as opposed to topspin which makes the ball bounce up).
D
The large net in front of which the server stands. Hitting the ball into the dedans automatically wins the point for the receiver.
A serve hit from the centre of the court which hits the penthouse, then the side wall and is intended to deceive the opponent into questioning whether the ball will hit or just miss the penthouse again before landing in the service box.
A serve which uses a lot of spin to roll along the edge of the penthouse before dropping off and hugging the wall in the service box. In exceptional circumstances this serve sometimes lands in the winning gallery!
F
A shot hit with a lot of power aimed at the dedans.
G
The series of openings along the side of the court which are separated by a series of posts. Used in the context of chases.
A serve where the ball is hit high in the air, bounces once on the penthouse, and then into the service box close to the back wall.
The square, hatch-like opening in the corner of the receiver’s end close to the tambour. Hitting the ball into the grille automatically wins the point for the server.
H
As well as the receiver being able to lay a chase, the server can lay a chase by hitting the ball into a hazard gallery or by hitting it so that the second bounce is between the net and the service line. Hazard chases work in the same way as chases: the chase laid by the server will have to be beaten by the new server when the players swap ends, and the players will swap sides on game point or when two chases (hazard or normal) have been laid.
L
A let is called when a point is interrupted and has to be replayed – e.g. when a noise disturbs play or a ball is disturbed and rolls onto the court during a point. A let is not called if the ball hits the net but bounces over.
The chase (or hazard chase) term used when the ball crosses the net but fails to reach the first gallery line (perhaps because it hit the net and only just fell over it, or because the ball crossed the net and was hit into the doorway). The easiest chase to beat.
M
The biggest stretch of wall on the opposite side of the court to the galleries.
Matches often have a “marker” to call out the score and chases. Usually the marker sits in the dedans (and the restricted view of the hazard side and out of court markings may require some help from the players), although in some matches the marker stands by the net.
N
The term for the join between a wall and the floor. If the ball hits “the nick” it is likely to roll out and be impossible to return.
P
The wooden, sloping roof which runs around three sides of the court.
Similar to the demi-piqué. The piqué serve is hit from next to the main wall so that it hits the penthouse and sidewall, but the ball will then land by the middle of the back wall (without threatening to graze the penthouse again as in the demi-piqué).
R
A fast serve along the edge of the penthouse.
The receiver always stands at the same end of the court and the change of ends is determined by chases. As you enter the court by the net from underneath the penthouse, the receiver’s end is on the left.
Some matches have a referee as well as a marker. The referee works closely with the marker to ensure a smooth match. A referee keeps score and might have some marking tasks (e.g. calling service faults if the marker has a bad view of this). The referee also has the power to sanction players for misconduct.
The term used in real tennis for rally. “Good rest” may be frequently heard at the end of a long or close rally.
“Rough or smooth?” is the question asked when spinning a racket to determine who serves and who returns. When a racket is strung, the knots which finally tie off the string either point up or down. If it points up it is “rough” if it points down it is “smooth”. Formally rough and smooth could be seen from looping one horizontal string around every vertical string, though this pattern is not often seen now.
S
Originally a servant would “serve” the ball to start a rally. Nowadays the “service” is the first shot and is always hit by the server from the same end (the “service end”) which is on the right as you enter the court.
Also known as the winning gallery line or the stroke line. This line is equivalent to hazard chase zero and marks out one side of the service box. The ball must bounce on or beyond this line to be a good serve. Similarly, if the ball bounces for the second time on this line in open play, the second bounce is good and a stroke will be called.
A serve which hits the wall above the penthouse (the “side wall”) before bouncing on the penthouse and landing in the service box.
“Rough or smooth?” is the question asked when spinning a racket to determine who serves and who returns. When a racket is strung, the knots which finally tie off the string either point up or down. If it points up it is “rough” if it points down it is “smooth”. Formally rough and smooth could be seen from looping one horizontal string around every vertical string, though this pattern is not often seen now.
The opposite term to chase. “Stroke” will be called if the ball hits any part of a player’s racket or body before the second bounce, or if a shot is better than the chase being played.
T
The strangely angled section of wall at the receiver’s end.
U
A serve with a lot of spin. The contact point with the ball is about knee height.
W
The final gallery at the receiver’s end which contains a bell/bells. Hitting the ball into the winning gallery automatically wins the point for the server.
Y
The measurement used to mark chases. There are six yard lines at the service end (and two at the hazard).