• A racket sport played on a raised court 1/3 the size of a tennis court
• A sport designed from its inception to be played in cold, wintry weather
• A sport designed to feature high aerobic energy output and high skill levels

A Platform court is similar in appearance to a tennis court. However, three Platform courts (also called Paddle Courts) can fit in the space of one tennis court. A significant difference to be noted is that a Platform Tennis court is surrounded by 12 foot high, tightly strung chicken wire, and this wire is part of the playing surface.How the game Works

Platform Tennis uses a scoring system identical to tennis.
There are some significant differences between these sports, however:

• Players use a thick paddle with holes, and a heavy rubber ball.
• Platform play is always doubles. Singles is not played.
• There is only one serve in Platform Tennis, and as previously mentioned, the ball can be played off the wire.
  

All aspects of the sport are designed for a wide range of temperatures, down to and including zero degree temperatures. The paddles are not affected by conditions. The ball characteristics change only slightly under different conditions. The court is constructed of non-slip, grainy aluminum boards.

These differences combine to give Paddle unique characteristics:

• Platform points are much longer than tennis points.
• It is not uncommon for a paddle point to last 20 hits or more.
• The ball is contained within the wires, thus power alone cannot win.
• Long points mean it is easy to stay warm, a nice coincidence, given that this is a winter sport.
  
• The idle time between points is fractional compared to tennis. Part of this is due to the rule only giving one serve, and part is due to the ability of four players in a small court to retrieve the ball quickly. In a given hour, Platform players are engaged in hitting easily five times more than tennis players. The ball is always in the air.
  
• Platform can be played in a wide range of conditions: wet or dry, day or night, windy, warm or cold, even snow. Platform courts have lights and night play is as common as day play.
  
• Despite burning calories at a high rate, Platform Tennis is easier on the body than almost any other racket sport.
  
• The small court, combined with 4 players, lends Platform an air of sociability not generally found in tennis.
• Platform courts are traditionally constructed 3' to 5' off the ground, hence the name. This facilitates shoveling snow off of the court. It also allows for space underneath the court for propane heaters, which are deployed to keep ice and snow from accumulating. These heaters are not designed to keep players warm.
• A court this small, being used by four participants, make Platform one of the most efficient sports in terms of land usage. Twelve players can occupy a space the size of one tennis court.

The availability of Platform for an outdoor sport is very high. Typical winter sports require snow or continuous temperatures below freezing. Tennis is usually limited to temperatures above 50 degrees, totally dry conditions, and low wind. Platform can be played before, during, or after snow or rain, and is not particularly affected by strong wind. (The ball is very heavy.) While it is true that Platform has not traditionally been played in summer conditions, as the sport gains in popularity courts are increasingly seeing warm weather action.

Platform is a “well designed” game, which means several things:

• It is enjoyable both at the beginner and expert level, but increasing skill and athleticism are rewarded.
  
• The quality of play and the length of a point go up as skill levels rise.
  

For more general information, great pictures, and a complete set of rules, visit the American Platform Tennis Association site at platformtennis.org.