RULE 1: Dimensions and Terminology

The court is a rectangle 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, laid out on a deck with a playing area 60 feet by 30 feet enclosed by a screen 12 feet high. The screen is held taut by a superstructure around the perimeter of the deck. Screens are made of 1-inch hexagonal galvanized or plastic coated wire mesh.

The court is divided across the middle by a net, the ends of which are attached to posts. The posts are 37 inches high and 18 inches outside the court. The height of the net at the posts is 37 inches and at center is 34 inches. The net is held down taut and adjusted for height by a vertical center strap 2 inches wide.

The lines at the ends of the court, parallel to the net, are called baselines. The lines at the sides of the court, perpendicular to the net, are called sidelines. Two feet inside the sidelines and running parallel to them for the length of the court are the alley lines. Twelve feet from the net on either side and running parallel to it from alley line to alley line are the service lines. The segments of the alley lines between the service lines and the net are called the service sidelines. The area between the net and the service lines is divided in half by a line perpendicular to them. This line is called the center service line.

Each baseline is bisected by an imaginary extension of the center service line called the center mark. The center mark appears as a line 4 inches long extending into the court at a right angle to and touching the baseline. The area between the baseline and the service line is called the backcourt. The area between the service line and the net is called the forecourt, which in turn is divided into two service courts, deuce and ad. The area between the sideline and the alley line is called the alley. All lines are customarily 2 inches wide, and all measurements are made to the outside of the lines from the net or the center of the center service line. This line is in both service courts and is itself centered on the imaginary centerline of the court. All lines are within the court.

There is a space of 8 feet between each baseline and the back screen, and a space of 5 feet between each sideline and the side screen. These spaces are part of the playing area, but they are not part of the court. On either side of the court, or on both sides, an access door is cut into the superstructure. The door is located near the center of the side screen.