The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-07-26

The game needs first of ALL smooth level
ground, which may be either hard-rolled earth,
asphalt or probably best of alp well-rolled,
closely-cut turf. A set consists of four rae
quets, four india-rubber balls, q inches in d.
ameter, and Il ounces in weight, and net at
tached to two posts, "A feet apart, at height
of five feet from the ground at the posts, and
sagging to height of only 4 at the centre.
The best dimensions for the ground according
to the rules Of tie Marylebone cricket club,
are so feet wide at the base lines. 0he end
lines, q feet wide at the centre, where it is
spanned by the net, and rs feet long The
ground is divided lengthwise by central line,
and on either side of this, as one stands facing
the net, are the fright court and the cleft
court" The courts are again divided by
service line" drawn parallel to the base lines
at distance of rs feet from the ret. The
ground may be longer than this, according as
four, six, or eight players are engaged; but the
Service-lines should always be at two-thirds of
the distance from the net to the base-lines. A
ground may be easily and quickly measured
and marked out with 100-feet tape line and
some plaster-of-paris and water. or whitewash.
or, indeed, almost any substance which will
make distinct line on the turf
To play the game sides are formed, each oc-
cupying its own side of the net, and the choice
OF courts may be determined by spinning
racquet in the air, while an opponent calls out
trough" or smooth" before it falls to the
ground with one of those faces uppermost
The side which loses the choice of courts NAV
elect to begin as "hand-in' or ''hand-out'
Hand-in is the one who serves" the ball, that
is, begins the game standing with one foot on
either side of his baseine) by serving (striking)
the ball so that it shall lass over the net and
come to the ground in the diagonally opposite
court between the opponents service line and
the net If he serves the ball into the wrong
court into the net, or into the diagonally OBJ
posite court, but beyond the service line, he
makes fault" Hand-in becomes hand-out
(and his opponent becomes the server) when he
serves the ball outside of court, or when he
makes two successive faults, or when he fails
to return the ball so that it shall fall into one
OF his opponents courts. When hand-in makes
good service serves the ball into the dag
onally opposite court within the service line).
the hand-out, who is guarding that court, at
ttempts with his racquet to strike the ball as it
bounds from the ground, SO that it shall re-
turn over the net into either of hand-in's
courts. Hand-in, or his partner, NAV then
strike the ball before it bounds Chat is to say,
"volley it''), or after it has bounded once, re-
turning it again within handouts courts, and
then hand-out has like privileges with it, The
ball can thus be struck any number of times
back and forth over the net until one or the
other fails to return it, or returns it so vigor-
ously that it falls outside the opponents courts
OF allows the ball to touch any part of his
clothes or person.
If it is hand-out, or his partner, who fails to
make good RETURN" or, if the service is vol
leyed, one point is scored for hand-in Hand
IN then again serves the ball Serving from his
right and left courts alternately, and if he
makes good SERVICE and makes good returns
until hand-out finally fails to make good re-
turn, another point is scored for hand-in, and
he continues to serve and to add to his score
until he fails.
When hand-in fails to make a good service,
or a good return, or makes two successive faults,
no point is scored ond one of his opponents be-
comes the server.
The side which first scores Is points. or
aces" wins the game. But, if both sides
reach IA, the score is called deuce" A new
point, called vantage" is then introduced.
and either side, in order to score game, must
WIN two points in succession, called vantage"
and game
1t is important to remember that when ball
drops on any line it is considered to have
dropped within the court aimed at and bound.
ed by that line; and that it is a good service or
good return, although the ball may have
touched the net or either of the posts in pass
ing over them.-St. Nicholas