01 The court
Size - 20 ft wide by 44 ft long, same for singles and doubles, lines included in the measurement.
Net - 36 inches high at the sidelines, sagging to 34 inches at the center.
Kitchen - The non-volley zone: 7 ft from the net on both sides, running the full width.
Ball - A perforated plastic ball. Outdoor balls have smaller, more numerous holes and are harder than indoor balls.
02 Serving
Underhand only - Strike the ball below your waist with an upward arm motion, and keep the paddle head below your wrist. A drop serve — bounce it first, then hit — is also legal and has no height or motion restrictions.
Where you stand - Both feet behind the baseline, inside the imaginary extension of the sideline and centre line, until the ball is struck.
Where it goes - Diagonally cross-court, clearing the kitchen entirely. A serve landing on the kitchen line is a fault; landing on any other line is good.
Net cords - A serve that clips the net and lands in play is live — play it. There are no let serves.
One attempt - You get a single serve per turn, other than a genuine replay called by both sides.
03 The two-bounce rule
How it works - The receiving side must let the serve bounce. The serving side must then let the return bounce. Only after those two bounces can anyone volley.
Why it exists - It kills the serve-and-rush advantage and is what makes rallies last.
04 The Kitchen
The one rule - You may not volley — hit the ball out of the air — while any part of you is touching the kitchen or its line.
Momentum counts - If your momentum carries you into the kitchen after a volley, it's a fault even though you struck the ball from outside. Being airborne over the line is a fault too.
You can stand there - Entering the kitchen is fine at any time to play a ball that has bounced. Step out and re-establish both feet before you volley again.
05 Scoring
Game - First to 11 points, win by 2. Tournaments sometimes play to 15 or 21.
Serving side only - In traditional scoring only the serving team can score. The receiving team wins the right to serve, not a point.
Calling the score - Three numbers in doubles, said before every serve: your score, their score, then server 1 or 2. Start of game is 0–0–2.
First serve of the game - The starting team gets one server only. After that, both partners serve before the side changes.
Switching sides - The serving team swaps positions after each point they win. Receivers never swap during a rally sequence.
06 Faults
You lose the rally if - The ball goes out, hits the net and stays on your side, bounces twice before you return it, or you volley from the kitchen.
Also a fault - Touching the net, post or opponent's court while the ball is live; hitting the ball before it crosses the net; or the ball striking you or your clothing.
Line calls - A ball touching any line is in — except a serve on the kitchen line. Calls are made by the team the ball lands on, and any doubt goes to the opponent.
07 House Rules at 140 Wireless
Hours - Open daily 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Play stops at the top of the hour so the next group can start on time.
Slots - 60 minutes, four players. Book under your own name so the group knows who is coming.
Cancelling - If your plans change, tap Leave and free the spot for someone else.
Court care - Non-marking court shoes only. Take bottles, tape and cans with you when you leave.
Waiting players - If a slot has open spots, anyone may join it — the court is shared, not private.