Soccer tennis is fun, arouses ambition and trains the feeling for the ball. It is played as a tournament and recreational sport, but is also used as a training method in club sports. Especially soccer players appreciate the sport, because soccer tennis requires a maximum of precision in a small space.
The sport was invented in the 1920s / 30s in Czechoslovakia. The first World Cup was held in 1994 and is now held under the auspices of the world federation UNIF, the "Union Internationale de Futnet", which was founded in 2010 and has its headquarters in Prague. The member states include Austria and Switzerland; Germany is not currently represented.
In soccer tennis, two winning sets are played. Each set has eleven points, with a minimum margin of two points needed to win. Restriction: The set is limited to 15 points, so at 14:14 the next point decides on victory or defeat.
Points are awarded to a player or team when the opponent makes a mistake.
The following mistakes are possible in soccer tennis:
- The ball is not played into the opponent's court.
- The ball is played past the net.
- The ball bounces twice in the field without being touched by a player in between.
- The ball is played with the arm or hand.
- A player touches the net.
- A player touches the ball twice in a row (in team play), three times in a row (in singles).
- A player is not standing in his own half (including free area) when passing over the net.
- A player oversteps at the break or hits his teammate first.
Unlike the trend sport soccer golf, soccer tennis can be played not only as an outdoor sport but also as an indoor sport. The prerequisite is a level playing surface, whether grass, sand or the indoor parquet. Tournaments are only held indoors.
The field in soccer tennis is nine meters wide, which is slightly wider than the court in tennis singles, but much narrower than in doubles. The length of the court is 12.8 meters for singles and doubles. If a triple is played, i.e. with three players on each side, 18 meters is the tournament length. The field is surrounded by an open area. The minimum size of the total area is 15 x 25 meters.
The net divides the field. It has a height of 1.10 meters and is stretched between two poles. Children up to 12 years old usually play with a net 1.00 meters high.
The official tournament ball consists of 32 black and white faces, is round and made of leather. It is glued, not sewn. In size and weight, it is pretty much the same as a FIFA soccer ball.
In soccer tennis, the ball is played over the net without the use of arms and hands. Touching the net is prohibited. However, a leg or head may be stretched over the net into the opponent's half to attack or defend.
Who has the first serve is drawn by lot. The serve takes place behind the baseline. The ball can be hit from the ground or volleyed or drop-kicked from the air. It must land in the opponent's court before it is accepted. If it touches the net but lands in the field, the serve is repeated.
The opponent returns the ball with the foot, head or body (not with arms and hands). In singles, the ball may be touched twice in succession, but may only reach the ground once. In doubles and triples, three touches and two ground contacts are allowed, but teammates must take turns on the ball. Other variations are possible depending on agreement or internal association rules.
If the ball touches the ground outside the court, it may not be played on. The point is awarded to the opponent, i.e. the player who did not touch the ball last.
There are no special halls for soccer tennis like there are for tennis or badminton. The spread of the sport is not sufficient for this. However, many clubs allow soccer tennis (played by amateurs) to be played on their tennis courts and also provide the net equipment.
The most common way is to mark out the playing field yourself, for example, on a soccer turf. The soccer tennis net can be purchased. Prices range from about 70 euros for recreational sports to 3,000 euros for professional requirements.
Two popular styles of play have become established in soccer tennis, one of which is "Schnürle". Historically, soccer tennis in Germany is associated with the name of Fritz Schnürle, a footballer who also played for the national team in 1921. He made soccer tennis known under the name "Schnürle", where the court was slightly longer and the net much lower than in today's game. Schnürle is also played with teams of four players each.
The second type of game, Sepak Takraw, is very common in Asia. The roots of Sepak Takraw are said to lie in Thailand and Malaysia, where the sport was practiced over 500 years ago. The playing field is slightly narrower and longer. A ball made of hard plastic is used, which has twelve holes.
Soccer tennis is one of many variations of classic soccer. The sport enjoys great popularity in a small community and continues to grow. The proximity to soccer arouses interest and at the same time offers an alternative due to the modified rules.
