Blind Tennis

History

Mr Takei Miyoshi invented Blind Tennis in Japan in 1984. He was a pioneer in a new racket sport and a role model to the visually impaired. He was born in 1968 and lost his eyesight at the age of one and a half. When he was 16, as a high school student, he dreamed of playing tennis with the able-bodied and created tennis for the blind. It is now one of the fastest growing blind sports around the world with over 30 countries playing, with the goal of becoming a Paralympic Sport in coming years.

This format of the game is slightly different to traditional tennis – it's played on a smaller court with a lower net. Some courts also have tactile lines (B1 in particular) - so players can touch them - and players also use an audible tennis ball that makes noise so they can hear it bounce and being hit.   

Court Dimensions

B1 Court

Dimensions: 12,8 m. x 6,1 m

Service line = 1,8 m. from the baseline and 4,60 m from the net.

Net height = 83 cm.

Tactile lines on all lines except service boxes.

B2, B3 and B4 Court

Dimensions: 18,28 m x 8,23 m

Service line = 2,74 m from the baseline and 6,40 m from the net.

Net height = 90 cm.

The Ball

A standard Blind Tennis audible ball (foamwith rattle/bell inside)

Colour of the ball: YELLOW or BLACK.

Colour of the court: Ideally a standard indoor court colour or clear wood gymnasium court. If players agree, they can decide to change the colour of the ball for the match they are going to play.

Bounces

B1 & B2 = Up to 3 bounces.

B3 = Up to 2 bounces.

B4 = Up to 1 bounce.

Blindfold

B1 players must wear a standard approved blindfold. (blindfolds used for goalball/blind football, found from www.goalfix.com)

The blindfold may be removed only once per game and during pauses in between games.

Players should signal to the umpire if they need to move the blindfold in any way.

When to serve and receive

  • Before starting the service motion the server must call “Ready?” and wait for the receiver to reply “Yes”. The server then has 5 seconds to serve the ball during which time s/he may not alter their position on the court.

  • The server must shout, “Play” immediately before hitting the ball.

  • If needed, both the server and the receiver may ask an umpire, ball person, or volunteer about their own position on court, in order to locate themselves on the court

Other basic rules

  • A B1 or B2 player loses the point if s/he does not return the ball before the fourth bounce (3 bounces allowed).

  • A B3 player loses the point if s/he does not return the ball before the third bounce (2 bounces allowed).

  • A B4 player loses the point if s/he does not return the ball before the second bounce (1 bounce allowed).

  • Note: At all times the first bounce must be within the court or, in the case of a serve, within the appropriate service court. Any additional bounces may be inside or outside the court.

  • If the ball hits the player inside the court before the first bounce, it is a point for the opponent (all categories).

  • If the ball hits the player when they are outside the court before the first bounce, it is a point for the player (all categories).

Want to play?

Get in touch: blvtennisnz@gmail.com

Join the New Zealand Blind Tennis Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1544454722764392

Visit the official website here: https://www.nzblindtennis.org/