Games of gain-ground/Longue paume

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Longue paume, or jeu de longue paume, is an outdoor version of jeu de paume, an ancestor of modern lawn tennis. Hundreds of years ago it was quite popular, particularly in France. It was part of the Paris 1900 Summer Olympics. Today, the sport is mostly played in the region of Picardy. The governing body of the sport is the Fédération Française de Longue Paume, with its headquarters in Amiens. In the involvement, the ball has to cross, of flight, the distance which separates the line of "tir" and the line of the "corde". After involvement, the ball can be "rechassée" (return) on both sides; the exchanges which can continue either of flight, or of the first jump. The objective of the longue paume is to make the ball die in the opposite camp. It is then the players who bound their camps by their strength or their address.

The ball
The ball consists of a sphere of cork covered with a kind of flannel. The weight is between 12 and 20 g. The diameter is 5,5 cms.

Rackets
The racket is corded with nylon ropes similar to those used for the rackets of tennis and measure at the most 72 cms long with 2/3 for the handle and 1/3 for the frame of the hitting area. But before any rackets, they used to just use there bare hands

Rules

 * 1) - A serve (or, more formally, a "service") is a shot to start a point (a tir in french).
 * 2) - A volley is a shot returned to the opponent in mid-air before the ball bounces.
 * 3) - The player has to send the ball back, of volley or after a bounce.
 * 4) - A ball which goes out directly of the ground on sides is "fault" and give one "fifteen". Lines are not a part of the ground (what the Lawn Tennis did not keep).
 * 5) - A ball struck by 2 players of the same team is "fault" and give one "fifteen".
 * 6) - A ball that touches the body is "fault" and gives one "fifteen".

"Chasses"
A ball which made 2 bounces of which at least 1 in the ground, and was not touched, is "morte" (died) and cannot be anymore sent back. But this dead ball which keeps running in the ground gains ground and must be stopped ("coupée") by a player as soon as possible. The "fifteen" is not marked yet, he is on borrowed time and must be confirmed. The team which was not able to send back this ball can get back its error.

The umpire marks the place where the ball was "cut" by giving evidence a mark (the "chasse") and the teams change aside. We say while they "cross".

The new team for the service tries to make the ball "die" beyond the chasse. If the team makes a success, she will have gained more ground, the team will thus have "fifteen", otherwise, the opposite team will mark "fifteen". It is necessary thus, not only to make so that the opposite team cannot send the ball back, but it also has to take place farthest possible. With the exception of the games(sets) of gain(win) ground as the ball(bullet) touches up, the ball in the fist, etc.

In practice, to avoid "crossing" too often, after the pose of a red chasse, the team in the service ("Tir") hires again to put the second chasse, blue. Having "crossed", and except direct fault, the result of the first exchange of ball will be compared with the first posed chasse, red, and will give one "fifteen". Then we remove this red chasse. The result of the second exchange will be compared with the second posed chasse ( the blue ), and will also give one "fifteen"; we remove the blue chasse. The team in the service stays then in position until 2 new chasses are put, etc...

Partie terrée
The partie terrée takes place between 2 teams of 6 players, in 6 or 7 sets. The party is said "terrée" because there is no obstacle to be crossed in every exchange (except for the service).





Partie enlevée of 4 against 4
The "partie enlevée" takes place between 2 teams of 4 players, in 5 sets. A called line "rapport" limits the ground of the only side shooting (situated in 7 m of the line of tir). It is necessary to cross in every exchange a called line "corde".

Partie enlevée of 2 against 2, or 1 against 1
The "partie enlevée" can be also played between teams of 2 players or individually on grounds limited from both directions. In this case, we have a neutral zone from 7 to 8 meters bounded on the ground ( a gap = fossé).




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