Called out loud: five–six–two. Fifty-six, second server. He has been waiting a year to say it.
How the day runs
Round robin first so everyone gets a decent amount of court time, then a short knockout for whoever's still standing. Games to 11, win by 2, switch ends at 6.
Bring your own partner
Sign up together and you stay together all day. Put their name on the form so we can match you up.
Or get drawn one
Turn up alone and we'll pair you at random on the morning, roughly matched on experience. This is how most people meet everyone.
Never played before
Genuinely fine. It takes about ten minutes to learn and we'll run a short warm-up at 1:30 before the first round.
It's indoors
Wear shoes with non-marking soles. Dark running soles streak the floor and the JCC will ask you to sit out, so this one's worth checking before you leave the house. We'll be playing with indoor balls, which are lighter and a little slower than the outdoor kind.
Not playing at all
Also fine. Register as a spectator so we know to expect you, and bring your loudest voice.
The shaded strip either side of the net is the non-volley zone. You can step in, you just can't hit the ball out of the air while you're standing there. That's most of the rules.
Time
What's happening
1:30
Arrive, paddle handout, warm-up for anyone who's never played
2:00
Round robin — three games per team, short breaks between
4:00
Break, and the draw for the knockout
4:45
Semis and the final, everyone else heckling
5:30
Over to Ten Mile Brewing for cake, speeches and a trophy of questionable quality
The 1:30 start is the only fixed point. Everything after it shifts depending on how many people turn up and how long the games run, so treat these as a rough shape rather than a timetable. Come late, leave early, or sit a round out — nobody's checking.
Register
It's $15 a head. One entry per person, and you can come back and change it any time before the day.
