Soft tennis is a racket game played on a court of two halves, separated by a net. Soft tennis originated in Japan in 1884. Like regular tennis, it is played by individuals (singles) or pairs (doubles), whose objective is to hit the ball over the net, landing within the confines of the court, with the aim of preventing one's opponent from being able to hit it back. Matches are generally best-of-seven or best-of-nine. Soft tennis differs from regular tennis in that it uses soft rubber balls instead of hard yellow balls. It is played primarily in Asia, especially in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. In 2004, soft tennis was introduced into Europe. Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom all now have active soft tennis federations. All of them are also members of the European Soft Tennis Federation, and the International Federation JSTA.

History

Soft tennis originated in Japan in 1884. At the end of the 19th century, tennis was introduced to Japan by a Western missionary, and it was later modified to better suit Japanese tastes. A special racquet and ball were developed, and the game became known as soft tennis (ソフトテニス). Soft tennis was included in the 1990 Asian Games as an exhibition game and later became an official event in the 1994 Asian Games, It continues to be an official event at the Asian Games.

Current situation in Japan

In the 1970s, it was said that "soft tennis is the most popular sport in middle and high school" [6]. Currently, there is a competitive population (registrants) of about 600,000 in Japan. The Japan Soft Tennis Federation estimates that there are about 7 million enthusiasts [7]. However, it is also a fact that the minor feeling is extremely strong in the consciousness of lovers in general. The causes are that it is not an Olympic event, that there have been no professional athletes in Japan for a long time [Note 38] [8], and that it is recognized that school physical education (junior high school, high school) is the main focus [Note 39]. ], The influence of tennis (rigid tennis, lawn tennis) [Note 40], which has rapidly become popular in Japan since the 1980s, is considered.

International Soft Tennis Federation

The International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF) was established in 1973 and is the premier soft tennis governing body. In 1970 the Japan-US Soft Tennis Promotion Liaison Council was established. This is a liaison organization with American schools, and organised a friendly match between Japan and the United States for junior high school students. In 1972, the Hawaii Soft Tennis Federation was established in Hawaii, United States. A state championship was held at the same time. Soft tennis was adopted as a regular PE event at a public high school in Hawaii. Before and after the establishment of the Hawaii Soft Tennis Association, the Hong Kong Soft Tennis Association was established with the efforts of Taiwan (Republic of China Network Association). The Soft Tennis Association was also established in Venezuela and Brazil. In June 1974 the first Japan-US High School Friendship Tournament was held.

Members

As of 2022 the ISTF had 60 members:

Countries

Asian Soft Tennis Federation (ASTF)

Competition

Most of the rules for soft tennis are the same as those for regular tennis. When the rules were revised in 1992, singles became a formal event. This revision also enabled a forward player in doubles to serve. The serve plays an important role in a team's chances of winning. The world championship was held every two years until 1987. Thereafter, the competition is held every four years. The following is a list of World Soft Tennis Championships and World Junior Soft Tennis Championships held by the International Soft Tennis Federation.

World Soft Tennis Championships

World Junior Soft Tennis Championships

Court dimensions