Equipment

• Rackets, which are made of aluminum, weigh 6 ounces and are 23 inches long.

• Speeders are similar to a badminton shuttlecock. Each set comes with three Speeders, one for recreational play, one for match play (it can go up to 190 mph and goes longer distances) and a night speeder, which can be lit up for nighttime play.

• Cones are small, orange plastic pieces that are used to mark the corners of your square. Or you can use anything else that is clearly visible and easy to use as a marker.

Basic idea

Each player stands in an 18-foot square, set off by cones or other markers, and has to defend it. The speeder is hit back and forth. If a player gets it to drop in his opponent's square, he scores a point. If it drops in his square or outside the lines of his opponent's square, the opponent gets a point.

The game

A game ends when one player reaches 16 points. If the score is tied at 15 or greater, play continues until one player has a 2-point advantage. A match consists of three wins, best of five.

Service

Players draw or otherwise decide who gets to serve first. Serve then alternates after every three serves. Every serve counts. In the case of an end-game tie, service alternates on every serve.

To serve, you let the speeder drop from hip level and hit it as it falls. Overhead service, either standing or with a flying jump, is only permitted from the back service line. The losing side always has the first service in the next game.

Scoring

Every volley counts, unless it has to be repeated. Points are awarded in the following cases:

• Service fault.

• Speeder contact with the ground.

• Speeder lands in playing field (or on one of the lines) and can't be returned.

• Speeder lands out.

• Speeder is hit twice by the same player in sequence.

• Body contact with the speeder.

If a player returns an "out" speeder, it is considered "accepted" and play continues.

Sides

Players change sides after every game. If a fifth game is required, players change as soon as one player reaches eight points.