The Court

Look into the court from the DEDANS, the area behind the netting at the back of the court, and you will see why it was commonly thought that the game originated in monasteries, played by monks sneaking a break from their monastic duties and devotions. It does indeed look "monastic", a cloistered area with sloping roofs, a buttress, galleries and a refectory hatch.	The player on the right is in front of the Grille. and the player on the left can defend the Winning Gallery
More recent research, however, suggests that what you see is a street scene. Galleries were the house fronts, there is a "door" onto the street, and a buttress (tambour) propping a town, castle or religious building's wall. Skirting round three of the walls are sloping penthouses.	Galleries at the service end
The DEDANS side of the court is the SERVICE end and opposite it, is the HAZARD end where there are the square box-like GRILLE, the TAMBOUR which deflects the ball off at an angle, and the final netted area is the WINNING GALLERY. When a ball is hit into it, a bell rings, maybe, originally, a front door bell. The GRILLE, WINNING GALLERY and DEDANS are all WINNING OPENINGS. If a player hits the ball into one of them, the point is won outright.	The Grille and Tambour

How the Game is Played

Court Layout