Embedded Incentives

This is one of the best games to play with beginner players since its specific rules that ingrain good habits as well as the implied incentives of the stated rules.

• Restricts the common mistake of the serving team to move inside the baseline before determining where the return will land.
• Instills a sense of urgency to get to the line for the returner, discouraging them from hitting the return and staying back.
• Serving team will attempt to serve deep to open up space to hit to in front of the returner
• Player hitting 3rd will aim their shot to the returner’s side of the court to the greater open space
• Serving team is incentivized to hit drops
• Returning team will attempt to hit higher deep returns to provide time to get forward
• Returning team will attempt to break the plane of the kitchen to volley instead of backing up to play the ball off the bounce
• Partner of returner will start to protect their partner’s side when the returner is in weak position

This is also a great game because full points are played out every rally provided no player violates the rules of the game. This gets players playing points with only limited disturbance to the flow of play for only the right reasons.