II.4. FOOTBALL TENNIS
Football tennis, also known as futnet, is a popular and most entertaining game that can be played indoors and outdoors, e.g. on the beach. It is widely chosen as a free time activity in Hungary as well, played on courts and beaches.
Football tennis became widely known in Europe in the 1920s. Its first version was already played at the beginning of the previous century. In the 1930s football tennis was a popular complementary exercise for football players. They formed pairs and played the game on courts divided by a bar or a net. In Hungary the first competitions, closed and open, regional and national football tennis tournaments were organized from the mid-seventies. The organizers determined the rules by considering local practices. As time passed, the tournament in Siófok became outstandingly popular and served as a model for the rest of such events. This is why its winners were considered to be the football tennis champions. Its rules soon became general and were applied at other tournaments. Founding the national federation was necessary, when they realized that certain kinds of football tennis were also played in other countries. The International Football Tennis Association founded in 1989 was the first authority with the right to organize international contests for the national selection of its members.
Home page for the Hungarian Football Tennis Association: