Jeu de paume Jeu de paume Jeu de paume (; ) is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, though these were eventually introduced. It is a former Olympic sport, and has the oldest ongoing annual world championship in sport, first established over 250 years ago. Originally spelled jeu de paulme, now it is called "real tennis" , court tennis (US) or courte paume (France). In the earliest versions of the game, the players hit the ball with their hands, as in palla, volleyball, or certain varieties of pelota. "Jeu de paume", or
Jeu de paume called "jeu de courte paume" or just "courte paume" ("short palm") to distinguish it from the outdoor version, "longue paume" ("long palm"), played on a field of variable length. Jeu de paume at the 1908 Summer Olympics was a medal event; American Jay Gould II won the Gold medal. Since 1740, jeu de paume has been the subject of an amateur world championship, held each year in September. It is the oldest active trophy in international sport. Various other forms of handball may be related to one degree or another; this is generally difficult to ascertain with certainty, and some,