The Pong Ball is affected by gravity. By tapping the screen, you make the ball jump up and towards the tap, in order to steer the ball away from the wall and pass through the gates.
From time to time cherry bonus will appear. Collecting this bonus will give you a Life. Each Life allows you to continue the game after colliding with the wall. The game tracks how many total Lives you get during your turn and how many Lives you have left while playing.