Tennis has hundreds of rules, governing everything from court specifications and equipment to scoring and line calls. The Code of Conduct helps guide you when playing unofficiated matches. Knowing the basic rules that cover serving, returning and how a point is played will help you enjoy one of the most popular recreational sports worldwide.
Choosing Sides
Players flip a coin, spin a racket or otherwise determine who has first choice of sides during a match. The winner of the coin toss may choose to serve, receive serve, pick which side on which to begin play or require the opponent to choose one of those three options, picking from the remaining two options.
Service Let
You get two chances to get your serve over the net and in the service box. If you hit the net and the ball goes in, a let, or "do-over" is played. Like a two-strike foul ball in baseball, there is no limit to the number of lets you can serve in one point.
Line Calls
If any part of the ball touches any part of the boundary line or inside the boundary lines, the ball is considered in play. If you are not sure if the ball landed in or out, you must call it good.
Reaching Over the Net
During a point, you must let the ball pass from your opponent's side of the court over the net onto your side of the court before playing it. You may hit the ball out of the air while standing close to the net, but the ball must pass over the net first. If the ball lands on your side of the court and has so much backspin that the ball bounces back to your opponent's side of the net, you may reach over the net and hit the ball.
Point Let
If you are hindered during a point, you may call a let and replay the point. Examples of hindrances would include another ball coming near, onto or behind your court during play; another player coming onto, behind or close to your court during a point; or a loud noise from your opponent. An occurrence on another court, such as a loud noise, argument or injury, does not constitute a let.
Switching Ends
Players switch ends of the court after every odd game. If a tie-break is played, the tie-break is considered a game, and players switch ends of the court after the last point of a tie-break to begin the next set if the match continues after the tie-break.
String Pattern
A racket must have a uniform string pattern. If you break a string, this creates a non-uniform pattern and you may not play with the racket.
Disagreement on Calls
You call balls in or out on your side of the court, and must honor your opponent's calls. You may question a call once for verification, but must play the call after that. The only two calls you can make on the other side of the net are a foot fault or if the ball hits your opponent's racket then hits the court before it goes over the net.
Error in Sides
Players must return serve from either the deuce or ad court for the duration of a set in doubles. If players discover that one team has changed their receiving order, the erring team must finish the game in the incorrect position, then go back to their original position for the rest of the set.
Substitution
In a TeamTennis match, a player may come in as a substitute for a singles or doubles player of the same gender. Once a player has left a match, she may not return in that match.
Member Comments