Triples tennis is a unique twist on the traditional game, placing three players on each side of the net. While essentially the same sport as singles and doubles, triples tennis offers a few slight rules changes requiring added strategies and enhanced teamwork. As an added benefit, triples tennis allows more players to participate when court availability is limited, and it also makes court rentals more affordable. In 1979, Penn State University professors Geoffrey Godbey and Frank Guadagnolo created a set of rules for triples tennis that modified some of the traditional rules of the game, according to a September 1980 article in the Lakeland Ledger.
Beginning
At the start of each point, all six players, with the exception of the person returning serve, must remain behind the baseline until the ball is struck. The person returning serve may take a position inside the baseline if it's found to be advantageous. However, if any other player enters the court before the ball is struck, the opposing team is awarded a point.
Service
Each team must establish a serving rotation before every set. All players must take a turn serving, with service switching after each completed game. The service rotation may be altered from set to set, but it may not be changed during a set.
Receiving
The receiving side begins each game with one player in the deuce court, one in the ad court, and the third stationed somewhere in the middle. The players returning serve from the ad and deuce courts must remain as the returners for the entire game, with each assigned to his or her respective court, although the two players not receiving a given serve may switch positions from point to point if desired. And unlike during service, there is no mandatory set rotation for returning, so it's possible for a player to go an entire match without having to return serve.
Game Play
Once the server strikes the ball, players from both sides may enter the baseline and take strategic positions within the court. One, two, or even all three players may charge the net or choose to hang back along the baseline. Player deployment options add tremendous strategy to triples tennis, making it as much an intellectual exercise as physical. Players soon discover the importance of communication, coordination and staying in specific lanes.
Tiebreaker
In triples tennis, a 13-point tiebreaker is played when the score in games reaches 6-6. The first team to 7 in the tiebreaker wins. The same service rotation is maintained, although each player serves two consecutive points before relinquishing control to the other team. If the tiebreaker score reaches 6-6, the person who served the 12th point keeps service, with the receiving team getting choice of the receiving court.
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