The rules of tennis are the same whether you're playing indoors or outdoors, but the game can change dramatically when you step outside. The court is the same size, the net is the same height and the scoring system doesn't change. But outdoors, the sun can make serving extremely difficult. Wind can cause havoc on the ball's flight. Rain can make footing treacherous. Darkness can make it impossible to play. Rules formulated by U.S. and international tennis organizations address them all.
General Rules
Most outdoor tennis courts are either clay courts, grass courts or hard courts, and the line measurements on outdoor courts are identical to those on indoor courts. Singles courts are 78 feet long, marked by baselines, and 27 feet wide, marked by sidelines. Doubles courts are 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. A net that is 3 feet, 6 inches tall at the sides and 3 feet tall at the center divides the court in half. The other lines on the tennis court, the serviceline and the center serviceline, make up the service box. The smallest line on the court, called the center mark, divides the baseline in half. Like the indoor variety, you get two chances to put a serve in play, you have to hit the ball before it bounces twice and you have to use your racket to hit the ball.
Sun
With the exception of evening matches and cloudy days, the sun is almost always a factor in outdoor tennis matches. In order to mitigate the sun's impact, the United States Tennis Association recommends that courts be laid out facing north and south in the northern two-thirds of the country, where tennis is generally played in spring, summer and fall. In the southern third of the country, courts should be 15 to 25 degrees west of true north to enable players to better cope with the afternoon winter sun. The sun can be especially tricky on your service toss. Remember, if you're blinded by the sun, the rules allow you to catch your toss without it being called a fault as long as you don't attempt to hit it. Although you don't often see the pros doing it, feel free to break out your sunglasses to help mitigate the sun's glare. If all else fails, you can even try serving underhand. To help balance the impact of the sun--and wind--players switch sides of the court after every odd-numbered game.
Wind
Windnot only can cause the ball to move in mysterious ways, but it can also impact objects around the court. If a towel, a ball or anything else blows onto your court during a point, a "let" should be called. Stop play and start the point over, with the server getting two serves. On rare occasions, the wind may cause the ball to bounce on your side of the net and then blow back onto your opponent's side. In that case, you are allowed to reach over the net and hit the ball, but you cannot touch the net with your racket, clothes or body.
Rain
Regardless of the surface, tennis courts become slippery when they get wet. If you're not playing in a match where an umpire is present, common sense should dictate your decision on when to suspend play. The USTA recommends sliding your foot across a line. If you see a streak, the court is probably too wet and dangerous to play. If an official is present, he will make the final call. If competing in a tournament, you should remain at the facility because play can resume whenever the conditions improve. Depending on the length of the delay, a warm-up session will be held. Play should be stopped immediately if you see lightning.
Darkness
While the sun's brightness can make tennis challenging, darkness can make it downright impossible. If you are playing a match with an official, he can suspend the match when he thinks it is appropriate due to darkness. The ITF recommends matches be suspended due to darkness at the end of a set or after an even number of games have been played. When the match resumes, it is picked up exactly where it left off.
Other Considerations
Sometimes outdoor tennis presents challenges that have nothing to do with conditions but everything to do with wildlife. During a 2002 doubles match at the Australian Open, a bird was hit by a ball that was in play. Although rare, the rules address just that circumstance: Call a "let" and replay the point.
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