In tennis, players use a racket to hit the ball back and forth over a net. The rulebook of the United States Tennis Association, the official governing body for the sport of tennis in this country, provides a standard for competitive tennis. The rulebook describes specific rules regarding equipment. Review these rules to prepare for tournament play.
General Tennis Rules
Each point begins with a serve. One player serves for an entire game, and then the serve alternates after each game. You win points by hitting a serve or shot in-bounds to your opponent's side of the court that your opponent cannot return before it bounces twice. You also win points when your opponent makes an error, such as hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds. To win a game, a player must win four points, scored as 15, 30, 40 and game. To win a set, you must win six games. Individual tournaments can choose to have entrants play best of three or five set matches.
The Ball
In official competition, players can only use tennis balls approved by the International Tennis Federation, or ITF. The ITF tests tennis balls for appropriate compression, rebound, weight and size. The ITF and USTA approve three types of balls for competition, including fast-speed balls for slow court surfaces, medium-speed balls for both medium and medium-fast court surfaces and slow-speed balls for fast court surfaces.
Ball Changes
Individual tournaments and events must announce the number of balls to be used for each match. Tournaments must also decide whether to change balls at the beginning of sets or after a certain odd number of games. If the previously decided-upon odd number of games pass before a tie-break game, the ball change must be delayed by one game so that it does not directly precede the tie-break game. If a ball breaks during a point, the ball should be replaced and the point replayed.
The Racket
The USTA and ITF enforce certain rules regarding the racket. The racket must have a flat hitting surface with a uniform pattern of crossed strings attached to a frame. The racket frame's length, including the hitting surface and grip, cannot exceed 29 inches, and its width cannot exceed 12.5 inches. The racket face or hitting surface cannot exceed 15.5 inches long or 11.5 inches wide. Players can place shock absorbers on the strings, but only outside the strings' crossing pattern. Rackets cannot contain any type of battery or energy source.
You can continue to play with broken strings if you wish to do so. If you break your racket or strings and must leave the court to get another racket, the referee can penalize you for the delay.
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