Standard tennis courts have clear white lines marking the boundaries of the court and the service boxes. The U.S. Tennis Association, the governing body for the sport of tennis in this country, follows all International Tennis Federation rules regarding court lines and boundaries.
Boundary Lines
The baselines mark the end of the court on either side. A 4-inch center mark perpendicular to the baseline divides each baseline in half. The distance between the two baselines measures 78 feet. Singles sidelines mark the outside edges of a 27-foot wide court, and doubles sidelines mark the outside edges of a 36-foot wide court.
Service Lines
Each side of the court has a service line that runs parallel to the net and 21 feet behind it. A center service line on each side of the net divides the space between the net and the service line into two equal service courts.
Line Width and Color
The center service line and center mark on the baseline must measure 2 inches wide, while the rest of the court's lines can measure 1 to 2 inches wide. All the court's lines must clearly contrast in color with the surface of the court.
Shots Hitting Lines
All boundary lines on the tennis court count as part of the area that they surround. Thus, if a shot hits any part of the baseline or sideline of the court, it counts as in-bounds. The center service line belongs to the left and right service courts, so any serve that hits any part of the center service line counts as in-bounds.
Serving Position
To serve, players must stand entirely behind the baseline and between the imaginary extensions of the center mark and the sideline. The server cannot touch any of these lines with either foot during the service motion. The server must serve from alternate sides of the center mark, and the serve must always travel crosscourt to the service court diagonally opposite the server's position.
Lines Calls
During a match with no referee or rules officials, a player who cannot clearly see that a ball went out of bounds should call the ball good, according to the USTA rulebook. Players should always give their opponent the benefit of the doubt when making lines calls.
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