TENNIS RULES

PREGAME

Toss coin or spin racquet to determine side or service. In a doubles game, determine order of service and receiving.

SERVICE RULES

Game begins with a serve behind the baseline. Player must not step on or over line and must stand to the right of the center mark; she may not walk or run. Ball must bounce in the opposite right service court (on the line is good) before being returned.

ONE person serves the entire GAME.

The server has two chances to serve correctly; if a DOUBLE FAULT occurs the receiver wins the point.

A FAULT (bad serve) occurs when:

  • The served ball hits the net and does not go over (net ball.)
  • The served ball bounces outside the correct service court.
  • The server walks or runs while serving.
  • The server steps on or over the line before ball contact is made.
  • The server swings at the ball and misses.

A LET SERVE occurs if a served ball touches the net and lands in the correct service court. It should be replayed. Any ball that needs to be replayed is a let ball.

After the first point is scored the server stands to the left of the centerline and delivers the next serve to the opposite left service court. She continues to alternate her serving position after each point.

The server wins the point if the ball hits the receiver or anything she wears or carries, before it hits the ground. LET THE BALL BOUNCE. The server commits a fault if the served ball hits her partner or anything she wears or carries.

COMMON GAME SITUATIONS

  1. A ball is good until it bounces or hits an obstacle. If a player catches a ball that is obviously going out of bounds she loses the point. LET THE BALL BOUNCE.
  2. A player cannot reach over the net to play a ball.

LOSS OF POINT occurs when:

  1. ball bounces outside of court boundaries.
  2. ball is hit on serve before it bounces.
  3. player or racquet hit the net.
  4. racquet is thrown at ball.
  5. ball bounces more than once.

SCORING

  1. A player or team wins a point when the opponent fails to properly return the ball.
  1. To win a GAME one side must score at least 4 points:

Love= 0 points

15 = 1st point

30 = 2nd point

40 = 3rd point

GAME = 4th point

  1. If both sides score 3 points (40-40) it is a DEUCE (tie) game. To win a deuce game, one side must score two consecutive points. The first point won after DEUCE is Advantage or “ad.” If the player who has the advantage wins the next point, she wins the game. If the player who has the advantage loses the next point, the game reverts back to deuce, and once more a player must win two consecutive points to win the game. “Ad in” means the server has the advantage; “Ad out” means the receiver has the advantage.

COMPETITION

A SET in tennis is played when one player (or team) wins at least six games, provided her opponent has not won more than four games (6-0, 6-2, and 6-4.) If a player wins more than four games, her opponent must be two games ahead before she wins the set (7-5, 8-6, and 11-9.) A MATCH consists of winning two out of three sets. Men play matches of three out of five sets.

DOUBLES RULES

Each partner alternates serving a game: A1 serves game 1, B1 serves game 2, A2 serves game 3, B2 serves game 4, etc… The receiving form cannot change during a SET. Partners must receive on the same side of the court they originally select at the beginning.

GAME COURTESIES

  1. The server announces the score after each point.
  2. Do not return a served ball if it is a fault.
  3. If there is no official present and there is doubt about the legality of a hit – replay the point.
  4. Always have two balls in your hand when you begin serving.
  5. Play honestly.

DIAGRAM OF THE COURT