Tennis Rules Page

I. Tennis Rules

• A. Singles Game
  • 1. The player winning the coin toss or spin of the racket may choose or require their opponent to choose:
    • a) To be server or receiver
    • b) Choose the side of the net
• B. Doubles Game
  • 1) The same rules apply for doubles as for singles, with these exceptions:
    • a) The outside boundary lines enclosing the alleys are used. (This does not apply on the service)
    • b) Order of service: A and B are partners against C and D. First game A serves, second game C will serve, third game B will serve, fourth game D will serve. The serve returns to player A and the rotation starts over. This rotation is maintained throughout the set. (A set is the winning of six games, or winning two consecutive games after each team has won five games)

• A. Delivery
  • 1) Both feet must be behind the baseline and inside the center mark and the singles sidelines.
  • 2) Must toss the ball into the air and strike it before it hits the ground.
  • 3) Must serve across the net and into the diagonal court.
  • 4) Shall start in the right hand court in every game.
  • 5) The server shall alternate sides with each point.
  • 6) Any ball striking a line is good.
  • 7) Server has two chances to get the serve in on each point. (Service error is called a fault)
  • 8) Call out the score before you serve, server's score is announced first.
  • B. Faults
    • 1) Foot fault (stepping over the baseline)
    • 2) Server misses the ball attempting to strike it.
    • 3) The ball hits in the server's side of the net.
    • 4) Two faults in succession on the same point is called a double fault and the server loses the point.
  • C. Let (Serve is taken over)
    • 1) The Ball tips the net and falls over into the proper service court.
    • 2) The receiver is not ready.
    • 3) When a let is called curing any circumstance, the point is replayed.

• A. Player loses the point if:
  • 1) The player fails to return the ball over the net and into the opponent's court.
  • 2) The ball bounces twice before returning it.
  • 3) They touch the net with the body or the racketduring play.
  • 4) Reach over the net to play the ball.
  • 5) Hit the ball more than once (double hit).

• A. Game:
  • Love...................................Zero
  • 1st point...............................15
  • 2nd point..............................30
  • 3rd point...............................40
  • 4th point...............................Game (as long as one player is two points ahead)
  • Deuce......................................A score of 40-40 and any tie after is called deuce.A player must win the next two consecutive points to win the game.
  • Ad-in......................................The first point after deuce if the server wins
  • Ad-out...................................The first point after deuce if the receiver wins (If the score is ad-out and the server wins the next point, the score becomes deuce again.

• B. Set
  • 1. To win a set a player must win six games and be two games ahead of opponent.
  • 2. If the set score is 6-5, play continues until one player has a two game margin, unless they are playing a no-ad system. (In no-ad, when the score is deuce, the receiving team chooses which court to receive the serve in. They play one point and the winner of that point wins the game)

• C. Match
  • 1. For women, a match is 2 out of 3 sets.
  • 2. For men, a match is 3 out of 5 sets.

• Ace: A hard hit serve that the receiver is unable to return.
• Advantage: The score of a game after either player has won a point following deuce.
• Backhand: A ball hit with the playing arm and racket across body.
• Cross court: A ball hit diagonally across the court.
• Double Fault: Two consecutive missed serves.
• Forehand: A ball hit on the same side of the body as the playing arm.
• Ground strokes: Stroke taken after the ball has bounced.
• Let: A ball that touches the top of the net and goes over into proper court.
• Lob: A ball hit high into the air that lands near the baseline.
• Volley: A ball hit before it bounces.