Tennis Rules and “The Code” – 2018 Q1
When the professionals play tennis, the chair umpire and lines people officiate the match using the official rules of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), of which the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is a member. The ITF rules can be found here.
But when we play for fun or even competitively, we don’t have officials to help us. Therefore, we should follow “The Code” contained in the USTA’s “Friend At Court” to ensure that we are playing fairly.
Question: I played a USTA match today and my opponent called his own let after doing one of his serves. I returned the ball for a winner. He said he called a let but I said the server can’t call his own let. Who is right?
Answer: Few people know this, but according to “The Code, a Players’ Guide to Unofficiated Matches”, any player (in singles or doubles) can call a service let (ball touching the net). It must be done promptly. Usually the receiver(s) make the call and many players on the serving side decide not to get involved with the call thinking maybe they were mistaken.
If the server hears a clear let and the receiver does not call it, it is best for the server to call it ASAP. Otherwise, the server hears a let and the receiver hits a winner, and after some hesitation, the server asks “Did you hear a let?” That is always a difficult situation to resolve after the point has been played.
Question: During my match, I did not pick up a ball on my side of the court because it was closer to the net and out of the way in my mind. During the following point, the ball landed on the ball left on the court. I was not able to reach the ball that was misdirected as a result of hitting the ball. Can I call a let?
Answer: No, you may not call a let in this situation. Because you chose to leave the ball on the court, it became part of the court for that point and you accepted the risk of the ball in play bouncing off the stray ball. Per Rule 26, you are not entitled to a let for hindrance when the hindrance is something you caused.
