Tennis Rules and “The Code” – 2019 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. The USTA has its own handbook.

But when we play for fun or even competitively, we don’t have officials to help us. Therefore, we should follow “The Code” to ensure that we are playing fairly.

Question: In a doubles match, my teammate called a ball out and I couldn’t tell if it was in or out. I was asked by our opponents how I saw the ball – in or out? I wasn’t sure and normally wouldn’t have expressed an opinion. But since I was asked, was I required to call the ball in because I wasn’t sure?

Answer: Item 6 of “The Code” says you give your opponents the benefit of the doubt; Item 8 says if you can’t call it out, it’s good; and Item 14 says that when doubles partners disagree on a call, the ball is good. Presumably your partner followed these tenants when he called the shot out, so that call stands for your team. You didn’t disagree with your partner’s call. You were simply unsure. Your partner must have had a better look at it to be able to call the ball out. As you mentioned, normally you wouldn’t express an opinion, as you were unsure. When your opponents ask how you saw it, you may say, “I don’t disagree with my partner.” However, note that if you did see the ball good, disagreeing with your partner’s out call, item 14 of “The Code” would give the point to your opponents.

Question: I hit a swinging volley very close to the net and my opponent claimed I had reached over the net and the point was hers. I pointed out that I didn’t touch the net so the point should be mine. Who was right?

Answer: Assuming your racquet crossed over the net, without touching it, rule 24.h says that you lose the point if you hit the ball “before it has passed the net.” So, if you hit the ball on her side of the net, it’s her point. If you hit the ball prior to your racquet crossing over the net, the point is yours. There’s no rule against your follow-through breaking the plane of the net, as long as it doesn’t touch any part of it. Note, that this call is yours to make according to item 19 of “The Code.”