Tennis Rules and “The Code” – 2020 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: Playing Doubles, my partner returned a very wide serve and hit the net post. The ball bounced into the court at an odd angle and was unreturnable. We claimed it as a winner.

Our opponents disagreed, claiming the net post is outside the double’s lines and therefore not in play. Who was right?

Answer: Your opponents were right that the net posts are outside the lines, but Rule 25.a, A Good Return, states a shot is good if it touches the net post and lands in the correct court. If the ball strikes a permanent fixture attached to the net post, e.g. a scorekeeper, the ball would be out.

Question: In a recent match, my partner attempted to lob over our opponents, but mishit the ball, leading to an easy shot for them. She yelled out “Oh no!” in frustration after the shot went awry.

Our opponent, at net, missed her shot, hitting the tape. She then claimed a hinderance and the point. What’s the right call?

Answer: The Players’ Guide To Fair Play And The Unwritten Rules Of Tennis, known as “The Code,” addresses this in item 34; “Talking when the ball is in play.” “Doubles players should not talk when the ball is moving toward their opponent’s court.” However, “If the opponent chooses to play the shot and misses it, the opponent loses the point because the opponent did not make a timely claim of hindrance.” You win the point.