Tennis Fun Club

Tennis is a great sport and is wonderfully simple. However, there are a few rules which should be considered before playing tennis or just watching it. Following are some rules and decisions of tennis which are the official rules of International Tennis Federation.

• Tennis is played on a rectangular court which is 78 feet long between 2 players in case of singles match or by 4 people in case of doubles. In singles, the court is 27 feet wide and in doubles it is 36 feet wide.

• Players stand on opposite side of the net and use a stringed racquet to hit the ball. Players are required to hit the ball after a maximum of one bounce, over the net and within the boundaries of the court. Once a player fails to do the above things, the opponent wins a point. The aim is to win enough points that will win the game for you, enough games to win a set and finally enough sets to win the match. Points are as follows –

No Point – Love
First Point – 15
Second Point – 30
Third Point – 40
Fourth Point – Game

• If both the players reach the third point, as to 40-40 it is called as Deuce. After Deuce, the score is Advantage and the point after Advantage is Game. If a player is on Advantage and the opponent wins the point then it’s back to Deuce.

• During a tie-break the points are scored as 0,1,2,3 and so on. The player with 7 points wins the game provided there is a margin of two points over the opponent.

• The first player to win six games wins the set provided there is a margin of two games over the opponent. If there is not a margin of two points then the set is decided via a tie-break. A match can be played for 3 sets where a player is required to win 2 sets or best of 5 sets where a player is required to win three sets.

• The players shall change their ends at the conclusion of the first, third and every subsequent odd numbered game of every set.

• Unless a ball is called out or fault, it is in play from the moment the server hits the ball, and the play is continued until the point is decided. If a ball touches the line, it is called good.

• Foot fault – During the service, the server should not –

- Change position by running and walking; although, slight movements of the feet are allowed.
- Touch the baseline, which is where the court ends, with either foot or touch the area exterior to the   imaginary extension of the sideline with either foot.
- Touch the extension, which is an imaginary extension of the center mark with either foot.
- If any of these rules are not followed then it is termed as “foot fault”.

• If the first service is a fault, the server is required to serve again without a delay, from the same half of the court from where the fault was served.

• A player looses a point if –
  1. Two consecutive faults are served by the player.
  2. The player does not return the ball in the opponent’s court before it bounces twice consecutively.
  3. The receiver returns the service before bouncing.
  4. The player deliberately catches or carries the ball on the racquet or deliberately touches the ball with the racquet twice.
  5. The player hits the ball before passing the net.
  6. The ball touches the player’s body or anything that the player is wearing or carrying except the racquet.
  7. The ball in play touches the racquet even when the racquet is not held by the player.
  8. In doubles, both the players touch the ball with the racquets while returning it.

• The return is called good if –
  1. The ball touches the net, cord or metal cable, strap or band or anything provided that it passes any of them and falls on the ground within the correct court.
  2. The ball is returned outside the net posts, either below or above the level of the top of the net, even though it touches the net posts and hits the ground in the correct court.
  3. The racquet of the player passes over the net after hitting the ball on the player’s own side of the net and the ball lands on the opponent’s court.

• There are also certain penalties while playing tennis, which results in loss of certain points. These are –
  1. Touching the opponent player’s ground, the posts or nets or any other person or official in the game.
  2. Carrying or catching the ball in the racquet.
  3. Hitting the ball twice or even hitting the ball before it has crossed the nets.
  4. Throwing the racquet or any kind of abuse to the match officials.