By Sherry Benz
Tennis Talk 2022-11-24
Friend at the Court (1) is a handbook of tennis rules and regulations developed by USTA. It is an important document and provides valuable guidelines for play. In the next few weeks, we hope to clarify a few of the items that often cause confusion among our players.
Choice of serve: The choice of ends and the choice to be server or receiver in the first game shall be decided by toss before the warm-up starts. The team who wins the toss may choose (did you know there are 3! choices?):
1. To be server or receiver in the first game of the match, in which case the opponents choose the end of the court for the first game of the match; or
2. The end of the court for the first game of the match, in which case the opponents choose to be server or receiver for the first game of the match; or
3. To require the opponents to make one of the above choices (this is the choice we often forget!)
Correcting Errors: As a principle, when an error is discovered, all points previously played shall stand. Errors discovered shall be corrected as follows:
Service errors:
1. If a player serves from the wrong half of the court, this should be corrected as soon as the error is discovered and the server shall serve from the correct half of the court according to the score. A fault that was served before the error was discovered shall stand.
2. If a player serves out of turn, the player who was originally due to serve shall serve as soon as the error is discovered.
3. If there is an error in the order of receiving, this shall remain as altered until the end of the game. For the next game, the partners shall resume the original order of receiving.
Scoring Disputes:
1. While everyone knows that the easiest way to avoid scoring disputes is to call out scores loudly and clearly before each point and game, they still occur. The players shall replay the points or games that are disputed, restarting from a score that is mutually agreed upon by both sides. When reconstructing points and games, use memory and which side of the court (deuce or ad) or end of the court you’re on to help you determine the score.