The Code - Unofficiated Matches
THE CODE: GUIDELINES FOR UNOFFICATED
MATCHES
PREFACE
When your serve hits your partner stationed at the net, is it a let, fault,
or loss of point? Likewise, what is the ruling when your serve, before
touching the ground, hits an opponent who is standing back of the
baseline? The answers to these questions are obvious to anyone who
knows the fundamentals of tennis, but the number of players who are
not aware of these fundamentals is surprising. All players have a
responsibility to be familiar with the basic rules and customs of tennis.
Further, it can be distressing to your opponent when he makes a
decision in accordance with a rule and you protest with the remark;
“Well, I never heard of that rule before!” Ignorance of the rules
constitutes a delinquency on the part of a player and often spoils an
otherwise good match.
What is written here constitutes the essentials of The Code, a
summary of procedures and unwritten rules which custom and
tradition dictate all players should follow. No system of rules will cover
every specific problem or situation that may arise. If players of good
will follow the principles of The Code, they should always be able to
reach an agreement, while at the same time making tennis more fun
and a better game for all. The principles set forth in The Code shall
apply in cases not specifically covered by The Rule of Tennis and
Tennis Canada Regulations.
Before reading this, you might well ask yourself: Since we have a
book that contains all the Rules of Tennis, why do we need a Code?
There are a number of things not specifically set forth in the rules that
are covered by custom and tradition only. For example, if you have a
doubt on a line call, your opponent gets the benefit of the doubt. Can
you find that in the rules? Further, custom dictates the standard
procedures that players will use in reaching decisions. These are the
reasons why we need a Code.
PRINCIPLES
1. Courtesy. Tennis is a game that requires cooperation and
courtesy from all participants. Make tennis a fun game by
praising your opponents’ good shots and by not:
conducting loud postmortems after points;
complaining about shots like lobs and drop shots;
embarrassing a weak opponent by being overly gracious or
condescending;
losing your temper, using vile language, throwing your
racquet, or
slamming a ball in anger; or
sulking when you are losing.
2. Counting points played in good faith. All points played in good
faith stand. For example, if after losing a point, a player
discovers that the net was four inches too high, the point stands.
If a point is played from the wrong court, there is no replay. If
during a point, a player realized that a mistake was made at the
beginning (for example, service form the wrong court), he shall
continue playing the point. Corrective action may be taken only
after a point has been completed.
THE WARM-UP
3. Warm-up is not practice. A player should provide his opponent
a five-minute warm-up (ten minutes if there are no ball persons).
If a player refuses to warm-up his opponent, he forfeits his right
to a warm-up. Some players confuse warm up and practice. A
player should make a special effort to hit his shots directly to his
opponent. (If partners want to warm each other up while their
opponents are warming up, they may do so.)
4. Warm-up serves. Take all your warm-up serves before the first
serve of the match. Courtesy dictates that you not practice your
service return when your opponent practices his serve. If a
player has completed his warm-up serves, he shall return warmup
serves directly to his opponent.
MAKING CALLS
5. Player makes calls on his side of the net. A player calls all
Code for Unofficiated Matches
130
shots landing on, or aimed at, his side of the net.
6. Opponent gets benefit of doubt. When a match is played
without officials, the players are responsible for making
decisions, particularly for line calls. There is a subtle difference
between player decisions and those of an on-court official. An
official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a
player is guided by the unwritten law that any doubt must be
resolved in favor of his opponent. A player in attempting to be
scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will find himself
keeping a ball in play that might have been out or that he
discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better
played this way.
7. Ball touching any part of line is good. If any part of the ball
touches the line, the ball is good. A ball 99% out is still 100%
good.
8. Ball that cannot be called out is good. Any ball that cannot be
called out is considered to have been good. A player may not
claim a let on the basis that he did not see a ball. One of tennis’
most infuriating moments occurs after a long hard rally when a
player makes a clean placement and his opponent says: “I’m not
sure if it was good or out. Let’s play a let.” Remember, it is each
player’s responsibility to call all balls landing on, or aimed at, his
side of the net. If a ball can’t be called out with certainty, it is
good. When you say your opponent’s shot was really out but you
offer to replay the point to give him a break, you are deluding
yourself because you must have had some doubt.
9. Calls when looking across a line or when far away. The call
of a player looking down a line is much more likely to be
accurate than that of a player looking across a line. When you
are looking across a line, don’t call a ball out unless you can
clearly see part of the court between where the ball hit and the
line. It is difficult for a player who stands on one baseline to
question a call on a ball that landed near the other baseline.
10. Treat all points the same regardless of their importance. All
points in a match should be treated the same. There is no
justification for considering a match point differently than the first
point.
11. Requesting opponent’s help. When an opponent’s opinion is
requested and he gives a positive opinion, it must be accepted. If
neither player has an opinion, the ball is considered good. Aid
from an opponent is available only on a call that ends a point.
12. Out calls corrected. If a player mistakenly calls a ball “out” and
then realizes that it was good: the first time that this occurs, the
point shall be replayed unless it was a point-winning shot (on a
point-winning shot, the player’s opponent wins the point); on
each subsequent occasion, the player that made the incorrect
call shall lose the point. If the mistake was made on the second
serve, the server is entitled to two serves.
13. Player calls his own shots out. With the exception of the first
serve, a player should call against himself any ball he clearly
sees out regardless of whether he is requested to do so by his
opponent. The prime objective in making calls is accuracy. All
players should cooperate to attain this objective.
14. Partners’ disagreement on calls. If a player and his partner
disagree about whether their opponents’ ball was out, they shall
call it good. It is more important to give your opponents the
benefit of the doubt than to avoid possibly hurting your partner’s
feeling by not overruling. The tactful way to achieve the desired
result is to tell your partner quietly that he has made a mistake
and then let him overrule himself. If a call is changed from out to
good, the point is replayed only if the out ball was put back in
play.
15. Audible or visible calls. No matter how obvious it is to a player
that his opponent’s ball is out, the opponent is entitled to a
prompt audible or visible out call.
16. Opponent’s calls questioned. A player may ask his opponent
about his call with the query: “Are you sure of your call?” If the
opponent acknowledges that his is uncertain, he loses the point.
There shall be no further delay or discussion.
17. Spectators never to make calls. A player shall not enlist the aid
of a spectator in making a call. No spectator has a part in the
match.
18. Prompt call eliminates two-chance option. A player shall
make all calls promptly after the ball has hit the court. A call shall
be made either before the player’s return shot has gone out of
play or before the opponent has had the opportunity to play the
return shot.
Prompt calls will quickly eliminate the “two chances to win the
point” option that some players practice. To illustrate, a player is
advancing to the net for an easy put away when he sees a ball
from an adjoining court rolling toward him. He continues his
advance and hits the shot, only to have his supposed easy put
away fly over the baseline. The player then claims a let. The
claim is not valid because he forfeited his right to call a let by
choosing instead to play the ball. He took his chance to win or
lose, and he is not entitled to a second chance.
19. Lets called when balls roll on the court. When a ball from an
adjacent court enters the playing area, a player shall call a let as
soon as he becomes aware of the ball. The player loses the right
to call a let if he unreasonably delays in making the call.
20. Touches, hitting ball before it crosses net, invasion of
opponent’s court, double hits, and double bounces. A player
shall promptly acknowledge if:
a ball touches him;
he touches the net;
he touches his opponent’s court;
he hits a ball before it crosses the net;
he deliberately carries or double hits the ball; or
the ball bounces more than once in his court.
The opponent is not entitled to make these calls.
21. Balls hit through the net or into the ground. A player shall
make the ruling on a ball that his opponent hits through the net
and on a ball that his opponent hits into the ground before it goes
over the net.
22. Calling balls on clay courts. If any part of the ball mark
touches the line on a clay court, the ball shall be called good. If
you can see only part of the mark on the court, this means that
the missing part is on the line or tape. A player should take a
careful second look at any point-ending placement that is close
to a line on a clay court. Occasionally a ball will strike that tape,
jump, and then leave a full mark behind the line. The player
should listen for the sound of the ball striking the tape and look
for a clean spot on the tape near the mark. If these conditions
exist, the player should give the point to his opponent.
SERVING
23. Server’s request for third ball. When a server requests three
balls, the receiver shall comply when the third ball is readily
available. Distant balls shall be retrieved at the end of a game.
24. Foot Faults. A player may warn his opponent that the opponent
has committed a flagrant foot fault. If the foot faulting continues,
the player may attempt to locate an official. If no official is
available, the player may call flagrant foot faults. Compliance
with the foot fault rule is very much a function of a player’s
personal honor system. The plea that he should not be penalized
because he only just touched the line and did not rush the net is
not acceptable. Habitual foot faulting, whether intentional or
careless, is just as surely cheating as is making a deliberate bad
line call.
25. Service call in doubles. In doubles the receiver’s partner
should call the service line, and the receiver should call the
sideline and the center service line. Nonetheless, either partner
may call a ball that he clearly sees.
26. Service calls by serving team. Neither the server nor his
partner shall make a fault call on the first service even if they
think it is out because the receiver may be giving the server the
benefit of the doubt. But the server and his partner shall call out
any second serve that either of them clearly sees out.
27. Service let calls. Any player may call a service let. The call shall
be made before the return of serve goes out of play or is hit by
the server or his partner. If the serve is an apparent or near ace,
any let shall be called promptly.
28. Obvious faults. A player shall not put into play or hit over the
net an obvious fault. To do so constitutes rudeness and may
even be a form of gamesmanship. On the other hand, if a player
believes that he cannot call a serve a fault and gives his
opponent the benefit of a close call, the server is not entitled to
replay the point.
29. Receiver readiness. The receiver shall play to the reasonable
pace of the server. The receiver should make no effort to return
a serve when he is not ready. If a player attempts to return a
serve (even if it is a “quick” serve), then he (or his team) is
presumed to be ready.
30. Delays during service. When the server’s second service
motion is interrupted by a ball coming onto the court, he is
entitled to two serves. When there is a delay between the first
and second serves:
the server gets one serve if he was the cause of the delay;
the server gets two serves if the delay was caused by the
receiver or if there was outside interference.
The time it takes to clear a ball that comes onto the court
between the first and second serves is not considered sufficient
time to warrant the server receiving two serves unless this time
is so prolonged as to constitute an interruption. The receiver is
the judge of whether the delay insufficiently prolonged to justify
giving the server two serves.
SCORING
31. Server announces score. The server shall announce the game
score before the first point of the game and the point score
before each subsequent point of the game.
32. Disputes. Disputes over the score shall be resolved by using
one of the following methods, which are listed in the order of
preference:
count all points and games agreed upon by the players and
replay only the disputed points or games;
play from a score mutually agreeable to all players;
spin a racquet or toss a coin.
HINDRANCE ISSUES
33. Talking during a point. A player shall not talk while the ball is
moving toward his opponent’s side of the court. If the player’s
talking interferes with this opponent’s ability to play the ball, the
player loses the point. Consider the situation where a player hits
a weak lob and loudly yells at his partner to get back. If the shout
is loud enough to distract his opponent, the opponent may claim
the point based on a deliberate hindrance. If the opponent
chooses to hit the lob and misses it, the opponent loses the point
because he did not make a timely claim of hindrance.
34. Feinting with the body. A player may feint with his body while
the ball is in play. He may change position at any time, including
while the server is tossing the ball. Any movement or sound that
is made solely to distract an opponent, including but not limited
to waving the arms or racquet or stamping the feet, is not
allowed.
35. Lets due to hindrance. A let is not automatically granted
because of hindrance. A let is authorized only if the player could
have made the shot had he not been hindered. A let is also not
authorized for a hindrance caused by something within a player’s
control. For example, a request for a let because the player
tripped over his own hat should be denied.
36. Grunting. A player should avoid grunting and making other loud
noises. Grunting and other loud noises may bother not only
opponents but also players on adjacent courts. In an extreme
case, an opponent or a player on an adjacent court may seek the
assistance of the referee or a roving official. The referee or
official may treat grunting and the making of loud noises as a
hindrance. Depending upon the circumstance, this could result in
a let or loss of point.
37. Injury caused by a player. When a player accidentally injures
his opponent, the opponent suffers the consequences. Consider
the situation where the server’s racquet accidentally strikes the
receiver and incapacitates him. The receiver is unable to resume
play within the time limit. Even though the server caused the
injury, the server wins the match by retirement.
On the other hand, when a player deliberately injures his
opponent and affects the opponent’s ability to play, then the
opponent wins the match by default. Hitting a ball or throwing a
racquet in anger is considered a deliberate act.
WHEN TO CONTACT AN OFFICAL
38. Withdrawing from a match or tournament. A player shall not
enter a tournament and then withdraw when he discovers that
tough opponents have also entered. A player may withdraw from
a match or tournament only because of injury, illness, personal
emergency, or another bona fide reason. If a player cannot play
a match, he shall notify the referee at once so that his opponent
may be saved a trip. A player who withdraws from a tournament
is not entitled to the return of his entry fee unless he withdrew
before the draw was made.
39. Stalling. The following actions constitute stalling:
warming up for more than the allotted time;
playing at about one-third a player’s normal pace;
taking more than the allotted 90 seconds on the odd-game
changeover;
taking more than the authorized ten minutes during an
authorized rest period between sets;
starting a discussion or argument in order for a player to
catch his breath;
clearing a missed first service that doesn’t need to be
cleared; and
bouncing the ball ten times before each serve.
Contact an official if you encounter a problem with stalling. It is
subject to penalty under the Point Penalty System.
40. Requesting an official. While normally a player may not leave
the playing area, he may visit the referee or seek a roving official
to request assistance. Some reasons for visiting the referee
include:
stalling;
chronic flagrant foot faults;
a medical time-out;
a scoring dispute; and
a pattern of bad calls.
Players may refuse to play until an official responds.
BALL ISSUES
41. Retrieving stray balls. Each player is responsible for removing
stray balls and other objects from his end of the court. A player
shall not go behind an adjacent court to retrieve a ball, nor shall
he ask for return of a ball from players on an adjacent court until
their point is over. When a player returns a ball that comes from
an adjacent court, he shall wait until their point is over and then
return it directly to one of the players, preferably the server.
42. Catching a ball. Unless you have made a local ground rule, if
you catch a ball before it bounces, you lose the point regardless
of where you are standing.
43. New balls for a third set. When a tournament specifies new
balls for a third set, new balls shall be used unless all the players
agree otherwise.
MISCELLANEOUS
44. Clothing and equipment malfunction. If clothing or equipment
other than a racquet becomes unusable through circumstances
outside the control of the player, play may be suspended for a
reasonable period. The player may leave the court after the point
is over to correct the problem. If a racquet or string is broken, the
player may leave the court to get a replacement, but he is
subject to code violations under the Point Penalty System.
45. Placement of towels. Place towels on the ground outside the
net post or at the back fence. Clothing and towels should never
be placed on the net.