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The Final Word: Serving

Have you ever had a dispute with a fellow player over a call on the court that you couldn’t settle? Or have you ever wondered why a certain ruling was made during a match you were watching? Maybe you’re just curious about how some scenarios, from the common to the ridiculous, are resolved.

The USTA constantly receives these types of questions from players and fans, so we figured it’s about time we provided a forum in which queries about rules can be answered. Thus, we present to you The Final Word.

Readers can send their burning questions about the rules of tennis along with their name and town to FinalWord@USTA.com. Each week, we will select submissions and supply the definitive rulings through a Q&A with USTA Director of Officials Richard Kaufman.

On to this week's questions and responses...

Serving Question

I have a friend who serves with both balls in her hand. I find it distracting to return when I can still see the second ball in her hand moving. Is there a rule that says that a ball must be put in a server's pocket or be out of sight? I realize we all play with balls pushed towards the net but it is distracting to see a yellow ball in constant motion until the point is complete. While I put up with this from my friend, I would rather not have this done in a match.

Christine (from Seattle, WA)

KAUFMAN: A player is permitted to carry the second ball in their hand. Such an action is not considered a hindrance. The player may not throw the second ball to the back of the fence during the point.

Possible Hindrance

Burning question: During a doubles match, my side hit the ball deep into our opponents court. Simultaneous as my opponent was about to swing, an errant ball (from the court to the right of us) bounces through the middle of my side of the court ( I am in foreword court) and finalizes at the fence. Because I was distracted by the errant ball I said "let”. The opponent returned his shot for a winner and claimed it was their point because the errant ball was not a distraction to him.

I argued "let" because the opponent had the ability to hit a line shot on me and I would not have been prepared for it due to distraction. Eventually we agreed to "take two" and played the point again.

I was just curious what the official ruling would have been.

Brian K.

KAUFMAN: If a hindrance occurs for either player on a doubles team and one of the players calls a let before the point has been completed, then a let should be played.

On Calling Lets

I played a doubles match this past weekend, where, at the end of a long point, my opponent hit a ball that was heading into the net and then immediately called a let for an errant ball from another court that was nowhere near any player or the field of our play. It ended up about two feet from the sidelines at the net on our opponents side.

Is it valid to call a let AFTER you hit a bad shot, if there happens to be an errant ball on the court?

Thank you,
Mary from Georgia

KAUFMAN: If the player has already hit the ball and then the player or partner calls a let, that it is too late. The let call needs to come before the ball is played by the player or their partner to be considered a hindrance.

If the call is done immediately prior to playing the shot, it is always difficult to judge if it was really a hindrance. However any ball in a player’s vision, even on the other side of the net, may hinder players during a point.

Serving Right & Left Handed

During a recent match, a player who was a “switch-server” (could serve right handed or left handed) was changing hands frequently and often during a point. They also had a unique style of standing parallel to the court when serving, making it difficult to determine which hand they were going to use to serve. I realize that the ability to serve well with either hand is an advantage but can someone change during a point, or even a game?

John (from Ephrata, PA)

KAUFMAN: Players may serve with either hand and may play any shot with either hand. They may change anytime during a point or game.

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