The Final Word: Choosing Sides

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 though a Q&A with USTA Director of Officials Richard Kaufman.

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

Mark S. (from California): 

In the official rules of tennis it states "the player winning the toss may choose or require his opponent to choose: a) the right to be Server or Receiver...or b) the end....Does this mean that if I win the toss I can "defer" and require my opponent to make his choice of serving or receiving, or the end?

KAUFMAN: Yes, you may make your opponent make the initial decision of serve, receive, or side.

Austin S. (from Georgia)

I would just like to clear this up because I can interpret this two ways, can I force my opponent to make the decision of side, then after he has chosen, I choose to serve or receive?

KAUFMAN: No Austin, but nice try. If you defer, your opponent now gets the same initial choices that you would have had if you did not defer: serve, receive or side.

Emmett B. (Bristol, TN)

In a recent column you stated that "a player is permitted only one swing at the ball."  Does that mean that if a player completely whiffs an overhead and the ball never touches the racket (or body) that the player cannot let the ball bounce and then hit the ball back over the net?  Also, does that mean that in a doubles match if one player at net swings at the ball and misses, that the player's partner cannot hit the ball back over the net?
 
KAUFMAN: One swing refers to when you make contact with the ball.  In this case, one continuous motion is permitted even if the ball hits the racket more than once.  An intentional second swing is not permitted.

A “whiff” does not count as a swing unless it is a serve.  If you whiff a serve it is a fault (Rules 19).

During a rally if you swing and miss an overhead or any shot, you can try to retrieve the ball after the permitted one bounce or no bounce and that is legal.  Your partner can make an attempt to play the ball if you whiff a shot.

Howard   ( from San Francisco, CA)

I was playing a match with no-ad scoring. At a very important 3 all point, my opponent called my first serve out. After, he corrected the call and called the serve in. What should have been done in this situation? We played 2 and I ended up losing the point. Should the point have been mine because of the missed call by my opponent?

KAUFMAN: If the receiver returns the ball in play, then replay the entire point. First serve. We want to encourage players to correct erroneous calls. (Note: If the return was a weak sitter, the receiver should concede the point.)  If the receiver did not return the ball in play, it is the server’s point.

Linda C. (from Wyoming)

Recently while playing in a doubles league my partner was serving and the receiver called a foot fault against her while she was serving her first serve. She (my partner) then took a second serve. At no time prior to this foot fault being called had anyone on the opposing side made any comment/warning about my partner committing foot faults on a continuous or flagrant basis.  Were they correct to do this in this manner and should we have asked for a warning and played a let and taken the first serve again?

KAUFMAN: Referring to “The Code” in the Friend At Court, #24, you are correct. There first should be a warning, then an attempt to find an official, and after all of this, then any extremely flagrant foot faults may be called.

Nancy C.

I'm rated 3.0 & a member on a 3.0 USTA league.  I have been asked to join a 3.5 team... even though I'm a 3.0 player.

I would like to play on BOTH the 3.0 and 3.5 teams but I have been told that it is not possible to play on both teams. I checked the rules and can't find anything that states that playing on two different levels is prohibited. In fact, the closest thing I can find is *Rule 3.01H(5)C which states that "a player may play on more than one team within this division in the same season provided it is in separate local leagues."

Can you clarify this for me and let me know if I am eligible to play on both?

KAUFMAN: I submitted your question to the USTA Leagues Office:  This is their response:

The section has the authority to allow you to play in both a 3.0 and a 3.5 team at the same time in the same local area.  Your final answer must come from your Section office.

In general, most sections permit participation at two different NTRP levels in a given Division at the same time. 

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