The Final Word: Falling Down

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...

Kim D. (from Grove, IL)

During a recent match playing doubles, my partner fell during a point and we continued to play the point out while she was on the ground (obviously not injured).  We did go on to win the point.  Afterward, we discussed this and we were not sure if this should be called a let.  We took the point as none of us knew the ruling for this situation.

KAUFMAN: Falling down or dropping the racket when hitting the ball are situations that can occur on court and are considered a normal part of the game and are not considered a hindrance.

Ronald L. (from Florida)

I was playing tennis with a friend of mine and he hit a drop-slice shot. The ball bounced just once on my side of the court and the slice carried it back over to my opponent's side of the court and died there. Who won the point? My opponent argued that he won the point.

KAUFMAN: If the ball is hit by your opponent and has spin and bounces on your side and heads back to your opponent's side of the court, you may reach over the net and play that ball without touching the net or the opponent's court.  This is the only case when a player may reach over the net to hit a ball.

A player may not play a ball before it goes over the net.  If they do they lose the point.  The follow through may cross the plain of the net after striking the ball but the racket or body may not touch the net.

If anything a player wears or carries touches the net while the ball is still in play, that player loses the point.

John (from Florida)

The winner of the toss is entitled to either serve, receive, choose a side or defer the first 3 choices (serve, receive, or side) to the opponent. Who gets to serve if neither chooses serve/receive as an option? For example, I win the toss and defer the choices to my opponent, who chooses a side; is the ball back in my court (so to speak) and I get to choose between serve/receive, or I automatically get to serve, or do we toss again to decide who gets to serve (if so, does the 2nd toss winner start with the 3 choices of serve/receive/defer, as the side has already been determined by the 1st toss?).

KAUFMAN: One more time!!!

The rule is that if a player(s) win the coin toss (racket spin), that player(s) may:

1. Choose to serve or receive in the first game of the match, in which case the opponent(s) shall choose the end of the court for the first game of the match.
2. Choose end of the court, in which case the opponent(s) choose to serve or receive first.
3. To REQUIRE the opponent(s) to make one of the above 2 choices; to either serve or receive first OR to chose end of the court to begin the match. 
4. The player(s) who won the toss initially and chose to defer to their opponent(s, may now make one of the two above choices, to choose either end of the court OR to chose to serve or receive first, which depends upon the opponents choice of #1 or #2.

The winning of the toss does not entitle player(s) to make all decisions.  Once you require your opponent to make the initial decision, it is like they won the toss.  However, the one thing they cannot do is to defer back to you.  The must choose either #1 or #2.

The advantage of winning the toss and requiring your opponents to make the initial decision has to do a player’s preference in serving, especially in doubles.  In doubles, many players prefer to serve from a particular side of the court.  Some serve well into the sun, others do not.  By requiring your opponents to make the initial decision, you control the side that you and your partner prefer to serve from throughout the first set.

Frank (from Oklahoma)

I hate to beat the dead horse, but one more question about the net post.  If on a court without singles sticks, a struck ball hits the top of the net well outside the singles sideline, yet lands in the court, is this ball still in play?
 
KAUFMAN: If you are playing singles with singles sticks, and a ball that is hit during a rally strikes the singles sticks and lands in the proper court, it is a legal shot. During a serve, a ball striking the singles sticks is a fault.

Any ball that hits the net outside the single sticks is loss of point.

If there are no singles sticks, and you have only the net posts, the same rule applies for serves and shots during a rally.  A ball striking the net post during a rally and lands in the proper court is a legal shot, while a serve hitting the net post is a fault.

A. Mickelson, (from Baltimore, MD)

What happens if the ball you are playing loses pressure (or pops) in the middle of a point.  I know this is rare, by my friend was playing a point and everyone noticed the ball had lost pressure.  They played the point to the end however.

KAUFMAN: If a ball breaks during a point (not just a soft ball but a ball that breaks and now has no pressure) then that ball should be replaced and a let should be played, even if it is discovered after the completion of the point.  If it is discovered that the ball is soft but not broken, that ball should be replaced however the point stands.

Past Articles: