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Tennis Regulations Easily Explained
Whether you are a beginner or a professional, the rules for playing tennis are about the same. You need to know the basic rules for playing tennis which include the following:
Serving and Receiving
One of the important rules for playing tennis is to determine who serves first. One player spins the racquet and the other chooses "up" or "down". In other words, whether the words on the racquet will face up or face down. The player who wins the call has the option of choosing to serve first, or choosing which side of the net to play.
To better understand the rules for playing tennis, let's have an example: If player A wins the call and opts to serve, player B would have the choice of courts. Player A must stand behind the baseline to the right of the center mark, and serve the ball into Player B's right service court. Player A is allowed two serves.
Faults
A fault is any disobedience of the rules of tennis. In addition to that, here are some other ways that can construe a "fault": If the player swings and misses the ball; if the player hits the ball into the net; if the ball bounces in the service court but hits any permanent fixture, such as the net post; and the player must not step on or over the baseline before the racket hits the ball or it is called a foot fault. The player may step on or over the line after the racket contacts with the ball. Just a word of advice, leaning over the line without touching it during a serve is absolutely legal.
The Let Service
A "let" service can be called when a player serves a ball and the ball skims over the top of the net, but still goes into the service court of the opponent. It may also be called when a player serves the ball into the opposite service court before the opponent is ready. The let service is not considered a fault, and it does not count as one of their two serves. Further, if the server tosses the ball and catches it without swinging at it, it doesn't count as a serve and he or she may take it over as per the rules for tennis.
After the first point is scored, the player serves from the left of the center mark for the second point, serving the ball into the opponent's left service court. Then, after the next point, service moves back to the right, and that player remains server throughout the game. Positions, from left to right, are changed after each point is played. Receiver or opponent may select any position he or she wants.
If the receiver tells the server that he or she is not ready, but attempts to return the service and fails, the receiver is considered ready and the server scores a point. A point will also be called against the receiver if he or she strikes a service during the server's volley, before the ball has had time to bounce. Once the ball has been served, the server or the receiver can hit the ball either on a volley or following a bounce.
There are other times when a player can lose a point after service. This can happen when a player's racquet or article of clothing touches the net, when a player hits the ball more than once, when the ball touches the player or clothing, when the player plays the ball before it passes over the net and when a player tosses his or her racquet at the ball and hits it.
A ball is considered playable if the ball lands on either the baseline or sideline, if a player returns a ball that has hit the top of the net and landed on the proper court and if a returned ball hits the net post but lands in the proper court. The player using the court where the ball lands will determine whether the ball is in or out.
The rules for playing tennis are fundamental and concrete, and they may slightly vary in professional tournaments and championships but the basics still apply.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
About the Author
Columnist Abbott Tearce loves writing for a variety of web sites, on recreation travel and recreation and leisure topics.
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