Tennis is a competitive sport played between two or more competing individuals (singles) or pairs (doubles) using tautly strung rackets and balls on a rectangular court, according to rules approved by the International Tennis Federation.
Coaching is allowed only during changeover and set breaks.
Rules
The rules of tennis are an informal set of written and unwritten procedures designed to regulate play. Their aim is to promote fairness among competitors by prohibiting illegal equipment use or infringing upon opponent rights, among other measures. Players are expected to abide by both official rules as well as an unsportsmanlike conduct code and etiquette code that govern conduct during matches; unsportsmanlike behavior could lead to penalties including loss of points and even forfeiture of matches.
Tennis involves players hitting a ball back and forth over a net within sidelines and baselines, with the aim of scoring more points than your opponent to gain an upper hand and win the point. Rules of tennis are typically enforced by an umpire or court supervisor and include both written and unwritten guidelines that apply equally across all players regardless of ability or disability.
Unwritten rules in tennis include calling lines and avoiding physical contact. When in doubt about whether a shot is in or out, give your opponent the benefit of the doubt and do not question any calls made by another player or attempt to influence them in any way.
Players may alter the order and sides of their serving positions without altering the court surface itself. At the conclusion of a match, both players are permitted to shake hands and shake off from one another. If a service from an incorrect side occurs, immediate correction should be attempted – however finished points shouldn’t be replayed unless served incorrectly.
Scoring
Tennis scoring follows a unique scoring system combining both points and games. When participating in a point, players must attempt to strike the ball over the net into their opponent’s court without hitting it out of bounds or through any lines; once seven points have been scored by either party they win the game; occasional calls may be overruled by umpires/linespersons but players may appeal close calls in certain tournaments.
If a player loses a serve, they must concede the point; however if they win their next serve and cross to their opponent’s side of the court with it, they are awarded it. A tennis point can also be scored when the ball hits the bottom of their service box before rebounding onto their side or touching net posts; should something go out of bounds or the shot prove unplayable they forfeit this point.
Game play begins at 0-0 and players’ scores are declared orally before every point is won or lost. When someone wins a point they announce it as being “love”, and upon winning another they call out 15 or 40-love for victory. There is no concrete evidence as to where this scoring system originated but some experts speculate it might have come about due to clock hand rotation.
Balls
Tennis is an outdoor team sport in which two opposing single players or pairs (doubles) use tightly strung rackets to hit a ball over a net on a rectangular court. It follows rules established by the International Tennis Federation – its worldwide governing body of tennis.
A tennis ball typically comprises of a pressurized rubber core wrapped with high-grade cloth containing up to 35% nylon, typically wool mixed with nylon fibers. Tournament play requires nine new balls every nine games; softened balls are declared unsuitable by players and should be discarded as soon as they lose air pressure; it is possible to tell this is happening by looking at its felt, which will feature smoother and denser fuzz than its counterpart on a fresh ball.
Tennis balls come in several varieties to match the type of surface upon which the game is played, for instance a regular duty ball is best suited for hard courts while an extra duty one would work better on softer surfaces such as clay. Furthermore, some manufacturers include printed numbers on their tennis balls to indicate which age group it targets (ie: Vermont Stage 2 balls are ideal for players aged 8-9 years).
Selecting the ideal ball for service has long been an integral part of tennis ritual. While science plays an integral role, sometimes selecting fluffier balls that allow more speed may also play a part. Players whose style relies on heavy top spin often prefer fluffier balls for increased spin production.
Courts
There are various kinds of tennis courts, each one designed for different playing surfaces that can significantly change how a match unfolds and how it’s played. Grass courts tend to be the oldest and fastest, while clay and hard courts tend to be slower. Adding a tennis court can add both financial and emotional value to your property.
To win a point on a tennis court, one must serve the ball over the net within its boundaries within an acceptable service box and not hit beyond this line. Any attempt at serving outside this service area results in a fault; two consecutive faults result in your opponent winning that point.
The center mark is a small line plotting the center-point of both baselines, marking where servers should start from when starting out their game. From here to the net is known as the back court – divided between singles and doubles sides by service line – while between service lines lies forecourt (inner court) or alley (outer court).
Players should wait until a point has ended before moving off of a court during a game and making any moves, including soliciting spectators or coaches for line calls and score determination. Good sportsmanship and etiquette on courts is expected as any unsportsmanlike behavior won’t be accepted.
Handicaps
The handicap system in tennis aims to make the game fairer for players of different abilities by offering each one a number of points that they can add or subtract from their score, thus giving weaker opponents equal footing with stronger opponents without risking too much of their own game. It helps even out playing conditions between competitors, leading to an all-out exciting and engaging match between two rivals.
Handicaps may seem difficult for those unfamiliar with tennis to comprehend, yet there is an unsurmountable system underlying what may appear as incomprehensible jargon. Henry Cavendish Jones first advocated handicapping in tennis back in 1876 when umpiring the inaugural Wimbledon Championship. He introduced concepts of “owed odds” and “received odds”, still widely used today in tennis tournaments and championships.
A player’s handicap will change depending on their performance on the ladder, provided all required scores have been submitted. Under certain conditions, however, their handicap may remain frozen; this could be caused by unexpected events affecting their ability to play particular holes, or they failed to submit scores due to valid reasons.
An enforced freeze on a player’s handicap will prevent them from moving their index up or down for a specified time, except through ladder position changes through challenge matches. This helps combat players taking advantage of the system by intentionally underperforming to increase their index index score.
Equipment
Tennis is one of many sports where performance can be significantly impacted by equipment used, and racquets play an essential part. They should fit with players’ hand sizes and playing styles while withstanding repeated use without becoming worn down over time.
Tennis has evolved over time with technological developments. Its unique scoring system and fast-paced action have made it an increasingly popular spectator sport, too. Played across four surfaces such as grass, clay, hard courts and carpet – each of these has their own set of regulations before beginning play – tennis requires players to understand these regulations thoroughly in order to play correctly.
A tennis point starts with a serve, delivered from one player into the opposing service box by another player. When returning the serve, waiting until its initial bounce before taking another shot at it. A player who hits out of bounds or into the net loses one point.
The official tennis ball is yellow in colour and weighs 2 to 2-1/16 oz, consisting of two spherical half shells connected by compressed rubber that have an outer coating with consistent color and texture. Children aged 10 or under use colored balls that are softer and slower moving; these make an excellent starting point for novice players who don’t require much power for airborne play.