2. Table of Contents
Sportsmanship
Making Calls
Calls on Own Side of the Court
Out Calls
Lines are In!
Getting an Official
On Court Misconduct
3. Sportsmanship
Junior high tennis often has no officials
Respect and sportsmanship from all participants makes for
a more enjoyable experience for all
4. Sportsmanship
Benefit of the Doubt – basic rule #1
in tennis is that your opponent
should always get the benefit of
the doubt. When unsure of your
own calls, rule in favor of your
opponent.
Ex. – a ball lands near the baseline,
but you aren’t sure if it was on the
line or out. Based on this concept,
you hit the ball and continue the
point instead of calling it out.
Good Faith Points – players are in
agreement prior to the point and
participate in the point
Points played in good faith count
Don’t stop a point to argue over
the score – corrections should be
made after the point
Points should NOT be replayed
5. Shaking hands after the match
indicates agreement that the
match is over
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
6. Making Calls – Service Faults
Service Fault Occurs
When:
ball doesn’t go over the net
into diagonally opposite
service box
Server swings and misses
Server foot faults – steps
over baseline, center mark,
or sideline prior to hitting
the ball
Returner (and partner) may call faults
Partners should make calls when they have a
better viewpoint
Returners can only call foot faults after
warning the server and attempting to get an
official
If unsure of a call, play the point as if the
serve was good
Server (and partner) can call faults if:
1st serve is clearly out and the return is
missed
2nd serve is clearly out (concedes point)
Returned 1st serves should be played
7. Let Calls
Any player may call a let if a serve hits the net and lands in the correct
service box
Other lets – like a ball from another court rolling on the court – should be
called promptly, the point stopped and replayed
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Let! Let!
8. Calls on Own Side of the Court
Players make the calls on their own
side of the court, including:
Out calls
Player’s own violations
Ball bouncing twice
Deliberate double hitting
Player touching the net
Ball touching the player – including
catching a ball that would have
been out
Calls should be made promptly and
clearly
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
The ball hit
me, your
point!
9. Calls on Own Side of the Court - Doubles
Either partner can make a call in
doubles
Player with best view should be
the deciding call
If partners disagree on a call,
benefit should go to the opponent
In the picture:
Player by the ball should have
made the call, due to the better
angle
Partners disagreed, point should go
to the opponentsThis Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Out!
In!
10. Out Calls
Players make out calls on their side
of the net (opponent’s shots)
Make calls loud and clear, visually
and verbally
Only balls clearly seen out should
be called out
If you’re unsure, play the ball as if
it was in
If you call a ball out, then realize
it was in, give the point to your
opponent
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Out!
This ball should be
called out because the
player is not facing the
baseline and doesn’t
clearly see it land out.
11. Lines Are In!
Balls landing on the line are
considered in play
If you can’t clearly see space
between the ball and line, play it
Picture – the ball lands mostly out,
but is touching the line so it is in
play
12. Getting an Official
Remember, sportsmanship and respect are expected, but you may find the
need to get an impartial official.
These are often coaches and tournament directors in junior high
Appropriate times to get an official:
A PATTERN of bad calls
Flagrant, repeated foot faults
Stalling
Needing medical attention
A scoring dispute (after attempting to resolve it on court)
Conflicts are reduced when you follow the #1 rule of giving your opponent the
benefit of the doubt
13. Misconduct and Point Penalties
Certain actions can result in
penalties on court
Misconduct includes:
Profanity or obscenity
Abuse of racket, balls, or
equipment
Verbal or physical abuse of a player
Retaliatory calls (bad calls because
an opponent makes a bad call)
Failure to follow instructions of an
official
Other unsportsmanlike conduct
Offense Penalty
First Offense Loss of a point
Second Offense Loss of a game
Third Offense Default of the
match
Some severe offenses may result in
immediate default of a match
14. Resources
Rules presented above are from the Friend at Court Rules and Regulations
publication from the USTA, which include official ITF rules and the Code.
Friend at Court 2020. (2020). Retrieved from
https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/officiating/2020 Friend at
Court.pdf