The rules of the game of tennis (part 1). Tennis rules (short)

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in modern world... Every day there are many tournaments with different prize pools: from 15 thousand dollars to 2.5 million in American currency. The first rackets of the world

are familiar to the whole world, they are the faces of corporations that produce sporting goods. Everyone knows Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and other famous tennis players. The first tennis competitions were held back in 1884, since then the game has evolved, and the rules of lawn tennis have been constantly changing. In this article, we will talk about them.

Two opponents or two teams of two take part in a tennis match. There are both men's and women's singles and doubles competitions. Championships among mixed teams are not uncommon.

The law of tennis states that the ball must be brought into play by a racket served by one of the players. The right to serve passes from one opponent to another in turn. When serving the ball, the player must hit special part court. And the receiver must not allow the ball to hit the surface on his side of the court more than once. Tennis players are given 20-25 seconds to enter the ball into the game.

Games are divided into points, games and sets. To win a game, according to the rules of tennis, a player must score 15-30-40 points and win another rally. If the score in the game becomes equal to 40-40, then the players continue to play until the difference in two won draws. That is, if one of the players won the serve, then he is assigned the letter "A" - Advantage, after that he needs to win one more time in the game.

In order to win the entire set, the player needs to score six points. In the case when the score becomes 5: 5, the players continue to play until the difference is two games. If the score is 6: 6, then a tie-break is set in which 7 innings are played. The number of sets may vary depending on the tournament and the gender of the participants. For example, as a rule, women play less than 3 sets, while for men this number can go up to five, and the match itself often lasts more than four hours. After three sets in men's confrontations and two sets in women's matches, a break of ten minutes is announced - this is how the rules of lawn tennis say.

If the player thinks that the ball has gone beyond the court line, and the referees missed this moment, he can ask for a “challenge”, in which it will be proved using the video replay “hawk's eye” whether the ball hit the court or not. In addition, in tennis there is a referee on the tower, it is he who is guided by the rules of tennis and makes the appropriate verdict. He is assisted by the line judges who also determine whether the ball has gone off or not.

The rules of tennis are written not only for players and referees. There are also so, for example, shouting and any interference with athletes is considered bad form on the part of the fans. And among tennis players, regular is also considered a manifestation of arrogance and disrespect, despite the fact that it is just sports game... Tennis in its history is replete with unforgivable emotional outbursts from the players.

The best way to understand and feel all the rules and subtleties of the game is to play tennis yourself. A tennis school is present in almost every city, which makes it easy to find a court and a partner of the appropriate level.

The rules and regulations for tennis are set by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Development of recommendations for making amendments and additions is carried out by the a special body- The Tennis Laws Committee.

Tennis court - dimensions and configuration

The Laws of the Game clearly state the dimensions of the tennis court:

• for a single game - 23.77 m (length) x 8.23 ​​m (width);
• for doubles - 23.77 m (length) x 10.97 m (width).

In the middle of the platform there is a transverse mesh 91.4 cm high, which is suspended on a metal cable (cord) fixed on supports at a height of 107 cm.

The back strips are the stripes with which the court is marked in width. And the stripes marking the site along the length are side.

Feed lines are drawn at a distance of 6.4 m from the net parallel to the back lines. In addition, the section between the feed lines is also divided into two parts. The strip separating them is drawn parallel to the side marks and is called middle line filing.

Parallel to the side marks, the middle mark runs inside the court, which divides the back lines into two equal zones.

The rules of the game also define a number of items that are permanent on the court. These are fences, spectator stands and other items. In addition, the “permanent court accessories” category includes the platform, line and net officials as well as spectators and ball assistants.

"Tools" for playing tennis

The main object used in the game is the ball. Its dimensions, texture and composition are approved by the ITF. Before the start of the tournament, the organizers of the tournament announce the number of balls involved in the game and the order of their change.

The main instrument of tennis players is the racket, which consists of a rim and strings. In turn, the rim is a handle and a head (sometimes it is completed with an additional element - a neck). The area of ​​tension on the strings of the racket is called the striking surface. To create it, only one set of strings is used, which are stretched in one plane. Tennis players have the right to choose a racket manufacturer or to make this sports equipment to an individual order. The main thing is that it complies with the established rules and does not contain built-in energy sources that can affect the course of the game.

Start the game

The right to choose the side of the court, as well as the first service, is given to the tennis player (pair) who wins the lot. It is with the serve that the rally begins. The server must stand behind the back of the field within the touchline and imaginary extension of the middle service mark.

The ball is thrown to an area diagonally opposite to the server's area.

The service may be replayed if the ball:

• hit the net;
• hit the line of the serving area;
• touched the mesh;
• until the moment the surface touches the ground, the touchdown of the recipient of the serve.

Also, re-serve is allowed if the server makes mistakes: changing the starting position, touching the back line of the court, missing when hitting the ball, and others.

Match scoring

During the period of the match, tennis players (pairs) are in the areas opposite to the grid. The object of the game is to "send" the ball into the opponent's zone so that he cannot throw it back. The match includes several sets, which, in turn, are divided into games. The game starts with a score of 0-0. The tennis player (pair) who wins the serve scores a point with a score of "15". If the service is lost, "15" is awarded to the opponent. The next point won is "30", another is "40". And the fourth point won leads to a game win.

However, if the opposing sides win by three points, the score is considered equal and is indicated as “even”. Further gaining a point gives the player (pair) an advantage. Getting the next point counts as winning the game. Getting a point by the opponent again leads to an equal score.

Accordingly, winning a game is winning two points in a row after an equal score.

A party or a set consists of games. The winning set is considered to be a tennis player (pair) who wins six games in a row. However, when the score is 6-5, another game is played. In this case, the game is considered over when the score is 7-5. When the score is 6-6, the players (pairs) meet in a tie-break.

A tie-break is, one might say, an additional game in which the score is conducted according to the system of "zero points", "one point", "two points" and so on. The winner of the game and the set is the player (pair) who scored seven points first (the difference between the opponents is two points). The last set is played without a tie-break.

The match can consist of three or five sets. Accordingly, the winner in a three-set match is a tennis player (pair) who wins in two sets, and in a five-set match - in three.

Subtleties

When serving, the ball is bounced after a rebound, and during the game - until it touches the surface of the court. The rally is lost by the receiver if the ball hits the court twice. During the game, the positions of the tennis players alternate. The first serve is from the first position, then the player serves from the second, then again from the first position, and so on. The ball is considered to be hit when it is hit with any part of the racket (but not with the hand).

The opposing side scores points if the tennis player:

• failed to serve in two attempts;
• hit the ball after serving until it lands;
• kicks the ball to the side;
• touches the ball with the racket twice;
• “Catches” the ball with the racket and only then throws it over;
• hits the ball, throwing the racket into the air;
• touches the ball before landing when receiving the service;
• touches the net or the opponent's territory;
• hits the ball until it crosses the net.

Rules
Tennis is played between two players or two pairs of players. The object of the game is to toss the ball to the opponent's half so that he cannot return it.

Innings
Each point is played with a service. The right to serve is constantly transferred from one player to another during the game. A player, standing behind the back line at the line dividing the court in half, must throw the ball into the diagonally opposite half-serving area of ​​the opponent. The first serve is always to the right of the center line. After each point, the server moves to the other side of the center line.

If the ball hits the service area line or into the net, then the player is entitled to a second service. If this happens repeatedly, the point is awarded to the opponent. It is also considered a violation for the server to step over the back line. If the ball touches the net, but flies to the opponent's side, then the service is replayed.

Game
Each game starts 0-0. If the server wins the serve, the score becomes 15-0, if the server loses 0-15. The next serve results in a score of 30, then 40, the next draw results in a game win if the opponent has a score of 30 or less. If both players have 40 each, winning the next serve gives an advantage. The player with the advantage and winning the next serve wins the game.

Set
The player who wins 6 games is considered to have won the set. If the score in the set is 6-5, then another game is played. If the score goes 7-5, the set ends. If the score is 6-6, then a tie-break is played.

Match
The match can be 3-set or 5-set. In 3-set, the player who wins 2 sets wins, in 5-set - 3 sets.

Tie break
The serving player makes the first serve, then the opponent makes two serves, then the change goes after two serves. The first player to score 7 points with a difference of 2 points wins the tie-break. A tie-break lasts as long as necessary until a difference of two points is reached. The change of sites occurs after every 6 points.
The last set in the game is played without a tie-break.

Other rules
- the line is considered a field;
- except for the serve, the ball that touches the net and falls on the side of the opponent is counted;
- the service must be hit only after the ball has bounced, while during the game the ball can be hit even before it touches the surface of the court;
- a point is not scored if the ball touches the body, is beaten off before it crosses the net line, or if a player touches the net or the post of the net with a racket, hand or other part of the body.

Competition format
For individual competitions, the best 16 players are seeded, which are evenly distributed among the participants so that the players of the same country and the seeded players, if they meet with each other, then as late as possible.

Tennis. How long can pauses in tournaments last?

Somehow one of the high-ranking sports officials in a private conversation gave a speech, the meaning of which boiled down to what kind of sport - tennis? They don't hit hard, don't lift weights, don't run fast, etc. What is the sportiness of this type? But is it true that determines the pace of the game, regulates the alternation of play and rest?

It turns out to be one of compulsory subjects in the umpire's arsenal is a stopwatch. Each rally of a point for him ends with the inclusion of time counting, the intervals of which are strictly regulated.

Game pauses

Before the start of the match, both players must be entitled to a warm-up, the duration of which must not exceed 5 minutes, unless otherwise specified by the Chief Referee. For example, if players have been unable to train due to rain or lack of training courts, the Referee may increase the warm-up time to 10 minutes. The warm-up is an obligatory part of the game and cannot be canceled under any circumstances (players are late, one of the players uses a toilet or medical break, etc.). a reasonable amount of time must prepare for the game.

The rule that determines the further pace of the game says that the player receiving the service must be ready to receive when the server is ready to serve. That is, the receiver must always play at the pace of the server. The time interval between the release of the previous ball from the game and the introduction of the next one into the game should not exceed 20 seconds (in ATP - 25 seconds). After every odd game in the set, except for every first game, when switching sides, this interval should not be more than 90 seconds (the "Time" announcement sounds after 60 seconds). After each set, players are entitled to a break, called a set break, of no more than 120 seconds (announcement "Time" after 90 seconds). All of the above times are the maximum pauses allowed, and if the server is ready to serve early, the receiver must be ready to continue playing. Of course, this does not mean that after the ace the server can immediately serve the next serve, but he has the right to use the regulated intervals to the maximum, while the receiver has a little less preparation time and largely depends on the server's desire and ability. If the match is played without the boys serving the balls, the umpire may add 5-7 seconds to the regular time. Violation of time, unpreparedness to continue the game at the indicated intervals, is punished with a warning in the first case and loss of a point in each subsequent case. The temporary penalty does not entail a monetary penalty, so the player can to some extent regulate the pace of the game by giving up a point for the right to rest. This is extremely rare, but it may well be useful at crucial moments of the game.

Technical breaks

In addition to the usual inter-game pauses, other stops may occur in the match. The most common are toilet and medical breaks.

In men's professional tennis, a player may use one toilet break in a three-set match and two breaks in a five-set match. The break time is not regulated, but is determined as appropriate. In women's and junior tennis, the number of breaks is the same - 2. Each break should not exceed 5 minutes, if taken on a set break, then the set break time is added to the toilet break time, and the total break is increased to 7 minutes. Likewise, the break time taken on the side switching increases, with the exception of the transition after the first game and in the tie-break.

In adult tennis, a toilet break may only be taken at the set break, except in extraordinary situations. In women's and junior tennis, the set break break is also preferred, however it is possible to use the break at any other time, at the discretion of the umpire and referee. One of the toilet breaks in women's matches can be used to change clothes. Such a break can only be taken at the set break, and must not exceed 7 minutes, including the set break time. By special decision of the Referee, breaks may be extended if the respective premises are far from the courts, which must be announced before the start of the tournament. Violation of the toilet break time for women and juniors will result in a warning after the first 20 seconds of delay and a point loss after every additional 20 seconds.

If a player has a need to take an over-limit break, he can do it during the usual inter-game pauses. The duration of such a break should not exceed the duration of the corresponding regulatory interval. In this case, the player must inform the umpire on the platform. Late for the start of the next rally will incur appropriate penalties.

The umpire must inform the other player about the toilet break, there are no announcements to the spectators in this case.

Medical timeout

During the match, the player has the right to ask for and receive the help of the tournament doctor at any time, regardless of the score. The break required to provide medical care is called a medical timeout. A player may receive one time-out for each injury. The duration of the medical time-out is the same for everyone and cannot exceed 3 minutes. The countdown begins from the moment the nature of the damage or injury and the ways of rendering help are determined. Having prepared the necessary tools, the doctor informs the judge on the tower about his readiness, after which the stopwatch starts. In women's tennis, the procedure for determining an injury is also 3 minutes. As with the toilet break time, in the case of a medical timeout, set break and transition times are added. In the case of off-court assistance, the time is counted by the Chief Referee of the tournament, from the moment the injury is determined, at the place where the assistance is provided. After a medical time-out, a player may receive help needed on two subsequent transitions, in this case the time for rendering assistance does not exceed the transition time. When providing assistance during the match, injections are strictly prohibited.

The procedure for assigning a timeout is as follows:

Player: asked for help from the doctor;
The umpire asks to call a doctor from any of the court staff or free referees and announces: "The doctor has been called to the court";
After the doctor arrives, (if the match is for women, includes a stopwatch) announces: "The doctor examines the player";
After the doctor has announced his readiness, announces: "Player N has now received a medical time-out."
There are also announcements: "2 minutes left (1 min., 30 sec.)" And "Time".
After that, the player must continue the match within 30 seconds. If this does not happen, then the violator is penalized on the following scale:

a) warning;
b) after 20 seconds (in the ATP - 25) point loss;
c) every next 20 seconds (in ATP 25) loss of game until the Chief Referee decides to remove the player from the match.

Why did we dwell in such detail on things that at first glance are not directly related to the game?

The thing is that skillfully using the allowed breaks, the player can influence the rhythm of the game, knock down an opponent who has caught the courage, or give himself extra time to rest and recuperate. As practice shows, in professional tennis, a break taken on time often radically changes the course of a match. Many will say that there is a certain unsportsmanlike element in this, but the rules of fair play imply play by the rules, that is, the use of all admissible resources to achieve victory, not only physical and technical, but also legal.

Forced breaks

These breaks include pauses caused by external factors (rain, darkness, possible technical problems, etc.). Naturally, the duration of these intervals cannot be determined, however, the procedure for further continuation of the match depends on it. So, if the duration of the forced break was less than 15 minutes, the game resumes without warm-up, if 15-30 minutes - warm-up up to 3 minutes, if more than 30 minutes the game resumes with the usual 5-minute warm-up.

Breaks between matches

If a player is to play more than one match in one day, the minimum time interval between games is determined as follows:

If the first match lasted up to an hour - a break of at least 30 minutes;
From an hour to an hour and a half - a break of at least 1 hour;
More than an hour and a half - a break of at least 1.5 hours. The break between singles and doubles should not be less than 30 minutes.

Break between the previous and the previous matches. next day cannot be less than 12 hours.

The latter provision is very important, as it protects the interests of the players. Often, due to time constraints, tennis players have to finish their games very late, especially in winter, and the next day's schedule obliges them to play in the morning. In this case, the schedule can and should be revised, otherwise, great harm to the player's health can be caused.

P.S. We hope that all of the above will be of great help to novice players who often complain about not the best schedule for them or a biased attitude. Knowing these provisions, you can defend your innocence and protect your interests in any tournament, as well as use them in tactical schemes of the most difficult matches.

It has become one of the most popular and beloved sports with millions of fans around the world. The spectacle of the tournaments gathers fans in the stands and in front of the TV screens, many of whom are not averse to learning how to play tennis. This kind the sport is considered aristocratic, since earlier only rich people were able to play it. Fortunately, now there are no such restrictions, and anyone can learn such a game, the main thing is to know the rules. Below we will try to talk about the main the rules of the game of tennis.

Rule one. Serve in tennis.

The game begins with a serve, that is, putting the ball into play. The service is considered to have taken place if the ball, having flown over the net, ends up in the opponent's territory. It begins with the fact that the player throws the ball into the air with his hand, and then, hitting the racket on it, completes the serve. For those who play with one hand, it is allowed to toss the ball up with the racket. The rules are allowed to serve not only from above, but also from below.

When serving in tennis, according to the rules of the game, it is prohibited:
1. Walk or run, thereby changing your location
2. Jump, that is, tear off both legs at once from the surface
3. Step out of bounds
4. Skid the foot over the back line, and even more so to step over it
Always serve diagonally. As shown in the diagram, from the first position the ball should fly into the first serve field, and from the second, respectively, into the second.

Care must be taken not to go beyond the middle mark and the side line, but what is especially important, not to step on the line of their conditional continuation beyond the rear border. When playing in pairs, the serving position is increased by 1.37m wide as external sides fenced from the sides by the lines of the pair area. And yet, during the service in doubles competition, the player who does not serve can be at any point in his court.

According to the rules of tennis, the ball is considered to be served even if it touches any of the boundary lines of the service court, but the service is not counted if:
1. The ball is not served correctly.
2. The ball is served from the wrong position.
3. The tossed ball falls
4. The server missed the ball
5. If the ball touches the net post before falling to the opponent's side
6. If the ball hits the net or goes out of line
7. If the ball hits a team-mate (doubles)

If the serve is made incorrectly, then the point is not played. After the first failure, the player is given the opportunity to re-serve, but if a second misfire occurs, the point is awarded to the opponent.

It is important not to start serving until the opponent is ready to parry the blow, because such a serve will not count and you will have to replay. The receiver of the service must indicate that he is not ready to accept the ball with a shout or a show of his hand. If the player informed about the unavailability in time, and the service was still made, then it is not taken into account and requires a replay from the corresponding ball.
A player's unwillingness to receive the ball when re-serving is taken into account in rare cases, such as being out of position while trying to parry the first hit, or other unforeseen circumstance. Such circumstances include the presence of unauthorized persons on the court or the ball from the first serve that was not removed, the referee's mistake, and others.

The fact that prevented the ball from being sent to the opponent is regarded as a failed serve and requires a replay, and regardless of whether it was the first attempt or the second, the service count starts anew.

Also, the service is considered invalid if the server catches the tossed ball instead of hitting it with the racket, or if the ball, correctly served, hits the net or its regulator before falling onto the opponent's field.
The service will have to be replayed if the serving player, while the ball has not yet flown over the net, assumes a position that is contrary to the rules for service, namely, jumps or crosses the field line for service.

The second rule. Change of position when serving in tennis

In any game, the first serve always starts from the first position, and then until the end of the meeting the players alternate their positions, that is, if the tennis player first served from the first position, then he will send the ball to the opponent from the second, then again from the first, and so on.

If, in a doubles or singles game, they served in an improper way, that is, not diagonally, then the points that have already been played in the process are not canceled, but simply restored, but after the completion of the current service.

At the end of the current game, the opponent serves first in the next. Players must alternate service throughout the meeting.

If the service order is violated in singles or doubles, then the points that have already been played in the process are not canceled, but simply restored to the correct service order. Thus, a mistake noticed after the end of the game does not affect the result, and the already changed service queue remains the same until the end of the meeting.

In doubles play, there are several rules for serving order:
1. First, the players decide among themselves which of them will serve first.
2. Priority is established before the start of each batch.
3. The order does not change during the whole meeting.

If, in a doubles game, one of the athletes is in the wrong turn, then the points that have already been played in the process are not canceled, but simply restored to the proper order of priority, but after the end of the current service.

An important rule in tennis regarding the location of players in doubles competition: each of the two players chooses one (first or second) field for service, which he cannot change throughout the meeting. At the same time, both before the start of the meeting itself, and for a separate game, the location of the players for serving is established for each pair - one occupies the first field, and the other the second. If during the game the players switch service fields, then the points that have already been played in the process are not canceled, however, after the end of the current game, the players' alignment must be restored in accordance with the declared order at the beginning of the game. They do the same if they noticed an error after the current game.

To determine the side of the field for the competition, lots are tossed before it starts. In this case, the order is as follows: whoever wins the lot chooses a side, while his opponent chooses who will serve. Thus, the player who wins the toss has the right to oblige the opponent to choose a service or side, but only one thing.

Rule three. Playing a point in tennis

As soon as the serve is correct, the point is played. It continues by throwing the tennis ball over the net by the opponents until one side wins. The rules for drawing a point state that during the game, you must be guided by these rules for any actions that are prohibited during this drawing. Namely, if during the rally it is noticed that the net is at the wrong height, then the game is stopped, and the point is played again, and only from the first serve. Regarding an incorrect net height noticed after a point has been played, the score will not be canceled and the net height will be immediately adjusted to the required one.

The ball is counted as reflected only when the player hits it with the racket or any part of the racket, but not with his hand. In this case, it is allowed to throw the racket from one hand to the other, or to hit the ball with a racket, which is clamped in both hands of the athlete.

The ball that has just been served must be deflected by the player between the first and second touchdown. As a result, all the balls can be reflected not only in the above-described way, but also from the summer.

The point is won by the participant, from whose kick the ball landed on the opponent's playing field or only touched the lines bounding the field. The ball hitting an object (other than the net post) outside the lines that limit the playing field is considered a loss. On different courts, a losing ball is determined by hitting various obstacles: into the ceiling and walls, if the court is closed, or into the referee's tower, into benches, chairs, and so on.

A ball that lands within the lines of the field is considered to be correctly reflected, despite the fact that it touched the net, a pole or flew on the side of the pole on the fly, no matter higher or lower. However, if the ball landed in the gap between the net and the post during the flight, then in any game - singles or doubles, it is considered as incorrect.

Players can deflect balls from the summer, that is, before it lands and bounces off the ground. Also, from the summer, you can parry blows from outside the playing field, because this is not a violation of the rules, which means that the point will not be suspended. An exception is the case of accepting the serve, which is described in detail above.

During doubles play, for any of the players of a particular pair, it is possible to reflect the blows of the ball, being on any part of the playing field, with the exception of moments when serving. In order to win a point in doubles play, one player from the pair must hit the ball. If both players touch the ball with their rackets, the point is awarded to the opponent. However, if one player hits the ball with his racket and the other accidentally touches his partner's racket with his racket, play continues.

A point is awarded to a side if the opponent:
1. Fails to serve correctly in two attempts.
2. Will bounce the ball from serve until it lands, no matter where the player is on his field.
3. Will deflect the ball, but not to the opponent, but to the side.
4. Hits the deflected ball twice with the racket, or first catches the ball on the racket and then throws it to the opponent.
5. Reflects the ball with a racket that is not in hand, but, for example, thrown into the air.
6. Is accidentally hit by the ball, deflects or touches the ball with the racket before it lands when receiving the service. When playing in pairs, this rule applies to two players, that is, a player who did not hit or receive the serve suddenly touches the ball, or the ball hits it, then this side will lose a point.
7. He touches anything other than the ball, to the net or its anchorage, as well as to the opponent's territory. In doubles play, a point is awarded to the side whose opponents, during the rally, touched the net and fences or parried a racket hit through the net on the opponent's side. It is unacceptable to jump over the net, even if it happened by inertia, and this applies not only to existing boundaries, but also to imaginary ones.
8. Hits the ball before it crosses the border of the net. This rule also applies when the opponent, parrying a blow, transfers his racket or other part of his body through the net to the opponent's side. Exceptions are cases when the opponent hooked on the net after he hit the ball with the racket and hit it accidentally, by inertia. Sometimes it is necessary to hit the net because the ball to be hit lands near the net due to strong spin or wind. Such a ball should be thrown to the other side only with the racket, because if the player touches the ball with anything else, he will lose ... He will also lose if he hits the ball into the net from the side of the opponent. The opponent will not lose if he reflects the ball according to the rules, and after hitting by inertia he touches his opponent through the net. Such a blow is protected by these rules.
9. Will deflect the ball, sent to him by all rules, after the second touchdown. In general, the ball, if it lands within the boundaries of the playing field, must be tapped by the player to whom the ball was intended, regardless of how the ball bounced off after landing. In the event that the ball did not bounce at all, but rolled, the point is considered played and cannot be replayed. In other words, you need to deflect any ball, of course, served according to all the rules, which is within the playing field. But at the same time, the point is not protected if the reflected ball is not the one that flew and bounced, but the one that could also bounce, because it was lying on the court.
10. Occasionally, the referee may interrupt and then resume play of a point in the event of an unforeseen obstacle in the way of the ball. The rally resumes with a service in the same field, and the rally begins without fail with the first service, despite the fact that it can already be used. Unforeseen, accidental obstacles during a point rally include the same unforeseen obstacles as when serving. All kinds of accidents that can happen to the player himself are not grounds for replaying the point. Such unpleasant incidents include falling, twisting a leg or cramps, getting a speck in the eye, as well as collisions between players during doubles play and any interference that occurs through the fault of a partner. For a point to be replayed, the referee must have a reason for this decision. The decision itself depends on the degree of interference and the significance of the point. If the athlete found it difficult to reflect the ball, but the obstacle was not significant and the point does not affect the result, then most likely the referee will decide not to replay. But if, on the contrary, and it is this point that can affect the outcome of the meeting, the obstacle was not significant, and it was not difficult to reflect the ball, then the point should be played again.

Rule four. Tennis score

Any game always starts the same way - with the serve of one of the players, who throws the ball up and sends it towards the opponent in accordance with the rules for service, which were discussed above. Thus, if the serve has taken place, the rally of the point begins and it continues by alternately throwing the ball by the opponents to each other until one of the sides allows the ball to fall in its own half of the field, that is, it cannot reflect the impact of the ball. As soon as the first point ends, the fight for the second point begins, and so on, until one side wins the game or game. In order to achieve victory in a game, the side needs to earn at least four points and get an advantage of two over your opponent.

When calculating the points of each game, you need to know some features:
1. For a victory in the competition for the first point, 15 points are awarded, with the subsequent victory by the same side again, it is awarded 15 more points, thus, the score becomes 30 in its favor. For the third point won, the player is assigned another 10 and the total score becomes 40 to 0. With this score, if you win the fourth point, you can earn a victory in the game.
2. For convenience, the score is fixed with the words "more", "less" and "exactly", therefore it is important to know the meaning of these words when calculating the results in tennis.
The word “even” means the same number of points starting from the fourth point, that is, the term “even” is not used when the opponents have won one point and they each have 15 points.

Word "more" applies after the fifth point has been played if the serving player wins a point after the score has been equal, that is, “even”, or has lost one point after a 40/15 score.

Word "less" also used after the fifth point if the server loses a point after the score is equal, ie “even”, or wins one point after the score is 15/40.

The following options for scoring are possible: 15/0, 0/15, 30/0, 0/30, 40/0, ​​0/40, 15/15 - fifteen each, but not "exactly", 30/15, 15/30 , 40/15, 15/40, over, under, even, and play. In this case, the points are counted from the server's points.

When one game ends, the next one begins, and after it it also continues this way until either side wins the set or party. A game or set is declared won when a side wins six games and gains at least two games over the other. That is, in order to win a game, you need to beat your opponent in at least six games. Games are usually counted in an order that starts with a higher score, such as five-three, six-five, eight-seven, and so on.

When the opponents have five games each, then the next game won gives one of the sides only a one-digit advantage with a score of 6/5, and if the side wins again, then it wins the set with a score of 7/5. And when the score is 6/5, the side that loses can level the score if the game wins, then the score becomes "six" (6/6), and the game continues until one of the sides has an advantage of two points.

If we are not talking about the final of a major championship, then the rules of the competition allow to award the victory to the side with a margin of one game 7/6. In this case, when the score is "by six", the final 13th game is played. Usually, such a decisive game is played on special system counting "tie-break", which implies the following single player rules:
1. One point is awarded for the won ball. The player who scores seven points first wins the game, but only if his opponent is two points behind him. Otherwise, the game will continue until the moment when any of the opponents gets a two-point advantage.
2. The first point begins with the service of the player who must serve in turns, and his opponent must serve in the next two games to play the second and third point. Then, each of the players serves in turn during the playing of the next two points until the moment when the winning side of the decisive game is determined, and, accordingly, the set.
3. If an error is detected in the order of serving, proceed as follows:
a) If a wrong order is noticed after the first point has been played, it will be scored and the correct service order will be restored immediately;
b) If you notice the wrong order of innings after the second point has been played, then the order is left unchanged.
4. To play odd points, you must serve from the first zone, and for the drawing of even points from the second.
5. If the service is detected from a zone other than the one from which the service is to be made, all points played up to this point are counted, and the service order is restored without delay. After playing every six points and until the end of the game, the opponents must alternately switch sides of the court.
When the first set ends, the next begins, and so on until the side wins the meeting or match. In order to win the match, the side must win in two or three sets, but how many victories in sets are needed, it depends on the conditions of the competition.

Matches usually consist of three or five games. If the meeting is determined by the drawing of three games, then a victory in two sets will be enough to win the match, but if there is a match of five games, then it is necessary to win three sets. It should be noted that when meeting in a match of three games with a score of 2/0, it makes no sense to play the third set, since to win the side it is enough to win two sets in a row. The same is done when a five-game match is played: if the side wins three sets in a row, then the game is stopped, and the player is awarded a victory with a score of 3/0.

The fifth rule. Drawing of meetings in tennis competitions

In each game, after the end of the first game, the sides must necessarily change places by playground... This rule must be observed in order to level the chances of the opponents, because the outcome of the match can be influenced by such external factors like the intensity of illumination, the strength of the wind and some others. Throughout the match, the players change places after the first, third, and then each of the subsequent odd games, as well as after the end of the whole game with an odd number of games. Although, this rule must be fulfilled regardless of the even or odd number of games in the previous set.

In both singles and doubles, the service requirements are the same: it must be served from the required side of the court. However, if, through an oversight, an error occurs and the opponents change sides of the playing field in the wrong order, then the score cannot be revised, the points are not canceled, and the order remains unchanged until the next change of opponents after an odd number of games in the given game.

A point does not start without the permission of the umpire. A player may not start serving until the referee decides who will serve, as well as before the score is announced after a point has been played.

It is forbidden for a player to start the second service before the referee fixes the error that occurred during the first service. In addition, the server is obliged to monitor whether the receiver is ready, because, despite the referee's command, the player who accepts has the right to declare that he is not ready. The umpire is obliged to carefully monitor the receiving player's readiness and to ensure that he does not waste time, as well as for the serving player, so that he is not unduly rushing to serve. In the event of repeated cautionary remarks by any of the players, the referee has sufficient authority to terminate the match.

The ball is in play while it is deflected by the opponents in the manner prescribed by these rules. As soon as the referee noticed an error, he is obliged to fix it with a shout or score.

The referee can fix the end of the rally of a point by score in cases for which a decision in the form of a referee's exclamation is not provided. Such cases include hitting the ball into the net, the player's lack of action to reflect the ball, and others. This rule about the end time of the rally of a point should be referred to for all possible actions that are prohibited during such a rally. Prohibited actions are discussed in detail in the points section.

The men's competition, consisting of three parties, is held without interruption. A ten-minute break is allowed at the request of one of the players, and in men's tournaments, which consist of five games, a break is possible only after the third set, but in all women's tournaments it is allowed to take a break after the second game.

By the way, the rules for holding youth tournaments are no different from the rules for competitions for adults. This applies not only to breaks, but also to the number of games and the calculation of results. In addition to the breaks established by the rules for meeting the breaks after the second or third game, there are exceptions - short breaks caused by accidental force majeure circumstances. These include: malfunction of sports equipment or netting equipment, malfunction of participants' clothes and shoes, or injury to a player during a game. Usually, such breaks do not prolong, they promptly remove the interference and continue the tournament.

In the event that a player does not have the opportunity to replace the equipment that has become unusable or he is injured and cannot continue the fight, then the victory is awarded to his opponent.

To be late or not to show up for a tournament means a player will be automatically defeated.

The referee who runs the competition has the right to suspend and postpone the tournament due to poor conditions, for example, poor lighting, poor conditions of the grounds or bad weather. When the game is resumed, the score starts from the moment at which it stopped, and the players are located on the court in the same way as in the interrupted meeting. Exceptions are cases of mutual agreement between players who, with the permission of the referee, have agreed that they will replay the game again.

It is the responsibility of the referee to determine and announce the timing of the daily end of the games in connection with the onset of the evening. Meetings, which did not have time to end before dark, may be interrupted or continued by the decision of the leading judge, but for no more than 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have elapsed, the game can still be resumed, this requires the consent of all participants and the approval of the referee. There is a time limit for meetings planned for late afternoon. For example, a three-game match cannot start later than 45 minutes before the daily end of the games, and a five-set match cannot start later than 1 hour and 15 minutes.

In order to take part in any kind of competition, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the rules of the game. The basic rules of tennis competitions were formed at the stage of its formation, and at the moment they represent an improved form of the initial rules.

Regulation of the rules of tennis

For the unity of the rules of professional tennis for everyone, they are regulated only by International Federation tennis (ITF). The same organization is the governing body, uniting about 205 organizations from different countries... It is the ITF that can change the rules of the game in professional tennis that exist now, as well as develop new ones.

The main rules of tennis

The rules of the game in this type of sports are reduced to the regulation of the conditions for the victory of an athlete in a match - a meeting of rivals. Each match includes three or five sets, and in order to win, it is enough to win in two or three sets relative to their total number in the match.

Counting in sets

There is a scheme of playing in sets with a tie-break (the most common), or without it. If the set is held with a tie-break, the winner is the one who first won 6 games, while the gap between the opponents must be more than 2 games. In the case of a game without a tie-break, the score is also kept up to 6 games, and then up to the moment when there is a gap of 2 games.

The rules of playing professional tennis during Grand Slam tournaments imply the game of 4 sets with a tie-break, and the 5th set will continue until the opponents have a gap of 2 games.

Game score

In each game, at least 4 balls are played, and each won serve has the following score: 1 point - 15, 2 points - 30, 3 points - 40, 4 points will ensure that the athlete wins the game, provided that his opponent has no more than 30. Thus, in order to win a game, it is necessary to be at least 2 points ahead of the opponent.

Tie-break score

A tie-break involves a game of up to 7 points, and the points themselves are considered single numbers. However, the gap rule applies here as well - the game will continue until one of the opponents is 2 points ahead of the other.

Serves in a tie-break by the one of the opponents whose turn to serve has come. The next two points will be served by his opponent, then the service will alternately pass to each player until the tie-break is completed. In the next set after the tie-break, the right to serve passes to the player who was the first to receive the service in the tie-break.