General Tennis Etiquette

Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Jason “The Ice Borg” Bridger

Senior Marketing Manager


As we round the midway point of our inaugural Tennis Season and reflect on the feedback we have received, we are thrilled with the way the first half has played out and the amount of fun teams are having at the courts! We also figured that now was a good time for a quick mid-season review of some unwritten Tennis etiquette that can make each match even more enjoyable for players of any skill level.

In addition to Tennis’ official regulations, here is a breakdown of the general courtesies you should try your best to be aware of while playing in the Tennis Leagues:

  • Ball Management: Players should always keep additional tennis balls in their hand or pocket during a match. Even the most patient tennis players tend to get a little frustrated while waiting for their opponent to find a ball to serve. If it’s your first serve, please ensure you have at least two balls on you so there isn’t a delay between your first and second serve. I’ve personally found that wearing a pair of shorts that has pockets is particularly handy.

    Additionally, by having multiple balls on hand while serving, teams can avoid chasing balls each rally. If a ball rolls to the back fence or goes out of play, the serving player can move on to the next ball and wait for the conclusion of the game to retrieve all errant balls. If you don’t need to fetch a ball, don’t. It’s more important to keep the pace and flow of the game going. 

    Finally, if you need to retrieve a ball from an adjacent court, or for safety reasons, please do so, however, make sure that the teams playing are finished their rally before going on to their court (or behind there court) to retrieve ball(s). 

  • Keeping Score: The server should always announce the set score before the start of each game and the game score before each point. State the score loudly and in a clear voice to avoid any confusion or awkwardness. Additionally, announcing the score lets the receiver know that you are ready to begin the next point. 

    Speaking of scores and Tennis lingo, anytime teams are tied 40-40, it’s called ‘Deuce.’ If the serving team gets the next point, the correct term would be “Ad-In”, because the serving team has advantage and only needs one more point to end that game. If the score was ‘Deuce’ and the receiving team won the next point, it would be called “Ad-Out”, meaning the receiving team has the advantage.

  • Making the Call: The receiving team should always make the in/out call, and must do so loud and clear. The receiving player closest to the ball has the best angle to judge whether it landed in or out, so rely on your teammate’s judgment. If a receiving player returns the ball without making a loud, clear call, the other team might be wondering if the ball was in or out. If you are truly unsure off an in/out on a play, the point can be re-served.