Ins and Outs

For many beginners (and even some experienced players), learning the unwritten rules of tennis is sometimes harder than learning to hit the tennis ball. In particular, players are often unsure or outright mistaken about whose responsibility it is to make line calls during a friendly match. With that in mind, read on to learn the "ins" and "outs" (pun very much intended) of line call etiquette.

In singles tennis, the question of who calls the ball "out" or "in" is straightforward: the line call is always made by the player on the side where the ball lands. If the player is unsure, he can ask for help. And the player who hit the ball can always ask her opponent whether she's sure of the call she made. But in the end, the final call belongs to the person who's on the side where the ball landed.

And remember--there's a saying in tennis that "a ball 99% out is 100% good." That means that unless you are absolutely, totally, completely sure that your opponent's shot was out, or if there is even the tiniest, slightest doubt in your mind that the ball was out, you must give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent and call his shot "in." That's considered good sportsmanship and tennis courtesy.

Doubles Troubles

Doubles tennis can be confusing, especially for inexperienced players. When a ball lands close to a line on your side of the court, who should make the call--you, or your partner?

In general, the player with the best view of whether the ball was out or in should make the call.  Note that this is not necessarily the closest player to where the ball lands (a good example of this is when one player is focused on trying to hit a ball that is short-bouncing at her feet right at the baseline, while her partner has a much better view from his position at the net).  If you and your teammate disagree whether your opponent's ball was out or in, then it should be considered "in", giving your opponents the benefit of the doubt.

When returning serve, the custom is for the player returning serve to judge balls that land near the sideline and the centre service line (the line running "vertically" from the net back toward your own baseline).  The non-returning partner should be closely watching the serve as well, and should judge balls that land near the service line (the line running horizontally across the court). These assignments ensure that the players make calls while looking "down a line" rather than "across a line", which would be harder to see.

Remember that the primary goal is to make the correct call; but in all cases, the benefit of the doubt should always go to your opponent.

Learn The Code

Tennis is a fun game, but it can be less fun if only half the people on the court know and follow the timeworn rules and customs of the sport. To read more about the customs and unspoken rules of tennis (and also the official rules of tennis), see Rules & The Code.