Top 5 Tennis Rules You'd Change

jc4.0

Professional
I have some ideas to improve the Tennis Code. I'd like to re-write some of the rules, for example:

  1. All serve lets count - play the ball even if it hits top of the net, as long as it goes in.
  2. If you don't have a clear view of where the ball hit near the line (like, you're completely across the court from it), you can't make an "out" call.
  3. If you're rated higher than 3.5, no more than ten lobs per team, per set. Lob #11, you lose a point.
  4. If the server doesn't call out the score before serving, the opposing team gets to decide what the score is (their choice).
  5. Anyone who "celebrates" an opponent's stupid mis-hit shot that results in an unforced error has to run five laps around the court.
Anybody have a rule you'd like to change? :twisted:
 

jc4.0

Professional
Those new "rules" seem to come out of frustration... ... ..

Well sometimes it's a frustrating game! And that's why we need these message boards, to off-vent a little of that. Actually these rules are just my twisted (and completely non-serious) way of having a little fun. You guys obviously don't appreciate my weird sense of humor. Lighten up!! :)
 

dizzlmcwizzl

Hall of Fame
I would like to have the courts that finish become linesmen for the matches still playing.

That way when four courts are finished you could have the other twelve or fourteen players calling lines .... this would make for really big brawls when the hooking begins.
 

BullDogTennis

Hall of Fame
I have some ideas to improve the Tennis Code. I'd like to re-write some of the rules, for example:

  1. All serve lets count - play the ball even if it hits top of the net, as long as it goes in.
  2. If you don't have a clear view of where the ball hit near the line (like, you're completely across the court from it), you can't make an "out" call.
  3. If you're rated higher than 3.5, no more than ten lobs per team, per set. Lob #11, you lose a point.
  4. If the server doesn't call out the score before serving, the opposing team gets to decide what the score is (their choice).
  5. Anyone who "celebrates" an opponent's stupid mis-hit shot that results in an unforced error has to run five laps around the court.
Anybody have a rule you'd like to change? :twisted:

1. the first one i can see. i mean, thats where D1 tennis is.

2. even if your across the court, its usually pretty easy to tell if its in or out...

3. so, you play a serve and volly'er you arn't aloud to lob them after 10 times? idiot rule.

4. keep up with the score in your head. its not that hard to remember up 4 points a piece...i mean really?

5. so its a big point and you're opponent tries to hit a winner and misses you can't celebrate it?
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
1. If a player is going to hit an underhand serve, he must tell his opponent beforehand.

2. A player is allowed to toss the ball once and catch it. A second consecutive toss/catch and it is a fault.

3. A player may only call a footfault after warning the server and seeking an official. After that, flagrant footfaults are lets and it is the receiver's call to make.

4. Players may play the ball by reaching over the net, so long as they don't touch the net.

5. The server shall announce the score audibly before each point. If the server fails to announce the score and there is a scoring dispute in that service game that the players cannot resolve, the players shall play to the score the receiver believes is correct.
 

pennc94

Professional
1. If a player is going to hit an underhand serve, he must tell his opponent beforehand.

2. A player is allowed to toss the ball once and catch it. A second consecutive toss/catch and it is a fault.

3. A player may only call a footfault after warning the server and seeking an official. After that, flagrant footfaults are lets and it is the receiver's call to make.

4. Players may play the ball by reaching over the net, so long as they don't touch the net.

5. The server shall announce the score audibly before each point. If the server fails to announce the score and there is a scoring dispute in that service game that the players cannot resolve, the players shall play to the score the receiver believes is correct.

I like your #4, but I do not see it affecting too many points. Still, I like it.
Do you play people who attempt an underhand serve? I would walk off the court.
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I have had a teammate underhand serve in practice. And as you know from reading this board, there are folks here who advocate it.

Regarding the Repetitive Tossers, I happen to be one of them because I'm working through a case of the toss yips. Even I don't think I should be allowed to toss the ball 4-5 times before I hit it, but I have done it.
 

Steady Eddy

Legend
I like your #4, but I do not see it affecting too many points. Still, I like it.
Do you play people who attempt an underhand serve? I would walk off the court.
Really? It's that bad? People swear, throw racquets, cheat, and don't keep track of the score, and then want to argue about it!, but that's ok, but you'd walk off after an underhand serve, (which is legal BTW). What gives? :confused:
 
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spaceman_spiff

Hall of Fame
"players may play the ball by reaching over the net" . . . isn't that already the rule?

At the moment, you can only reach over if the ball has already bounced on your side and is moving back over the net toward your opponent's side.

Cindy and the others want to be able to play a volley while reaching over, which I don't have a problem with.

I think the current rule prohibiting that is actually a product of other net sports like badminton and volleyball. In those sports, it makes a bit more sense because of the advantage it gives. But in tennis, it's a bit unnecessary.
 

jc4.0

Professional
Volley tennis?!

Cmon u guys, I thought we'd get some more imaginative "rules". Only a couple have had fun here. How about this: Get rid of the "no double hits" rule, and create a new game called "volley-tennis". In that game, any player can hit the ball, as many times as they like, as long as the ball just hits the court once on each side. I mean, how many times have you wanted to have a second shot at the ball - or pass the ball to your partner, so they can make a better shot? I think this would add a little excitement...
 

BMC9670

Hall of Fame
I have some ideas to improve the Tennis Code. I'd like to re-write some of the rules, for example:

  1. All serve lets count - play the ball even if it hits top of the net, as long as it goes in.


  1. This is the only one I would like to see changed. You can't "try" and do this as a strategy and it just happens and part of the game (not an artificial addition in any way). They play let serves in WTT and it adds some excitement and speeds play.

    That, and coaching. I'm for it, but I know it's a huge can of worms here and in tennis in general! :)
 

813wilson

Rookie
The rules I'd like to see is kind of selfish on my part.....

In singles, I get the alleys
Any ace by my opponent is played as a let
My opponents get one service attempt
Lines are out on my side of the court
 

Taxvictim

Semi-Pro
I agree with lets and reach-overs.

Also, do away with the "two serves" rule. You only get one shot to serve each point.
 

coloskier

Legend
Only one rule change. Since according to many posters here the WTA is all about sex anyway and not about tennis, the women should be required to wear bikinis during their matches. (joke) Of course I think that half of the players would make the fans go blind if this was a requirement.
 

JavierLW

Hall of Fame
At the moment, you can only reach over if the ball has already bounced on your side and is moving back over the net toward your opponent's side.

Cindy and the others want to be able to play a volley while reaching over, which I don't have a problem with.

I think the current rule prohibiting that is actually a product of other net sports like badminton and volleyball. In those sports, it makes a bit more sense because of the advantage it gives. But in tennis, it's a bit unnecessary.

I disagree, I think the reason why some of you feel that way is that you dont have a lot of experience seeing smart people reach over the net, hit the ball sideways and onto the next court.

Not all rules are designed to give you an advantage, some of them are "difficulty rules" like not touching the net that are designed to make it harder.

Sure in Cindy's previous descriptions where she's just carelessly too close to the net and swinging away and she doesnt care if she reaches over, she's probably not doing anything that is going to hurt you much anyway, but if you respect the rule you realize that it makes those shots harder.
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Sure in Cindy's previous descriptions where she's just carelessly too close to the net and swinging away and she doesnt care if she reaches over, she's probably not doing anything that is going to hurt you much anyway, but if you respect the rule you realize that it makes those shots harder.

Just for the record, Javier has no idea what he is talking about.
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Javier's summary of your previous missives on that topic was pretty close to being right on.

Nope. Sorry. Javier (and you, apparently) have obviously misunderstood.

For your benefit, I will tell you what I think about the rule requiring you to call it on yourself if you make contact past the plane of the net, however.

My view is that a player who is playing a ball very close to the net is in a poor position to judge whether she does or does not break the invisible plane of the net. For that reason, I think the rule is a poor one. The illogical nature of the rule stands in sharp contrast to other infractions players are to call on themselves -- whether they are hit by a ball, whether they frame it, whether they double-hit it, whether it double-bounces. It is also the only instance I can think of in which a player is required to judge his alignment with something that is invisible (compared, say, to judging whether a visible ball touched a visible line).

I have never once knowingly violated the rule -- indeed I don't play the net all that tight most of the time, so it is rarely an issue. I do not believe I am hitting the ball on the wrong side of the net, but since we are talking about an *imaginary plane*, I can never be completely sure. Nor can anyone else, IMHO.

Hope that's clear enough now.
 

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
1. Catching a ball rule. Had that come up when I played the other day. They served a ball to my partner that was so awful he actually caught it just before it landed behind the baseline, not the service line. I mean this thing was not only out of the service box by a mile but it was out of the entire court.
 

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
Thanks for the kind words, Javier. Very encouraging.

Lol he reminds me of this Javier who comes to play Club tennis. Dude is so ****ing weird and arrogant, no one really likes him at all.

By the way I thought it was legal to cross the plane of the net provided that you don't actually touch it? It might not be the best sportsmanship but playing my friend who gets so much netcord luck it's absolutely ridiculous, I don't like to leave anything to chance with him so if I have the opportunity I will hit reach over with my racket to hit a ball to make sure he doesn't win the point.
 

spot

Hall of Fame
Catching a ball rule

How could you possibly get rid of this rule? So then you would be able to catch any ball you want and claim that it was going out? I don't see how you can make it legal to catch a ball thats obviously out while still making it illegal to catch a ball thats was probably going out. How could you decide disputes? So much easier to just not catch the ball.
 

spot

Hall of Fame
Cindy- I have to disagree with you on footfaults. What happens if someone is FLAGRANTLY footfaulting and getting an advantage by it. Say stepping a full step into the court and serving and volleying. You would be able to call a let on them- then the next serve they don't change and keep doing it. How would the stalemate ever be resolved to get them to just move back and stop footfaulting?
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Cindy- I have to disagree with you on footfaults. What happens if someone is FLAGRANTLY footfaulting and getting an advantage by it. Say stepping a full step into the court and serving and volleying. You would be able to call a let on them- then the next serve they don't change and keep doing it. How would the stalemate ever be resolved to get them to just move back and stop footfaulting?

Then I guess you would call let after let after let. Eventually one player would have to be the bigger person.

Come on. The current FF rule is just awful. Surely we can do better?
 

spot

Hall of Fame
Cindy- the only problem with the current rule as far as I can see it is that people who get called for footfaults act like children instead of just moving back. I've NEVER seen someone called for a footfault who wasn't blatantly footfaulting. (the people who are SURE that they aren't footfaulting without looking at their feet fascinate me) People act like they are entitled to footfault by the rules. I've never called a footfault and can't imagine a situation where I would, but I do think that if someone is blatantly footfaulting then there should be a remedy to stop it.

To me the obvious way out of the stalemate is to side with the person who isn't breaking the rules. If you are footfaulting then just move back and the problem is solved.

There are problems with the footfault rule but I haven't ever seen a better solution than the current rule. The opponents can call you for a footfault only after a warning and when they are 100% sure a footfault has occured.
 
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athiker

Hall of Fame
By the way I thought it was legal to cross the plane of the net provided that you don't actually touch it? It might not be the best sportsmanship but playing my friend who gets so much netcord luck it's absolutely ridiculous, I don't like to leave anything to chance with him so if I have the opportunity I will hit reach over with my racket to hit a ball to make sure he doesn't win the point.

Nope, can't reach over the vertical plane of the net and hit the ball unless it has already bounced on your side of the net and the spin or wind has carried it back over to your opponent's side of the net. That's why some, including me, think its a rule that should be changed. If someone hits a sitter than I can actually get to in time to whack by reaching over the net then so be it...they deserve to lose the point. Most of the time under the current rule they will anyway, but the current rule introduces some area for disputes re: whether it crossed the net or not before the hit.

My rule change candidates are:

1. One serve only
2. No lets...play any serve that lands in the service box
3. Can reach over the net

I think that's it...its a great game so not that much I would change. The net thing doesn't come up too often anyway, so I'd even drop that. The first 2 would speed things up though and I'm almost always in favor of that in any game.
 

athiker

Hall of Fame
Actually I'm kind of curious where the 2 serve thing came from in tennis. Other net sports like Volleyball, Badminton and Table Tennis only allow one. :confused:
 

blakesq

Hall of Fame
My rule would be to standardize rackets and strings, go back to the Jack Kramer wood rackets with gut, or synthetic gut.
 

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
over 35???

Wow if you have to resort to that, you might as well jump right into wheelchair tennis.
I agree. Someone needs to start eating better and exercise between matches. And stop standing 6 ft behind the baseline.

1. Catching a ball rule.
Are you really in that much of a rush? How much time does it save? 5 seconds? You must have a hot date lined up. Congrats.

How could you possibly get rid of this rule? So then you would be able to catch any ball you want and claim that it was going out? I don't see how you can make it legal to catch a ball thats obviously out while still making it illegal to catch a ball thats was probably going out. How could you decide disputes? So much easier to just not catch the ball.
I'm with you. Would open a nasty rats next - and probably end up in many fistfights.

And I assume everyone who is in favor of the 'limit service toss rules' has never had shoulder problems.
 

athiker

Hall of Fame
I agree. Someone needs to start eating better and exercise between matches. And stop standing 6 ft behind the baseline.

Are you really in that much of a rush? How much time does it save? 5 seconds? You must have a hot date lined up. Congrats.

I'm with you. Would open a nasty rats next - and probably end up in many fistfights.

And I assume everyone who is in favor of the 'limit service toss rules' has never had shoulder problems.
:confused: And someone against the double bounce rule change would then maybe have never had knee problems?

For the record, I'm also against the double bounce rule change but...
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
If someone hits a sitter than I can actually get to in time to whack by reaching over the net then so be it...they deserve to lose the point. Most of the time under the current rule they will anyway, but the current rule introduces some area for disputes re: whether it crossed the net or not before the hit.

Well, yeah. Exactly. Disputes about whether a visible ball was or was not on a particular side of an invisible plane when a moving racket struck it. Sheez.

Funny thing. I have had opponents ask me whether my shot was a double bounce. I have had opponents ask me if the ball hit me. I have had people question a supposed double hit. I had a lady claim my partner and I had both struck the ball on a racket clash.

I have never had anyone tell me they think I hit the ball before it broke the invisible plane of the net. If you hit a sitter, I am going to close the net fast and aggressively to smack it before you get back into position, and I am going to give it as much angle as I can. I had two such winners last night. My opponents said what everyone else says: "Good shot."
 

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
:confused: And someone against the double bounce rule change would then maybe have never had knee problems?
Nice try - but your comparison falls flat on its face. If you have knee problems then it's time to hang it up. You have to be able to move to play tennis. Sorry.

But no one should be forced to try to hit a bad toss and risk screwing up their shoulder, just because someone wants matches to end a few seconds faster.
 

athiker

Hall of Fame
Neither rules are one's I care about changing. I just thought it odd you would cite a physical limitation as the reason to support one rule and disagree with another.

I guess maybe injuring oneself chasing a bad toss is not anything that has ever crossed my mind so I assumed you mentioned it b/c of some shoulder issue you had. I guess I was mistaken and injury to a healthy shoulder due to a bad toss could be more common that I imagined.
 

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
Neither rules are one's I care about changing. I just thought it odd you would cite a physical limitation as the reason to support one rule and disagree with another.

I guess maybe injuring oneself chasing a bad toss is not anything that has ever crossed my mind so I assumed you mentioned it b/c of some shoulder issue you had. I guess I was mistaken and injury to a healthy shoulder due to a bad toss could be more common that I imagined.
They're not both physical limitations. The bad toss isn't a physical limitation - it's forcing someone to make a move that could lead to injury. And yes, in my impatient youth I chased every toss (as if you HAD to) - and now deal with the consequences. Running down droppers is just part of the game - either you have the anticipation and speed to do it or you don't.
 

kylebarendrick

Professional
I have never had anyone tell me they think I hit the ball before it broke the invisible plane of the net. If you hit a sitter, I am going to close the net fast and aggressively to smack it before you get back into position, and I am going to give it as much angle as I can. I had two such winners last night. My opponents said what everyone else says: "Good shot."

I've heard multiple people ask if I, my partner, or someone in a match I was watching had crossed the net to hit a ball. Just count yourself fortunate that you haven't been challenged on it.

There have been many times that I have let a ball bounce because I wasn't sure which side if the net it was coming down on (falling nearly vertically). This resulted in much trickier shots than if I had simply hit the ball without caring whether I followed the rules.
 

Kick_It

Semi-Pro
For players over 35, please allow 2 bounces if the oppo hits a dropshot. Anything inside the service line is a dropshot.

Veto.

Particularly bad for the play where you hit a short chip shot to an opponent's weak side to draw the otherwise baseliner into the net and make them uncomfortable. Not a drop shot but inside the service line.

Don't penalize the folks who do the hard work in the gym and off court to be able to deal with that when others do it to us. Drop shot, lob, drop shot, lob ... is part of the over 35 game.

If you want to create your own division and rules - go for it.

That rule has no place in a Men's 35's division, K_I
 

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I've heard multiple people ask if I, my partner, or someone in a match I was watching had crossed the net to hit a ball. Just count yourself fortunate that you haven't been challenged on it.

There have been many times that I have let a ball bounce because I wasn't sure which side if the net it was coming down on (falling nearly vertically). This resulted in much trickier shots than if I had simply hit the ball without caring whether I followed the rules.

I guess you're pushing the envelope more than I am!

But my point is that the game would be no different if this rule were abolished, as it serves no purpose. If someone wants to be so close to the net that they are playing balls on the other side, lob them. If someone is closing the net aggressively to punish your lame sitter, stop hitting lame sitters.
 
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