Is it legal to volley back the serves?

Is it legal to volley back your opponent's serve?

  • Total voters
    84
Fintft

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Hi,

What do the rules say? And common usage?

Is it legal to volley back the serves?

By sitting in the service area?

I've done that yesterday just to practice my volleys against a woman who was practicing her serves (and I wasn't about to crush the returns and her morale). Score was 1-19 in practice.
 
spaceman_spiff

spaceman_spiff

Hall of Fame
Fintft said:
Duh, I don't see why not lol.

What if a serve hits you, while you were behind the baseline, isn't that an ace?
Click to expand...

If it hits you before it bounces, you lose the point. Also in doubles, if the serve hits either of you before it bounces, you lose the point.
 
GlennK

GlennK

Rookie
Fintft said:
Hi,

What do the rules say? And common usage?

Is it legal to volley back the serves?

By sitting in the service area?

I've done that yesterday just to practice my volleys against a woman who was practicing her serves (and I wasn't about to crush the returns and her morale). Score was 1-19 in practice.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you ruined your partner's serve practice. How did she know if her serves were in? Did she say anything to you?
 
Fintft

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
GlennK said:
It sounds like you ruined your partner's serve practice. How did she know if her serves were in? Did she say anything to you?
Click to expand...

Ah no worries, that was after she'd practice her serve a lot. As for the volleying part, we just had a good laugh as she was actually serving harder (Maybe she just warmed up). That way was mutual beneficial, again, after regular serve practice for her and rallying in total for about 2h. I did practice my own serve alone before and after that.
 
G

gmatheis

Hall of Fame
Yes it is legal to volley back the serve!


You will lose the point because it is against the rules, but there is no law against it and the police officer watching your game would not arrest you.
 
T

Tennis Truth

Rookie
1) It is against the rules and you will lose the point.
2) As for common usage, anyone who knows anything about tennis will never try to volley back the serve.

However, it is more common among people who have zero tennis skills, little understanding of how to play, and who play once every 5 or 6 years, and use the same can of balls they have been using for the last 10 years.

These people have only a vague notion of how to play tennis, and may do the following:

1) walk freely onto other people's courts, interrupting gameplay. They often seem to think it is ok to walk all the way through the back baseline area, near the fence, to retrieve their ball, even while a live point is going on in the court they crossed. Sometimes, their kids will ride their bikes in the courts while people are trying to play, circling all the courts. They are on the courts, but near the fence, so it must be ok.

2) they may have a garage sale and sell a few cans of tennis balls they found in the basement. The cans were opened many years ago, and played with a few times, but the balls still have some fuzz on them. They look almost brand new, so they are likley priced at $5 for the can of three.
 
B

bt johnson

Rookie
Tennis Truth said:
1) It is against the rules and you will lose the point.
2) As for common usage, anyone who knows anything about tennis will never try to volley back the serve.

However, it is more common among people who have zero tennis skills, little understanding of how to play, and who play once every 5 or 6 years, and use the same can of balls they have been using for the last 10 years.

These people have only a vague notion of how to play tennis, and may do the following:

1) walk freely onto other people's courts, interrupting gameplay. They often seem to think it is ok to walk all the way through the back baseline area, near the fence, to retrieve their ball, even while a live point is going on in the court they crossed. Sometimes, their kids will ride their bikes in the courts while people are trying to play, circling all the courts. They are on the courts, but near the fence, so it must be ok.

2) they may have a garage sale and sell a few cans of tennis balls they found in the basement. The cans were opened many years ago, and played with a few times, but the balls still have some fuzz on them. They look almost brand new, so they are likley priced at $5 for the can of three.
Click to expand...

I would walk through your "live" point as well. Hate to break it to you but you and the guy your playing are the only two people who care about your match
 
T

Tonyr1967

Rookie
This has to rank amongst the most pointless and stupid threads in TT history?

If you want to volley back serves....try badminton
 
PrinceMoron

PrinceMoron

Legend
Yes, of course it is legal, but only when the server hits first and second serves at the same time.

I love it when you volley both back and they hit mid air so you get a cheap free point.
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
Fintft said:
Hi,

What do the rules say? And common usage?

Is it legal to volley back the serves?

By sitting in the service area?

I've done that yesterday just to practice my volleys against a woman who was practicing her serves (and I wasn't about to crush the returns and her morale). Score was 1-19 in practice.
Click to expand...


Yes, it's legal if you are sitting on a pool chaise, no if you're on a bar stool, it gives an unfair height advantage. If you're literally sitting on the court only if you're wearing non-marking underwear, then it's not a volley but an ovehead. Naked pictures of the woman or it didn't happen, aren't cougars wonderful, are you twelve yet? These are good questions you are asking, if one doesn't ask questions, how will you learn?
 
storypeddler

storypeddler

Semi-Pro
Fintft said:
Hi,

What do the rules say? And common usage?

Is it legal to volley back the serves?

By sitting in the service area?

I've done that yesterday just to practice my volleys against a woman who was practicing her serves (and I wasn't about to crush the returns and her morale). Score was 1-19 in practice.
Click to expand...

On a slightly variant issue, however, while it is illegal to volley the serve back, it IS legal for you to stand inside the service box, if you wish, and play the served ball IMMEDIATELY as it comes off the bounce. I wouldn't recommend this against someone who hits very hard serves with great accuracy since he will probably imbed one in your torso fairly quickly. But it IS legal.
 
PrinceMoron

PrinceMoron

Legend
storypeddler said:
On a slightly variant issue, however, while it is illegal to volley the serve back, it IS legal for you to stand inside the service box, if you wish, and play the served ball IMMEDIATELY as it comes off the bounce. I wouldn't recommend this against someone who hits very hard serves with great accuracy since he will probably imbed one in your torso fairly quickly. But it IS legal.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't place much trust in any long calls though.
 
D

Deleted member 293577

Guest
Rule 24 of the ITF Rules of Tennis states:

24. Player Loses Point
The point is lost if:
...
e. The receiver returns the service before it bounces;
...

There is no middle ground and there is no point of arguing. The rule is stated clearly.
 
J

J_R_B

Hall of Fame
emilyhex said:
Rule 24 of the ITF Rules of Tennis states:

24. Player Loses Point
The point is lost if:
...
e. The receiver returns the service before it bounces;
...

There is no middle ground and there is no point of arguing. The rule is stated clearly.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about that. Let's see what the poll results say before we jump to conclusions.
 
Bartelby

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
If it were legal to volley the serve back wouldn't you just stand almost on the net and just tap it back for a winner?
 
OrangePower

OrangePower

Legend
J_R_B said:
I'm not sure about that. Let's see what the poll results say before we jump to conclusions.
Click to expand...

Actually the rules for Indo-Celtic style tennis do allow for serves to be returned on the volley, but only during a solar eclipse and if all the participants are verifiably drunk. The last recorded match where that clause applied ended with the winners taking it 32-14-5 and the losers being beheaded.
 
jaggy

jaggy

Talk Tennis Guru
Usually this type of thread occurs during slow seasons not summer. Can we blame global warning?
 
S

sam_p

Professional
OrangePower said:
Actually the rules for Indo-Celtic style tennis do allow for serves to be returned on the volley, but only during a solar eclipse and if all the participants are verifiably drunk. The last recorded match where that clause applied ended with the winners taking it 32-14-5 and the losers being beheaded.
Click to expand...


I believe that match actually led to the Mayan apocalypse...
 
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