How do you swap sides in doubles?

Stretchy Man

Professional
Your partner is at the net and crosses center line to get a short ball, so you swap sides as well. Now your partner returns to their original side without bothering to look back so we are now on both sides of the court leaving half the court open. Really annoying and has happened with a couple of different partners.

Once your have crossed the center line it seems obvious to me that you should stay there but this doesn't seem obvious to my partners. My current partner and I have discussed it but we couldn't decide on the best solution. Should the net guy call "cross" if he wants to swap sides, but then it doesn't seem right that the baseline guy stands there waiting for the word "cross" leaving a hole in the meantime. I'm leaning towards the baseline guy should call "cross" if he is swapping sides.
 

oble

Hall of Fame
Switch automatically the moment the net player crosses and make sure both of you agree before the match begins. It's slower to wait for the "cross" or "switch" verbal cue from either player and sometimes in the heat of the play, anyone can potentially forget to call out the verbal cue. It's also slower for the net person to brake and move back to the original side after crossing if you don't switch immediately, which leaves a big space for the opponents to put the ball.
 

GBplayer

Hall of Fame
Should switch as you say when the net player crosses, either player could call switch or stay as appropriate.
 

xFullCourtTenniSx

Hall of Fame
If the net man crosses and makes a play on the ball, they stay there and the baseline player crosses. If the net man fails to make a play on the ball, they retreat to their own side. It's that simple.

There are specific situations where the net man crosses several times in a row because they can keep making plays, and that makes it annoying for the baseliner, but in that case you just put the blame on the net man if you lose the point since if they got that many crosses off, they probably should've had a look at at least 2 or 3 balls they could've put away cleanly but didn't (they might even admit it themselves, I usually do). And there's also the situation where they cross, don't put the ball away, but know what the opponent's next response will be and will cheat towards that spot (usually by sitting on the center line).
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
If the net man crosses and makes a play on the ball, they stay there and the baseline player crosses. If the net man fails to make a play on the ball, they retreat to their own side. It's that simple.

There are specific situations where the net man crosses several times in a row because they can keep making plays, and that makes it annoying for the baseliner, but in that case you just put the blame on the net man if you lose the point since if they got that many crosses off, they probably should've had a look at at least 2 or 3 balls they could've put away cleanly but didn't (they might even admit it themselves, I usually do). And there's also the situation where they cross, don't put the ball away, but know what the opponent's next response will be and will cheat towards that spot (usually by sitting on the center line).
+1

i only cross when they make contact... then i expect them to stay (unless they have another poach play).
In general I want my partner as aggressive at the net as possible, and don't want to deter him/her from poaching/faking/etc... even if they make a mistake and/or decide to backoff.
that said.... even KNOWING this, and having clear instructions for this scenario, i will still get faked out by my partner (ie. anticipate they will play a ball, then they don't) - but to me, that's my fault (not my partner's).
the other confusion is, say they cross, but the ball is too low, so they let it go... they end up acting as a sort of screen on the ball (which i'll miss more times that not) - but again, i think this is my fault, and i need to work on it...
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
In most cases, when the net player crosses the center line to poach a ball, they should stay on the new side (until subsequent play dictates otherwise). The net player does not really need to call "switch" in this situation -- the player in the back, if awake, should be able to see the net player crossing to play the ball. They should automatically switch sides when they see the net player do so. The primary issue is that the back player needs to cover a greater distance to cover the other side than the net player does.

If the net player poaches a ball but only gets to the center to do so, then they have the option of continuing is that direction to cover the opposite side or they can return to their original side. The net player should not normally hang out in the middle (in most cases). Doing so would confuse their partner in the backcourt + they have no idea which side they should cover.
 

xFullCourtTenniSx

Hall of Fame
+1

i only cross when they make contact... then i expect them to stay (unless they have another poach play).
In general I want my partner as aggressive at the net as possible, and don't want to deter him/her from poaching/faking/etc... even if they make a mistake and/or decide to backoff.
that said.... even KNOWING this, and having clear instructions for this scenario, i will still get faked out by my partner (ie. anticipate they will play a ball, then they don't) - but to me, that's my fault (not my partner's).
the other confusion is, say they cross, but the ball is too low, so they let it go... they end up acting as a sort of screen on the ball (which i'll miss more times that not) - but again, i think this is my fault, and i need to work on it...

Nah, it's their fault. They had a play on the ball and couldn't make it, that's an UE. For you, that's a FE since your partner forced that error from you. ;)

But seriously, they should've gotten it. Unless I trust my partner with my life, I've started anticipating that my partner won't get it unless they make a very aggressive move or the ball is hit at their chest. And I rely on my quick legs to run everything down.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Your partner is at the net and crosses center line to get a short ball, so you swap sides as well. Now your partner returns to their original side without bothering to look back so we are now on both sides of the court leaving half the court open. Really annoying and has happened with a couple of different partners.

IMO, people who do this are wedded to the idea of "his side and your side": he crossed over to your side to get the ball and how he's going back to his side. Perfectly logical. Except higher-level doubles is not played this way, with fixed definitions of whose side it is. It's a fluid, dynamic definition. And it's not enough to tell them the right way; they have to practice it. This is where you'll lose most people.
 

Stretchy Man

Professional
IMO, people who do this are wedded to the idea of "his side and your side": he crossed over to your side to get the ball and how he's going back to his side. Perfectly logical. Except higher-level doubles is not played this way, with fixed definitions of whose side it is. It's a fluid, dynamic definition. And it's not enough to tell them the right way; they have to practice it. This is where you'll lose most people.

I think you have just explained why neither of my partners seemed open to my suggestion that there must be a better way of playing in this situation.
 

TennisCJC

Legend
If you cross and make contact, you stay on new side and back partner crosses to cover vacated side.

Partner in back can call the play because they see the switch in front. If you're in back, tell partner to stay
 
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