Interesting and Sometimes Mis-Interpreted Rules
By: Angelo Batistatos – Rules Ambassador
Serving
RULES | SITUATION | CORRECT RULING |
| 3.6 Drive Service Zone | Server, standing on/in 3-foot drive zone, hits a hard Z serve to same side | Legal. The only serve Server CANNOT hit is the drive serve down the same line (but must give Receiver room to return serve). For all other serves, racquet and ball can cross the plane of drive zone during service motion. |
| 3.8 Dead-Ball Serves | Ball takes an irregular bounce due to wet floor/wall or court hinder, or ball breaks during serve | Referee stops play and resumes without canceling any previous Fault Serve. |
| 3.9 Fault Serves | Server’s foot steps completely over service/front line | Fault Serve |
| Server bounces ball outside service zone or against the side wall | Fault Serve | |
| Receiver asks for screen serve when Server is standing in mid-court and drive serve ends up near back corner | Legal serve (Receiver responsible for establishing good court position and not being fooled by service motion). | |
| Player starts his service motion with the racquet on floor outside the service zone | Fault serve. The Serve must start within the service zone. It is a Fault Serve if any part of the body or racquet touches the floor outside the zone (except if part of foot still on service/front line at end of serve). | |
| 3.10 Out Serves | Server allows ball to bounce twice | Out Serve - if intention was to deceive Receiver. If done unintentionally, ref may call a do over. |
| Server misses ball during serve | Out Serve | |
| Ball touches any part of server’s body | Out Serve | |
| After rebounding off front wall, ball hits floor, then touches the Server | Fault Serve (if Server is hit on the fly, Out Serve). | |
| Server, or Server’s partner, intentionally touches served ball | Out Serve | |
| Server balks, but not intentionally, during serve | Replay the serve (if intentional, it is an Out Serve). | |
| Server carries served ball or hits ball with racquet handle | Out Serve | |
| Crotch serve that lands beyond the short line | Out Serve (any crotch serve to front/side wall is an out serve since it did not clearly touch front wall first). | |
| Crotch/crack serve off floor/side wall beyond short line and floor/back wall is an Out Serve | No. Both are legal serves. | |
| Server, or Server’s partner, enters safety zone before served ball crosses short line | Out Serve | |
| 10-sec rule – racquet is raised after referee says score and Server serves and noticing racquet up, catches own serve. | Side Out | |
| 3.11 Return of Serve | Receiver steps on safety/dotted line to return serve (ball in mid air or after bounce) | Receiver violation (point for Server) – momentum may take Receiver over safety line, but cannot break plane till ball crosses safety line or bounces in the safety zone. |
| Receiver catches an obviously long serve | Receiver violation (point for Server). | |
| Receiver catches an obviously long serve over his head | Point for Server |
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