Welcome to the World of Doubles Tennis!

Tennis is an exciting sport where two players use rackets to hit a ball back and forth on a court. And in doubles tennis, there’s even more fun to be had because you have not one, but TWO players on each team! It’s like having a great teammate by your side, and together, you can take on any challenge.

Now, you might be wondering, “Isn’t tennis usually a one-on-one game?” Well, you’re absolutely right! But in recent years, more and more people have become interested in playing doubles tennis. It’s a whole new ball game that brings a fresh twist to the sport.

Before we dive into the world of doubles tennis, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about the rules for singles tennis. If you’re not familiar with those, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Check out our article on singles tennis to get up to speed.

Setting Up for Doubles

A tennis court is a rectangular court with a net in the middle, dividing it into two halves. When you play doubles matches, the court should be 78 feet long and 36 feet wide.

There are service lines that are centered horizontally on both sides of the court, and the baseline runs horizontally from one end to the other. The lines that run vertically are called sidelines. In doubles matches, there are two sidelines to mark the limits. Lastly, there is a center mark that runs down the middle of the court.

There are different types of courts where you can play tennis. The main ones are grass courts, clay courts, hard courts, and carpet courts. Tennis can also be played indoors.

How to Play

When a tennis match begins, we start with a coin toss. I love that moment of suspense, waiting to see who will win. If I win the coin toss, I have some important decisions to make. I can choose to serve first, receive first, or even decide which side of the court to start on.

Let’s say I win the coin toss and decide to serve. Now it’s up to the other team to decide which side of the court they want to start on. It’s an advantage for me because I get to start the game with my serve, which gives me an opportunity to set the tone.

The Art of Serving

When it comes to serving, each team has a first server and a second server. I’ll be the first server for my team, and my partner will take over as the second server. In this game, we take turns serving, starting with me. Then, after I finish my turn, my partner gets a chance to show off their serving skills.

Oh, and did I mention that the non-serving player on my team can stand anywhere during the serve? It’s a little perk that adds some strategy to the game. They can try to intimidate the other team or position themselves to respond effectively.

So, when playing tennis, the server is the player who stands behind the baseline, between the sideline and the center line. They have the power to decide whether to serve on the right or left side of the court, but it has to be a diagonal serve.

When it’s time to serve, the server takes their position and throws the ball in the air. Then, they hit the ball with their racket before it touches the ground. The ball must be hit diagonally across the court and land within the serving line on the receiver’s side of the court. If all these conditions are met, it’s considered a “legal serve.”

After each point, the server needs to switch between the two halves of the court. They have to keep this back-and-forth movement going.

FAULT

In tennis, there are two kinds of faults: service faults and foot faults.

A service fault is when the ball doesn’t bounce within the serving area. It’s a mistake made by the server.

A foot fault is when the server steps on or outside the baseline or sidelines while serving.

If a server makes two faults in a row, the receiving team automatically gets a point.

LET

During a serve, if the ball hits the net but is still a legal serve, the server gets two more chances to serve. In other words, they get two more tries to hit a valid serve.

RECEIVING

On the receiving side, each player must stand on their designated side of the court. The server serves diagonally to a designated receiver. The receiver must make the initial return, and after that, the players can hit the ball from any part of the court.

When we play doubles in a team, we all get turns to receive the ball. In the first game of a set, it’s my chance to receive, and in the third game, you get your turn. Remember, we have to stay on our respective sides of the court.

RALLY TIME

Once the serve is successful, the real action begins – it’s called a rally. The two teams take turns hitting the ball back and forth until one team scores a point. We can hit the ball from any part of the court, and we don’t have to take turns. Let’s keep the ball in play!

To score a point, we have to hit the ball before it bounces twice on our side of the court. The rally keeps going until someone scores.

TIME FOR VOLLEYS

In tennis, I can hit the ball before it touches my end of the court – it’s called volleying. The scoring system in tennis is pretty interesting. Let me break it down for you in simpler terms.

To win a game, a team needs to win by at least two points. So, let’s say both teams are tied at 40-40, which is called a “deuce.” The team that wins the next point gets an “advantage.” If they manage to win the next point too, they win the game. However, if the score goes back to deuce with the next point, the game continues until one team wins by two points.

Now, let’s talk about how you can earn points in tennis:

1. The opposing team fails to hit back a valid shot.

2. The ball bounces twice on the opposing team’s side of the court.

3. The opposing team hits the net with the ball.

That’s it! With these rules in mind, you’re all set to start playing tennis. Good luck!

When it comes to playing tennis, there are some essential rules to keep in mind. First, let’s talk about the court boundaries. If the opposing team hits a shot outside of these boundaries, they lose the point. Another way to win a point is if the opposing team serves a double fault, which essentially means they made two mistakes in a row.

Now, let’s move on to the structure of a tennis match. A tennis match consists of points, games, and sets. To win a game, a player must score 4 points with at least a 2-game advantage. To win a set, a player must win 6 games with a margin of at least two games. Finally, to win a match, a player must win 2 or 3 sets, depending on the format. Most tennis matches are played as a best of 3 or 5 sets.

So, next time you’re on the tennis court, remember these rules and aim for victory!