Hi , this is Carolyn and I'm here with Erin , and Erin is an amazing graphic designer , if any of you guys don't know . She is , and she has redesigned a rules card to make it really simple if you're trying to find certain rules . So we thought it would be helpful for other players if we go through the 10 rules that we didn't know when we first started playing and we wish we would have , because we lost a point because of it not knowing the rule . Okay , there's 10 of them . Let's start with number one . You cannot call a double bounce on your opponent .
Speaker 1Right . A lot of people don't know who can call a double bounce right , and a lot of people feel like they get to a ball and I think this rule is kind of weird , but it is the rule . You have to call it on yourself . The problem
is is a lot of times you can't see if it's happening or not . So I think either your I mean , I'm sorry , your doubles partner should call it if you're in doubles , if you're in singles , you don't have a choice , but which they never would , because they wouldn't be like oh you just double bounced , we're giving up that point . Or your opponents should call it . But I guess the reason why they don't is because then they could just be like oh , you could argue with someone whether it was a double bounce or not , but I think , as the player who's running for the ball , it's very hard to see if you get it on the first bounce or not . But the rule in rec tennis is you have to call it on yourself .
Speaker 2That's right , and even though you want to call a double bounce on your opponent , you can't Right Exactly .
Speaker 1Which also leads into the next one , right ? So the next one says you cannot call a foot fault on your opponent unless all reasonable efforts , such as warning and attempting to get an official , have failed . We've talked about this one a lot . We have . We actually did an episode . Where wasn't it a crazy situation with Mike Not your Mike , but a different Mike that said an opponent called a footfall on him in a match tiebreak and he didn't know that they weren't allowed to do that and so they conceded the point and they lost that match .
Speaker 2Yes , yes , it was like 10-9 in match tiebreak and he served an ace and the opponent said , no , that's a footfall . So I think the point of this rule is like you can't do that . You can't initially say that's a footfall , so right , sorry .
Speaker 1And there are . I've seen a lot of people egregiously footfall . It's just part of their routine . I hate to say that , but I also feel like at our level and I will say our level from two , five to four or five even , like our listeners is , I don't it doesn't make a huge difference in your serve If you're half a step inside the baseline or stepping on the baseline . It might make a difference in pro . For pros Like I know a lady who plays out of my club and she foot faults on every serve . It's literally her routine and some people get really irritated with her and you just . We just let it go because it's not like she has an amazing serve , that she's just acing everybody because she's stepping on the line .
Speaker 1So , but anyway , yes , you cannot call it on your opponents . Part of that rule is you can if you've warned them enough and attempted to get an official . But in rec tennis they're unofficiated matches , so that's why that rule kind of goes out the window .
Speaker 2That's right . That's right . Okay , Onto number three . You may not catch or stop a ball before it bounces . I know I want to do that Like I'm a foot behind the baseline . Here comes a ball . You don't want to chase it to another court so I use my racket to stop it . Well , that's not allowed , right ? Depending on who you play , they will say that's my point .
Speaker 1Yeah , I've seen a lot of men do that though ,
like I watched a match the other night and literally like someone knew it was going to bounce out and so they just grab it and then but nobody complains in men's tennis .
Speaker 2In women's they complain and say sorry Because they're like oh , that ball could have dropped in .
Speaker 1No , it was flying 18 feet out . But you know we like to argue right . Okay , what's our next one ? For If you've served first in a set , tie break , your opponent will serve first in the next set , and we actually reworded this based on our last rules card . We simplified everything . That's why we've put out this new rules card . We've just simplified everything to statements who serves and what side we go on yes .
Speaker 2Do you remember what the answer is ? Yes , so if you serve first in the set tie break , the opponents will serve first in the next one . Right , exactly .
Speaker 1Oh , you know what I was thinking of ? Sides of court .
Speaker 2I was thinking of when someone , when you change ends , and that's another one that we didn't include on this , but we probably should have , because that's a big one . And what's the rule on that ?
Speaker 1The rule is you look at your feet when you end the set and you put your feet on the other side of the court . That's the most simplified way of looking .
Speaker 2It's the end , not the beginning . It's where you end the set tie break and then you switch .
Speaker 1Exactly . And Rebel Good , our rules guru guy who helps us with our rules card .
Speaker 2We always have him check it over before we and answers all our questions crazy questions we have . Yes , we always have him , you know .
Speaker 1check it over before we and answers all our questions , the crazy questions we have . Yes , and he answers a lot of them . He always says look at your feet and walk to the other side of the court and that's where you will begin the next set . Yes , that's right . Very simple , okay . Number five If a racket is dropped or a shoe comes off , play on . That is not what like people like to call a let you . Literally , it is part of the game . If you lose your shoe or you lose your racket , you are now at a disadvantage , but everybody plays on until the point is over . Yes , you could actually still win the point by dropping your racket or losing your shoe If the other team , I guess , is distracted , and maybe , or you know , they don't even have to be distracted . Let's say , they just don't get the ball on your side of the court as a winner . But yeah , you play on in that situation .
Speaker 2That's right . Okay , number six you win the point if a serve hits your opponent before it bounces or if the ball hits a player
before it lands out . So I know I've actually served and hit my opponent's partner .
Speaker 1Like someone at the net .
Speaker 2Yes , I felt terrible and then I took the point .
Speaker 1And then she fist pumped and was like yes , that's my point Right , right , and I've had the opposite happen to me .
Speaker 1So I've actually never been hit , but I know I told this story on one of our 200 plus podcasts we played years ago . We played a team and I think my partner served so long that actually hit the baseliner . That was the receiver . It didn't hit the net person , I don't know . Actually , now that I think about it , I don't know if it was a serve or just a shot , and we said , oh , we felt bad . The woman got hit , was like on her leg or something , and we were like that's our point . And she was like , well , I tried to get out of the way and we're like , well , trying to get out of the way and actually getting out of the way .
Speaker 1I mean you see a lot of players jump out of the way of the ball because you cannot get hit with the ball before it lands out and is basically the point is dead .
Speaker 2And I even had a friend who said that . Somebody said , you know , the ball flew out . But the woman asked did that touch your hair ?
Speaker 1Oh , because if it touched your hair it says anything , right yeah .
Speaker 2Then you lose the point . Wow , and she was like no , it didn't touch my hair .
Speaker 1Well , if it was like a swinging ponytail ? Or something , maybe that's funny . Number seven if you win the toss or the racket spin . But we said , if you win the toss you can choose one to serve or receive , two end of court . Or three you can defer , which requires your opponent to make the choice . How many times have you had anyone defer ? Never .
Speaker 2We almost did .
Speaker 1I played a match last night . We almost deferred . So I said to my partner last night when we just couldn't decide what we wanted to do , I said if it made a difference of which side her and I were playing , we would serve first because we could kind of check out our opponents and then decide who I wanted to hit against or who my partner wanted to hit against . But it really didn't matter . Plus , it was a trial level match , it's summertime , we're having fun , hopefully . So we were just like eh , whatever , I think we chose to receive because we wanted to just get in the match and get a couple returns and you know , see what they were like .
Speaker 2But yeah , I normally always choose server receive , but I think from now on I'm gonna defer , just to make it so that people are like what is wrong , exactly ?
Speaker 1person and I also did say this on our podcast . But , um , several months ago I don't even know what match I was watching a pro match on tv , that I was watching the warmup , and then you know they were spinning and taking their photo and all that stuff One of the pro players deferred . Some famous person that knows what they're talking about on TV said I have never seen someone defer . We've got to start doing that , I know Right , just to rattle people . But you know what else I do , what Sometimes I do this I'll , I'm going to receive
and I'll stay here . And someone has said to me that's two choices .
Speaker 2I'm like , oh sorry , yes , okay , well then , someone did that to me too . I had to be like , oh , you can't choose which one ? Do you want to choose Right , exactly yes that has happened and I actually saw men arguing about it at the state championship in a court beside me , because the person said they wanted to defer and someone said you can't do that .
Speaker 1Yes , you can .
Speaker 2Absolutely , and you can . It's on our rules card .
Speaker 1You can absolutely defer .
Speaker 2Please go to our rules card , so people are confused about it . So I think that's important . Yeah , that's funny . That's kind of like a gotcha .
Speaker 1It's like you get the choice , but you're like I'm going to give the choice back to you . I love say .
Speaker 2Unless it's the playoffs . No , I'm just kidding . Or the benefit of the doubt goes down the more serious you are . But yes , your opponents get the benefit of the doubt . So you can't say , oh , I didn't see it . Let's replay the point .
Speaker 1Never replay the point . That's a really good point , Carolyn . The other thing too is and I've had this happen and it is infuriating and I should have argued it at the time I don't know who wants to get in an argument , Right ? I don't have the energy . I'm just trying to get a ball on the other side of the court , hopefully more than one time Keep track of scoring .
Speaker 1But I have had someone tell me in singles I think the ball was out , and so she took the point . And now what I say , even in practice and I'm not trying to be a jerk but you can't think the ball is out . You either know the ball is out or you're unsure and you give up that point , right . I mean , there it's very cut and dry , right . But people like to like .
Speaker 2Oh , let's repay the point . I'm not sure , yeah . Or somebody will ask you like did you , you think that ball was out ? What do you think ? Yeah ? And you say , or I thought it was in , and they still call it out , exactly , you know even though they're not supposed to , because if they ask you , you're then supposed to go with what the opponent says .
Speaker 1See , we could have had a million other rules on this one .
Speaker 2Yeah , there's so many other rules .
Speaker 1We'll do Keep it to 10 and be as simple as possible . So okay , number nine . In order to claim a hindrance , you must stop play immediately . So give us an example .
Speaker 2Oh , man , Okay . Somebody throws up a lob and says , watch out . I've had this happen so many times . The person then at the net goes for an overhead and hits you know , right as they're saying watch out , it messes them up , but they still hit the ball into the net and then they say you can't do that .
Speaker 1Yes , so that's too late .
Speaker 2You have to catch the ball .
Speaker 1I've literally never seen anyone do it . I haven't either . You know what ? I can't think that quickly on my feet . That's the problem .
Speaker 2Yes , Like in my head I'm going you're not allowed to do that . And then you're hitting the ball , and then I hit the ball and then I'm like I shouldn't have hit it . This is all going through my head and I lose the point .
Speaker 1Yes , exactly . But if you are calling a hindrance which you are allowed to call hindrances on your opponents if they've distracted you somehow , you have to catch the ball before you hit it , before you hit the next ball .
Speaker 1You can't decide that you were hindered after you've played out the point , even if you like hit the next one and then the play , like even if you didn't mess it up or hit it into the net or you know , hit it out , you still can't play the next ball . And then the ball comes back to you and then you're like I was hindered two balls ago .
Speaker 2Right , right , which I think happens a lot . People then say something and you're like well , you played it Exactly so , okay .
Speaker 1Last one , at least on this rules card , is if a ball hits a permanent fixture like a scoreboard or a bench and lands in the correct court , the ball is out .
Speaker 2And I've had this happen to me , a lot of people A couple times .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2And every time we didn't know . After the first time I knew the rule . Right , but everybody else on the court didn't know it .
Speaker 1Yes , so there is a caveat to this , which there are , to all the rules which we're going to talk about
. But someone contacted us , I think Leah , who we did her questions at one point Remember we had a whole list of questions from Leah . Oh , yes , so she contacted me and there are local courts that she plays at that . The scoreboard is part of the net , so it's not like the one that we might bring . You can order off Amazon or something and stick on the top of the net . It's one that's actually affixed to the net and we contacted Rebel about that specifically . And if it is part of the net , even if it's the scoreboard and somehow crazy rolls over , spins over to your opponent's side and it's a winner , that's considered part of the net . That ball is still good .
Speaker 2Yeah , they consider it part of the net , not an actual scoreboard . They don't consider it a permanent fixture . No , that is a permanent . Oh yeah , it's not a permanent fixture , because if it hits a permanent fixture you lose the point .
Speaker 1But the other scoreboards that we generally see in our area are the ones that come out of the post that are tall right that , like everybody can see from courts far away , those , if it hits that scoreboard and lands in the correct court , it's out . Or if it hits a like it says a bench or what else would be sitting there , I don't know a light pole . Last night someone hit a shot on our court and it went up and it hit the lamp like way up in the air . Whatever you know .
Speaker 2Whatever , however , high lamps are light poles and came down in our court but we're like okay , that was a , it's not your point . You can find our rules card under the resources section of our website , which is SecondServePodcastcom . If there are any rules you wish you would have known when you started playing USTA matches , please contact us so we can include them in our next card . Also , if you're enjoying our podcast , we would greatly appreciate a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts , so others can find us . Thanks so much for listening and hope to see you on the court soon . You .