Thursday Night Tennis Etiquette

Be positive, be patient, be polite, be a good sport

• Before commencing a game, introduce yourself to anyone you don’t know and offer a good match to each player on the court.

• Do return the let ball immediately (under the net) to the server. All balls should be returned this way.

• Do not return the first fault ball.

• It is courteous and advisable to remove any fault ball still on the court before the second serve.

• The result of the serves played is the call of the receiver (in the absence of an umpire) and must be played unless immediately called out.

• In or out calls are first and foremost made by the team or player on the side where the ball lands.

• On the line, just touched the outside of the line, or any doubt of it very close to or touching the line is counted as in serve/court (benefit of the doubt).

• If a call is seriously in dispute please offer to replay the point with a new serve.

• The server calls out the score immediately before the next serve.

• Disagree with the score? Politely tell the server.

• Any intrusion from off the game court which disrupts/interferes with the safety of the players and or the play or player/s must be called for a “let” asap not after the point has ended.

• Should a let be called due to an expected intrusion from off the court then it is a replay of two serves.

• The tennis net is out of bounds [anyone who touches the net in play, forfeits the point].

• Do not travel under or over nets.

• Do not interrupt other games/players by walking around their game/court, where possible walk around the outside of the court’s fences.

• Every absentee from an up & coming team game must find a replacement and advise the captain or a team member of the replacements name and contact.

• Please be on time for your game - everyone's time is valuable.  

• Running late? Please advise your captain.

• Social games do not mean - work the weakest player.

• At the end of the match, shake hands with all the players.

• Change of “ends” for tournament play: after 1st game, 3rd game, odd numbers.

• Tie breakers – 6 games each, start with 1 serve from the right; change service for 2 serves, 1st from the left then the right, change of ends at 6 points, 12 & so on  first to seven points or win by two points.

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Mangawhai tennis should be fun, fair and flowing.

Winners shout! A round.