LRC TENNIS ETIQUETTE

 

KEEP COURTS TIDY AND SAFE

DO NOT damage the court surfaces, by leaving gum, sticky drinks, or other substances on the surface. Use non marking shoes.

Ensure that any equipment you are using on the court (spare racquets, bags, drinks, clothes) is placed out of the way and will not present a hazard to players changing ends or moving for a wide ball.

Close the gate behind you when you enter or leave the courts.

 

RESPECT PLAYERS ON THE COURT (OR ON ADJACENT COURTS)

Talk quietly if you are near courts that are in use

DO NOT yell across to your opponents to ask questions (ie: scores).  Wait until the point is complete and talk at the net.

Players should avoid using loud noises, like grunting, or calling out after a point is won or lost.

DONOT cross behind a court while a point is underway.  When the point is over, move quickly across the back of the court.

Spectators should not applaud players, errors, heckle players or call balls in or out.

 

DON’T TRY TO WIN THE WARM UP.

A player should make a special effort to hit their shots directly to their opponent at moderate pace to warm up all regular shots (forehand, backhand, ground strokes, volleys, overhead).

 

BE CONSIDERATE WHEN RETRIEVING OR RETURNING BALLS.

If a ball from your court goes onto another court, wait for a break in play on that court (and any courts between you and the court where the ball stops), and then politely ask for the players on that court to return the ball.  

 

If a ball presents a danger to a player on your court alert them IMMEDIATELY

 

Return balls that come onto your court, to the back of the court, at a break in play on that court.

If a ball comes into your court and disturbs your game, call a let and replay the point.

 

THE PRIME OBJECTIVE IN MAKING CALLS IS ACCURACY

A player calls shots landing in or aimed at his side of the court.

 

All out, let or fault calls should be made promptly.  Do not hit the ball back to the server when out, catch the ball or let it go out.

 

Any doubt between partners must be resolved in favour of the opponent.  Any ball that cannot be called out with certainty is considered to have been good.

 

A player should promptly acknowledge if a ball touches them, they touch the net, they double hit a ball, if the ball bounces twice or if they hit the ball before it crosses the net.

 

If a call is made from out to good, the point is only replayed if the out ball was put into play.

 

A player should not put into play or hit over the net an obvious fault.

 

Only change the score cards on the change over of sides.

 

KNOW THE CODE

“The Code: Guidelines for Unofficiated Matches” included in:  Rules of the Court (Tennis Canada)