If you're going to put a lot of time, effort and money into playing tennis, you should also put some time and effort into learning the rules of tennis. I'm a huge advocate of knowing the rules because points, games and matches are won and lost based on the proper, and sometimes the improper, application of the rules. I can definitely remember at least 3 times when I gave up a point to an opponent because I didn't know what the rule was in some unusual, weird situation. And my opponent at least convincingly acted as if she knew the rule.
So let's talk about at least one weird application of the tennis rules that I've never seen in any of my matches but I have seen in a pro match and I've heard of other people coming up against. It's the rule about reaching over the net – when you can and when you can't.
First, do you remember when we talked about this rule about a year ago? I'm guessing not (although maybe (hopefully) you're so fixated on tennis that you have every post here memorized). The post was Reaching Over The Net and in it, I gave some tips about how to handle the opponent who plays so close to the net that you're pretty sure she's reaching across it to return the ball. This is a problem for your opponent because Rule 24(h) of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis says that a player loses the point if “[t]he player hits the ball before it has passed the net . . . .” It's a problem for you because it's up to your opponent to make this call, not you, so you have to rely on her to fess up.
There is, however, one situation where you or your opponent can reach across the net. The USTA's website gives a great explanation in the article (click on the title to read the whole article). This article explains:
If the spin or wind brings the ball back over the net to the side of the player(s) who hit the shot, the opponent(s) may then reach over the net and play the ball. They may not touch the net or the opponent’s court. This is the only situation when a player may reach over the net to play a ball. If the opponent does not play the ball and it bounces on the side of the player who hit the spin shot, that player who hit that shot wins the point.
So are you picturing this? Your opponent hits some kind of nasty spin drop shot that comes over the net, bounces on your side but then spins backward over the net to their side of the court. You need to reach over and tap the ball into their court, without touching the net or their side of the court. If you fail to tap the ball with your racquet and it lands back on their side, they win the point.
While this is a weird rule that you probably won't see too often, that one time you do see it, you'll know the rule. And now that you know it, maybe its some inspiration for working on your nasty spin drop shot.
© Kim Selzman 2010 All Rights Reserved
This happened to me during a tournament. I hit some wicked spin, and it came back over the net. The opposing player reached over, and slapped the ball INTO the net on my side…I was very upset when I learned the ruling….
I saw this a couple of times in Harlingen at a Men’s futures event – the guys put crazy spin on the ball and it was very windy. Needless to say the fans loved it!
Happened to me two days ago. I hit a poor shot to an opponent near the net and he goes to smash the ball but miss times shot poorly, ball comes off frame and spins back over the net. My partner was ducking for cover and was too slow to react, he hits net trying to reach the ball. Lost my serve thank to that a couple of double faults.
Happened to me yesterday during friendly game. Opponent reached over the net and scored the point, althought neither of us knew the rule. I myself didn’t know how to react to this situation when it happened.
Could I have made this point by hitting the ball prior to my opponent when it came back spinning over my half of the court ???
Or is this not allowed ?
I could have reached this crazy backspinning ball easily prior to my opponent reaction, but I hesitated not sure wether this was allowed or not …
Does anyone know the answer to this ?
Or is this described by the common rules of tennisstrokes ?
If you hit the ball before your opponent has a chance to then you have hit it twice in a row and therefore lose the point.
Can the opponent , however, place his body or racket between you and the ball, preventing you from hitting it. He is after all on his side of the court and has a right to be anywhere on his side and do anything with his racket except throw it?
I think the rule should be that one should NEVER be allowed to reach over the net, just because of safety reasons. Because in doubles you could end up hitting one of your opponents when you reach over the net. The exception of reaching over the net, should therefore be banned from the tennis rules in my opinion.
Two questions I need answering on the rules.
Last year I played a game in a strong wind that was blowing towards us in a doubles match ,but also at a slight angle to the right as I faced the net.
One of my opponents hit a lob which landed on our base line hit from his base line.
I ran back and only just collected it with a lefthanded back hand which went high into the wind at an angle again to the right side of the net and just made it over the net with a massive amount of backspin.
He was late to react but suddenly realised it was going to make it but he had not time to play the “leaning over the net shot”.
The ball landed and bounced very high and was taken back on our side but because of the angle it was heading well off the court to the right.
He had time to run round the net and play the ball back into the net from a position off the court but on our side of the net.
He claimed the point as he said at no time did he trespass onto our court.
So question one is there a rule that states a player cannot go round the net to play such a ball from a position off the court?
Question two. I was standing right up against the net and my opponent was doing the same on the other side. A high ball came to him and anticipating the smash I just held up my racket vertically somewhere in the area where I thought the ball would be, keeping the racket on my side of the net, but without making a stroke.
He smashed it successfully past me but his follow through hit my racket on my side of the court. Was this my point?
Regards the backward side twisting ball, I successfully ran around the net and hit a winner, but they claimed the point saying I could not touch any extension of their side of the net. Haven’t read the definitive rule however.
I have just had the exact same situation in a school match where I am the coach. No one was sure about the ruling so we played a let but I would love to know the definitive rule
Just saw this happen May 16th 2016. My son was playing doubles and his opponent hit the ball with backspin, the ball returned to the opponents side where my son reached over the net and hit the ball winning the point. The opponents looked confused but didn’t challenge.
I myself have not seen this happen in a match although I did recently hit a ball during drills that spun back over the net – and no one was quite sure what to do about it. I’m glad your son was smart enough to know and to win the point!