THE CODE

THE PLAYERS’ GUIDE FOR UNOFFICIATED MATCHES

WHEN TO CONTACT AN OFFICIAL

38. Withdrawing from a match or tournament. A player shall not enter a tournament and then withdraw when the player discovers that tough opponents have also entered. A player may withdraw from a match or tournament only because of injury, illness, or personal emergency. A player who cannot play a match shall notify the Referee at once so that the opponent may be saved a trip. A player who withdraws from a tournament is not entitled to the return of the entry fee unless the player withdrew more than six days before the start of the tournament.

39. Stalling. The following actions constitute stalling :

• warming up longer than the allotted time;

• playing at about one-third a player’s normal pace;

• taking more than 90 seconds on the odd-game changeover; or more than 120 seconds on the Set Break.

• taking longer than the authorized 10 minutes during a rest period;

• starting a discussion or argument in order for a player to catch his or her breath;

• clearing a missed first service that doesn’t need to be cleared; and

• excessive bouncing of the ball before any serve.

A player who encounters a problem with stalling should contact an official. Stalling is subject to penalty under the Point Penalty System.

40. Requesting an official. While normally a player may not leave the playing area, the player may contact the Referee or a Roving Umpire to request assistance. Some reasons for visiting the Referee include:

• stalling;
• chronic flagrant foot faults;
• a Medical Time-Out
• a scoring dispute; and
• a pattern of bad calls.

A player may refuse to play until an official responds.

BALL ISSUES

41. Retrieving stray balls. Each player is responsible for removing stray balls and other objects from the player’s end of the court. A player’s request to remove a ball from the opponent’s court must be honored. A player shall not go behind an adjacent court to retrieve a ball, nor ask a player for return of a ball from players on an adjacent court until their point is over. When a player
returns a ball that comes from an adjacent court, the player shall wait until their point is over and then return it directly to one of the players, preferably the server.

42. Catching a ball. If a player catches a ball before it bounces, the player loses the point regardless of where the player is standing.

43. New balls for a third set. When a tournament specifies new balls for a third set, new balls shall be used unless all players agree otherwise.

MISCELLANEOUS

44. Clothing and equipment malfunction. If clothing or equipment, other than a racket, becomes unusable through circumstances outside the control of the player, play may be suspended for a reasonable period. The player may leave the court after the point is over to correct the problem. If a racket or
string is broken, the player may leave the court to get a replacement, but the player is subject to code violations under the Point Penalty System.

45. Placement of towels. Place towels on the ground outside the net post or at the back fence. Clothing and towels should never be placed on the net.

Note: The Code is not part of the official ITF Rules of Tennis.  It was meant to be used as a guide for unofficiated matches.  This edition of The Code is an adaptation of the original, which was written by Colonel Nicolas E. Powel.

Copyright © 2007 by United States Tennis Association. All Rights Reserved.