Today we celebrate moving into “A Good Return” in the ITF Rules of Tennis as published within the USTA Friend at Court. Sometimes in tennis vernacular, the word “return” is specific to the first shot after a service. However in the rules of tennis, the word return includes every shot after the service.
A good return is a shot that does not result in a loss of point for the player who struck the ball. The section contains 6 lettered subsections, and two ITF case rulings. Glancing over the contents of this section, I have come to the realization that I have already covered a lot of what constitutes a good return in other sections. This makes sense because many of these are mirror opposites of cases in “Player Loses Point.”
It is a good return if:
a. The ball touches the net, net posts/singles sticks, cord or metal cable, strap or band, provided that it passes over any of them and hits the ground within the correct court; except as provided in Rule 2 and 24 (d)
USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, Section 25.
In April, I wrote about the historical legality of net-cord strokes in “The Net-Cord Stroke” and “More on the Net-Cord Stroke.” At the time I wrote that, I believed that I was injecting a topic that is not mentioned in the ITF Rules of Tennis. I was wrong. Now seems like a good time for a reminder that this project is a journey of discovery. I am learning a lot along the way.
Not surprisingly, I find that with two previous posts on the topic already published, that I do not have much else to say specifically about the net-cord shot. It is a stroke of luck. I perceive that I benefit from tips of the net more frequently than I am hurt by it. It is just a part of the game of tennis.
For the sake of completeness, Rule 2 is the definition of permanent fixtures, which continues to haunt my march through the rules. Rule 24 (d) is the specification that if a player hits a ball that strikes a permanent fixture that the the point is lost. You see? No matter where I turn… permanent fixtures.
I am anticipating that we will be moving through “A Good Return” at a fairly brisk pace since so much of the rules have already been covered one way or another.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
