The Rules of Tennis
Every Wednesday this site contemplates a rule taken sequentially from the ITF Rules of Tennis as contained in the USTA’s Friend at Court. Today’s rule is from the “Continuous Play” section. The general principal underpinning all the rules in this section is that play should be continuous from the moment that the first serve is put into play until the match is completed.
I am starting to think that what the rules in the “Continuous Play” section define is when exceptions to this principal either exist or do not exist. Today’s rule is a case where extra time is allowed as well as a curious case when extra time is not allowed.
If, for reasons outside the player’s control, clothing, footwear or necessary equipment (excluding the racket) is broken or needs to be replaced, the player may be allowed reasonable extra time to rectify the problem.
USTA Friend at Court, 29(b)
Right off the bat on this one, I have to reflect on the glory of the modern term “wardrobe malfunction.” Some of the more random items I carry in my tennis bag are safety pins. This can fix a variety of clothing issues. It is nice to know that there is some leeway in time to rectify wardrobe malfunctions.
Footwear is also explicitly mentioned in this rule. I suspect that the general playing public is aware of that part of the rule due to recent issues that Stefanos Tsitsipas has experienced with the laces of his shoes. Nick Kyrgios rather hilariously assisted him with this issue during a match at the Citi Open in Washington DC last year.
I would observe that I carry a spare shoelace in my tennis bag as well. In addition to being used for the obvious purpose of lacing up a shoe, it could also be used as a spare drawstring. I once used my spare lace to lash up a tennis net.
The rule begs the question as to exactly how much time is reasonable. There is a separate document published by the USTA that contains scenarios and interpretations of the rules. That secondary source is used as a part of umpire training. The USTA indicates that “reasonable time” is determined by the official based on a number of variables. It also indicates that rarely would more than 15 minutes be considered reasonable.
It is curious that the racquet is excluded from the items that can garner extra time to repair. My best guess is because conditions that would make a racquet unplayable would also take lengthy time to repair. Alternatively perhaps it is a vast conspiracy from racquet and string manufacturers to require players to always have at least one spare racquet in their bag. I think that theory has legs.
Per the USTA definition of “reasonable, “extra time can include a quick jog up to the pro-shop, but not a trip to a sporting goods store. It is probably a good idea to think through potential wardrobe and equipment malfunctions and have whatever might be needed in the tennis bag. A safety pin or spare shoelace could be a match saver.
Referenced Sources
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
- United States Tennis Association (2016) USTA Officiating: Scenarios and Interpretations
