This week this site’s “steady” march through the official rules of tennis has moved into an exciting new Appendix. In fact, I suspect that this is a part of the official ITF Rules of Tennis that the majority of players aren’t even aware exists. Had we reached this topic a month earlier, people might have wondered if it is my idea of an April Fool’s joke. It’s not.
Beach Tennis is a variation of the sport that falls under the International Tennis Federation (ITF) jurisdiction. The rules that appear in the USTA Friend at Court are essentially a reprint of the ITF Rules of Tennis. As a National Federation, the USTA does not have the authority to change the tennis rules unilaterally. However, the organization can augment the rules with comments which indicate how the rules are interpreted at USTA sanctioned events.
Consequently, the ITF asserts authority over the Rules of Beach Tennis in Appendix X of the ITF Rules of Tennis. That section is reprinted verbatim in the USTA Friend at Court.
The Rules of Beach Tennis are approved by the Rules of Tennis Committee and the Board of Directors and can be found on http://www.itftennis.com/en/itf-tours/beach- tennis-tour/
ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix X, The Rules of Beach Tennis
The ITF Rules of Beach Tennis runs more than 30 pages. It has similarities and some pretty significant departures from traditional lawn/court tennis rules. Over the next few weeks, I plan to use the ITF Rules of Beach Tennis as a backdrop that explains how to play this tennis variation.
When this site was launched on New Year’s Eve in 2019, I had recently become aware that Beach Tennis was a real thing. In fact, I promised the Trophy Husband that when we reached this part of the rules, we would likely travel to a beach for some “field research.”
We have fortuitously reached this topic immediately before the summer months. The timing arguably couldn’t be better. However, the tyranny of the calendar and other life commitments creates some constraints that will be a challenge.
Additionally, neither of us is exactly in “beach body” shape at the moment. That is certainly a consideration. Perhaps this can be our inspiration.
- Friend at Court: The Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, USTA, 2023
- ITF Rules of Tennis, International Tennis Federation, 2023
- ITF Rules of Beach Tennis, International Tennis Federation, 2023
