The Rules of Tennis
Since it is 2021, I started looking around for the updated USTA Friend at Court for the current year. As (eventually) confirmed by whoever is behind the USTA Officiating email address, it is not out yet. Long time readers of may recall that the 2020 rules discussion started out using the 2019 version of the USTA Friend at Court. There apparently is a little lag at the first of each year.
In the meantime, the 2021 Rules of Tennis were released by the ITF. Either there were no updates to the ITF rules or I managed to overlook the changes. It would be helpful if the document contained change markings, but it does not. The USTA reprints the ITF Rules of Tennis as the first major section of the Friend at Court publication.
There is companion document to the ITF Rules of tennis that summarizes the 2021 authorized variations to the rules. The approved variations are for the purpose of evaluating potential permanent changes to the Rules of Tennis. All of the modifications for this year were extensions of evaluations that were previously authorized for 2020.
The most broadly relevant item of note in the authorized variation list is that Player Analysis Technology equipment may be attached directly to the net post to enable line-calling and player analytics. I guess this is the first time that I thought about the fact that attaching those devices to the net posts would be prohibited.
At the tour level, the WTA is authorized to continue the player coaching experiment at select events. The alternative tie break procedures used in Grand Slam events is similarly an authorized variation. Specifically, those are the 10 point tie-break game at 6-6 in the final set of the Australian Open, and the standard tie-break at 12-12 in the final set at Wimbledon.
There are also some items for beach tennis and quick start tennis in the 2021 approved variations list. Those are forms of tennis that have yet to be discussed by the Fiend at Court. Probably I will never play quick start tennis. Beach tennis has real possibilities, however.
I continue to wait in eager anticipation for the release of the 2021 USTA Friend at Court.
- International Tennis Federation, ITF Rules of Tennis, 2021.
- International Tennis Federation, Rules of Tennis 2021 Variations to the Rules, 2021.
