What colour can the tennis balls be?
White or yellow. Balls are determined by the tournament organisors.
A ball is broken if ___. What would you do if this occurred?
The ball has no compression, or the surface is badly damaged.
Take the ball out of play and replace.
Replay the point only if the ball broke or became damaged during the point.
A ball is soft if ___. What would you do if this occurred?
The ball has less compression than normal.
Take the ball out of play and replace.
Do not replay the point.
When would you replace the balls?
- As soon as it’s practical to do so.
a) best not to stop play.
b) if needed wait until the changeover/set break.
Play may be stopped to replace a ball(s) if there is/only…
1 ball in play when using 2 balls.
2 balls in play when using 3 or 4 balls.
3 balls in play when using 6 balls.
What type of ball do you replace if the ball needs to be replaced during warmup or before the 1st point of the match is played?
New ball.
What type of ball do you replace if the ball needs to be replaced within 2 games of a ball change? (ie. before the 1st point of the 3rd game after a ball change was played)
New ball
What type of ball do you replace if the ball needs to be replaced after the 1st point of the match was played and until the 1st ball change?
Used ball of similar wear.
What type of ball do you replace if the ball needs to be replaced after the 1st point of the 3rd game after a ball change was played, i.e. when the balls were used for more than 2 games?
Used ball of similar wear.
Ball changes can occur either:
- After an agreed off number of games (ie. 7/9, 9/11, 11/13 or 17/19)
- At the start of the set, regardless of who the server is. (ie. Ball change final set)
(This is determined by the tournament guidelines)
(warm up counts for 2 games)
If a ball change was forgotten what should you do?
- Change the balls when the player/team who should have served with new balls is next due to serve in a standard game. This includes the the ball change at the beginning of the set. e.g. final set ball change only.
- Thereafter, change the balls after the agreed odd number of games.
- Never change the balls during a game, before the start of a tiebreak or during a tiebreak/match tiebreak.
If the balls have been changed too early, what should you do?
If discovered before the start of a game:
- Put original balls back in play
- Then change the balls after the agreed odd number of games
If discovered DURING a game:
- Finish the game with the new balls
Player/team DUE to serve next with new balls got them early
- balls stay in play for the agreed number of games
Player/team NOT DUE to serve next with new balls got them early
- change the balls again when the player/team that should have served with new balls serves again in a standard game.
- thereafter change the balls after the agreed number of games.
If ball change is due at the start of the tiebreak, what do you do?
- do not change the balls before starting a tiebreak
- change the balls after the 1st game of the following set
- the tiebreaks counts as 1 game
Re-warm up: If the match HASN’T started…
- do not use the balls used for the previous warm-up
- re-warm up with new balls
- play the match with these balls
Re-warm up: If the match HAS started…
Re-warm with:
- New balls if a ball change is due when the match/play resumes
- New balls within 2 games after a ball change
- Used balls of similar wear after the start of the 3rd game after a ball change
Resume the match with
- The match balls if at least 1 point was played with these balls
- New balls if a ball change is due when play resumes
