Playing a doubles tennis match is a great way to spend an afternoon with friends. All you need is the right equipment, three friends, and some knowledge of the game. Here are the rules you need to know to play doubles.

Court Usage

The first rule you need to know to play doubles is correct court usage. Tennis courts have four lines that run down the court surface. The two outer lines are the boundaries for playing doubles tennis. This positioning makes the doubles court about nine feet wider than the singles court. However, the baseline stays in the same position for both singles and doubles games.

Court Position

Another thing to know when playing doubles tennis is proper court position. Positioning yourself on the court is slightly different during a doubles match than playing singles because you have two players on each side of the court instead of one. For example, if your partner is serving, you can position yourself up at the net and play from there while your partner remains at the baseline. Or you can both begin at the baseline with each of you taking one half of the court.

Serves and Returns

Serves and returns are the next rules to know for playing doubles. If it’s your team’s turn to serve, decide between you and your partner who will be serving the ball for that set. Whoever you choose will continue to serve for the remainder of that particular game. When the other team is serving, you and your partner will take turns returning the ball across the net.

Rallying

The last doubles tennis rule to know is rallying. During a rally, each team may only hit the ball one time. If someone hits the ball more than once, the team at fault will lose the point. Any player can hit the ball when rallying, but it can be helpful to divide the court into specific zones for each player. This strategy allows you and your teammate to handle whatever balls get hit to your side of the court.

Now that you have the rules you need to know to play doubles, you can grab a few friends and play a great tennis match today! All Star Tennis Supply has all the tennis court equipment you need to get started, including nets, posts, accessories, and even tennis court benches.