When Exactly Do Players Switch Sides?
I overheard a heated discussion today between two men who were debating the exact rules regarding when players must switch sides of the court in tennis. I thought this was a great topic to clear up so that there is no longer any confusion on this topic.
Who Creates, Manages And Is Responsible For The Rules Of Tennis
Before we analyze the rules, let’s first address who is responsible for the rules. The International Tennis Federation (ITF), based in London, is the world governing body of tennis. The ITF is responsible for creating and overseeing the rules of tennis. As stated on the ITF website, “As guardians of the game, the ITF is responsible for the rules of tennis.”
The ITF is governed by a Constitution. Interestingly, the ITF Constitution states that the “official and decisive text of the Rules of Tennis shall be for ever in the English language.”
The official rules of tennis established by the ITF can be found on the ITF website.
What Are the Different Circumstances When Players Switch Sides?
To understand the rules regarding switching sides of the court, one must look at Rule 10 of the official rules. Rule 10 clearly explains that players switch sides at the end of each odd game in a set. The rules state:
“The players shall change ends at the end of the first, third and every subsequent odd game of each set. The players shall also change ends at the end of each set unless the total number of games in that set is even, in which case the players change ends at the end of the first game of the next set.
During a tie-break game, players shall change ends after every six points.”
Tie breaks are considered to be a game, and since sets with a tie break always in with a final score of 7-6, these sets always end with an odd number of games.
Does It Matter If The Set Ends In An Even Or Odd Number Of Games?
The debate that I overheard today was discussing what happens at the end of the set and whether it matters if a set ends in odd or even numbers. One man argued that players always switch sides at the end of the set and the second man disagreed.
The rules are clear that the second man is correct. Players only switch sides at the end of the set if the set ends in an odd number, such a 6-3. If the set ends in an even number, such as 6-4, the players do not switch sides at the end of the set. In this case, they will switch sides at the end of the first game of the next set.
What is interesting about this scenario is that, according to Rule 29(a), players get to rest for up to 2 minutes at the end of each set. So, when the set ends in an even number of games, the players get to rest and then go back to the same side where they were previously playing.
The discussion gets even more interesting when considering what happens when the set ends in an odd number. As discussed, the players will switch sides at the end of the set AND they will switch sides again at the end of the first game of the next set. In this instance, they end up switching sides two games in a row, as players always switch sides after the first game of every set.
I hope this clarifies Rule 10 of the official rules. I love to analyze the rules so please reach out to us if you have any questions about any other rules and we will analyze the rule for you.
