ASI Intramural Tennis Rules

  1. The Game
    1. Game time is forfeit time. If the minimum amount of players is not present at game
      time, the entire match will be forfeited. All players should be checked in with the
      Intramural Sports Supervisor or officials with current POLYID by game time. Please
      refer to the ASI Intramural Sports Handbook for the forfeit policy description.
    2. The Players
      1. Players will pick up game cards from the Intramural Office before game time, fill them out, and return them to the office after the game
    3. Manager Meeting
      1. Tennis is self-officiated. Players will fill out and turn in game cards after the match.
      2. Team captains will play rock-paper-scissors for the choice of court side or service. The winning captain chooses their preference and the other team captain receives the remaining choice.
      3. Teams will change sides after the first game.
    4. Team Spokesperson
      1. The team manager is responsible for communicating with the other team manger over any discrepancies
    5. The Court
      1. Tennis matches will take place at the tennis courts adjacent to the Recreation Center.
    6. Player Restrictions
      1. Participants may only play on one team per gender league (i.e. one men’s/women’s league and one co-rec league). If a gender league folds due to an insufficient amount of teams or is not offered, the participant will be allowed to play on two co-rec teams in separate divisions. This is the only time a player may play in multiple divisions within a sport (i.e. Men’s D2 and Men’s D3, or CoRec D2 and Co-Rec D3).
      2. If an IFC Division is offered, men may play in either the IFC or men’s division, but not both. If a Panhellenic league is offered, women may play in either the Panhellenic or women’s division, but not both.
      3. Club sport players are only allowed to play in Division 1, unless the highest division offered is Division 2. There may only be two club players on the court at a time, but there is no limit to the number of club players on a team.
      4. Intercollegiate athletes may not participate in an ASI Intramural Sport similar to their Cal Poly sport until a minimum of three academic quarters (not including summer) after they have been on their Cal Poly sport’s active roster. They are, however, eligible to play an ASI Intramural Sport dissimilar to the sport they play for Cal Poly.
  2. Equipment/Dress Code
    1. Dress Code
      1. Closed-toed shoes must be worn at all times during play
      2. Athletic attire must be worn at all times during play
    2. Jewelry
      1. No jewelry is allowed. If a player has jewelry on during the game it is a side out or a point for the other team.
  3. Co-Rec Rules
    1. In a co-rec doubles league, partners must alternate serves
    2. All co-rec games must abide by the N+1 Rule. There may only be a difference of one between the number of men and women players on the court at a time.
  4. Tennis Rules
    1. Game Length
      1. The first person to win two out of three sets wins the match
    2. Scoring
      1. Scoring will progress from love (zero) to 15 (first point), to 30, then 40. The point scored after 40 wins the game. If the game goes to deuce (tied at 40-40), a player must go two points ahead to win it.
      2. The first player to win six games takes the set, provided the opposing player has won no more than four games
      3. First person to win two out of three sets wins the match
    3. Our-of-Bounds
      1. A ball that hits the lines is counted as being in play
    4. The Service
      1. One person serves an entire game and is given two service tries each time the ball is put in play. (NOTE: The outside alleys are only in play during a doubles match.)
      2. The ball is served diagonally from behind the base line so that it bounces beyond the net, in the opposite service court
      3. A let ball (one that caroms off the top of the net into the proper service court) does not count as a fault (bad serve) but does require a re-serve
      4. Service alternates after points, between the right- and left-hand courts
      5. After the first game and all odd-numbered games, the players change ends of the court
      6. Once the service puts the ball in play, players may hit it into any part of the opponent’s court until a point is scored. Rallies won by either player score points.
    5. Serving Order
      1. After assigned to a court, teams will spin a racket to determine who serves first
      2. Co-rec teams must alternate men and women servers; if there are only five players, two players of the same gender may serve consecutively
    6. The point is lost if:
      1. The player serves two consecutive faults
      2. The player does not return the ball in play before it bounces twice consecutively
      3. The player returns the ball in play so that it hits the ground, or before it bounces, an object, outside the correct court
      4. The player returns the ball in play so that, before it bounces, it hits a permanent fixture
      5. The receiver returns the service before it bounces
      6. The player deliberately carries or catches the ball in play on the racket or deliberately touches it with the racket more than once
      7. The player or racket, whether in the player’s hand or not, or anything which the player is wearing or carrying touches the net, net posts/singles sticks, cord or metal cable, strap or band, or the opponent’s court at any time while the ball is in play
      8. The player hits the ball before it has passed the net
      9. The ball in play touches the player or anything that the player is wearing, or carrying, except the racket
      10. The ball in play touches the racket when the player is not holding it
      11. The player deliberately and materially changes the shape of the racket when the ball is in play
      12. In doubles, both players touch the ball while returning it