What's the Score?
Have you ever had a dispute with a fellow player over a call on the court that you couldn’t settle? Maybe you’re just curious about how some scenarios, from the common to the ridiculous, are resolved.
I was playing in my local league singles match, and after a really long rally, we forgot the score. My opponent, who was serving, said it was 40-15, but I thought the score was 30-30. What is the proper procedure figuring out what the score should be?
Don't beat yourself up. This happens more often than you would think. I bet a few pros would forget the score after a long rally if they didn't have a Chair Umpire announcing it. There are three ways to come to an agreement on the score. The first way is to count up all the points and games that you both agree on. You would then replay those that you don't agree on. If that doesn't work, you can replay from a score that you mutually agree on. And if you still can't agree, toss a coin or spin a racquet to settle the dispute (but hopefully, it doesn't come to that).
This rule is #32 of The Code (The Players' Guide to Fair Play and The Unwritten Rules of Tennis) in the Friend at Court.
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For the "Friend at Court" handbook and more information on the rules of tennis, visit the rules and regulations homepage.
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