Tennis Doubles: Serving Rules

In many respects doubles tennis is the same as the singles game. Points are scored the same way and the same equipment is used. The primary difference is that the court for doubles' games is wider by 9 feet. However, the presence of four players on the court does require certain rules to apply to the playing and receiving of serves.

  1. General Serving

    • The rules governing the actual act of serving remain the same as those in the singles game. The server must stand behind the baseline and to the right or left of the center line. However, they are not allowed to stand outside the sideline of the court. The service for the first point of a game must always be conducted from the right of the center marking, into the receiver's right service court (the service courts are the boxes marked from the net to halfway down the court). Points are then alternated into alternate service courts until the game is won.

    Doubles Serving

    • The doubles partners who are serving first can decide between themselves which of them serves the first service game. The other partner will serve the third game and so on, in an alternating pattern. The opponents decide who is to serve the second game and who the fourth, also alternating until the end of the set. Players can change the order of serving only at the end of each set. If a partner on one team serves out of turn, the correct server must resume service as soon as the mistake is discovered. However, all points and faults recorded during the error will stand.

    Doubles Receiving

    • The order in which players receive is decided at the beginning of each set. Whoever receives the first serve of the first game will do so for all other odd-numbered games until the set ends. The opposition will decide who will receive the first point of the second game and they will do so for all even-numbered games in the set. Players can only change the order of receiving at the end of each set. Within games, players alternate receiving serves. If the order of receiving is altered within a game, the receiving couple shall continue with the new order until the end of the game during which the mistake was discovered. They shall then resume the original order of reception during their next receiving game.

    Partner

    • The partner of both the server and the receiver are permitted to stand anywhere on their own side of the court, inside or outside of the court markings, even if this obscures the view of the server or receiver. Indeed, such obstruction may be used as a strategy.

    Faults

    • As in singles tennis, a service is a fault if it fails to clear the net or bounces outside of the service court markings. However, it is also a fault if the ball touches the server's partner, or, indeed, any item of clothing they are wearing or their racket.