Rules for Switching Sides in Tennis Doubles

Tennis is a popular sport across the world both among professionals and amateurs. It exercises muscle groups in the legs, arms, neck and torso and develops and maintains hand-eye coordination. Tennis is played by two ("singles"), three ("Canadian doubles") or four ("doubles") players at a time, and can be played by people of all ages, from children to seniors.

Amateurs rely on the rulebook and also on unwritten etiquette for a smooth game.

  1. Doubles

    • Doubles is a tennis game played by four people, with two players on each side of the net, using the entire court. Players alternate serve, with Team A, Player 1 serving first, followed by Team B, Player 1; Team A, Player 2; and finally Team B, Player 2. The serve then reverts to Team A, Player 1.

      As a new set begins, teams may reverse the order of which player serves, as long as the order is maintained throughout each set.

    Switching Sides Between Games

    • After odd numbered games, teams switch sides of the net. Throughout a set, players on the same team must maintain the sides of the court they first claimed. That is, if Team A, Player 1 is on the right side (deuce court), he must remain on the right side, even after the teams switch sides of the net.

    Switching Sides of the Court

    • Players on the same doubles team may switch sides of the court for the start of a new set. That is, if Player 1 starts the match on the right side of the court and Player 2 on the left, they must maintain their sides of the court throughout the first set. They may decide to switch sides for the second set. They must then maintain those sides throughout the second set, and may again decide to switch sides for the start of the third set.

    Switching Sides During Points

    • Once a point has started, the players may travel the court as required by the point as long as they stay on their side of the net. That is, the player that starts on the right side may move to the left side during the point, but must return to the right for the start of the next point.

    Serving and "Australian" Formation

    • The serving team switches sides after every point so that the player serving puts the ball in play from alternate sides of the court. Typically, the net player plays on the opposite side of the court from the serving player, but sometimes players choose an "Australian" formation, both starting from the same side of the court, with the server moving to the other side after the ball is put in play.