Official Rules for Short Version Tennis

Short-court tennis, also known as short tennis, is a version of the game played on only half the court. Since the game is generally played only by children or those just learning the game, there is no professional league or official governing body for the sport. However, short-court tennis is played in the Special Olympics, which publishes an official set of rules largely in keeping with those issued by the International Tennis Federation, tennis's world governing body.

  1. Court Size

    • The standard size for a tennis court is a rectangle measuring 78 feet by 27 feet, with a net cutting across the court width wise. 21 feet on either side of the net are the service lines. Short-court tennis is only played within the space of these service lines, with all other areas considered out of bounds. The alleys used in doubles matches, in which the court is extended an additional four and one half feet on either side, from 27 feet to 36, are also considered out of bounds, even in doubles play.

    Service

    • Rather than serve from the baseline--the lines than run width wise at the end of each rectangle--players in short-court tennis serve from the service line. If the server steps over the service line prior to hitting the ball, it is considered a foot fault.

    Ball Size

    • PTR speed balls are the official balls of short-court tennis. These balls come in three colors of various sizes and speeds--red, yellow and orange. Red balls, composed of sponge, are the slowest and are designed for the youngest players. For slightly older players, orange balls are compressed at a lower density for a lower bounce. Finally, green tennis balls are inflated to a compression just short of regulation yellow tennis balls, and used for players of the highest short-court skill level.

    Scoring

    • According to International Tennis Federation rules, Special Olympics games are considered junior-level matches, meaning that players play the best of three sets. Individual set are decided with tie-breaker games, except for the final set, in which players must win by two games.

    Touching the Ball

    • Because of the shortened court, players stand a comparatively greater risk of being hit by a ball, particularly in doubles play. If a player is hit by a ball on any part of their person other than their racket, they lose the point.

    Doubles

    • In the Special Olympics, players can participate in both traditional doubles play, in which both players are Special Olympians, or in unified doubles play, in which only one partner on each team is a Special Olympian.