Etiquette & Sportsmanship

For over a century, players in unofficiated matches have followed an understanding often written down as "The Code." Its first principle is simple: a player calls the lines on their own side of the net, and is expected to do it honestly — even when an honest call costs them the point.

You are not just trying to win; you are trying to win cleanly. A point won by a bad call is not really won at all. Your reputation as a fair player will follow you far longer than any single score.

Arrive on time and ready to move, so you are not stealing your opponent's court time to stretch. During the warm-up — the "knock-up" — the goal is to help your opponent get loose, not to win it. Hit balls toward them, feed your practice serves, keep the rally alive. The warm-up is courtesy, not competition.

To decide who serves first and which end to start, players spin the racket. One player calls "up or down" while the other spins it on the ground; the logo on the butt-cap settles facing up or down. Whoever wins the spin chooses one of four things: to serve, to receive, which end to start — or to make the other player choose first.

You judge only the balls that land on your side of the net. You never call a ball on your opponent's side — that is their job, and questioning it is rude. A ball is "out" only if you can clearly see space between the ball and the line. Touching the line, even by a hair, is in.

The server announces the score before every point — their own number first, then the receiver's (for example, "thirty–fifteen"). Say it loud enough to be heard across the net. This keeps both players honest and catches mistakes early. If you ever disagree on the score, don't argue: go back to the last score you both agree on and replay from there.

Stand still and stay quiet while your opponent is serving or playing a point — movement and noise behind the baseline are distracting and unfair. Wait until a point is completely over before you walk, talk, or pick up a stray ball.

Look after the balls: give the server all their balls before they serve, rolling or feeding them gently rather than firing them across the net. If a ball from another court rolls onto yours, hold the point and return it only when their play has stopped — and never run onto a neighbouring court while a point is live. A quick "thank you" when someone returns your ball costs nothing.

Sometimes a ball clips the net and trickles over, or catches the frame and flies into an unreachable corner — a point won purely by luck. Tradition asks you to raise your hand to say "sorry" to your opponent. You still take the point; the gesture simply acknowledges that skill had nothing to do with it. It is one of the small courtesies that keeps the game friendly.

Never throw, slam, or break your racket, and keep your language clean — both are signs of a player who has lost control, and on many courts they carry penalties. Don't cheer when your opponent makes a mistake; a double fault or a netted shot is their misfortune, not your triumph. Instead, acknowledge their good play. A simple "too good" or a quiet nod after a brilliant shot is the mark of someone who loves the game more than the scoreboard.

However the match ends, the two players meet at the net and shake hands — look your opponent in the eye and thank them for the game. If there was an umpire or anyone helping with calls, thank them too. Win with humility and lose with grace: the player you beat today may beat you tomorrow, and the way you carry yourself in both moments is what people remember.