Rules & Regulations
Players & Side Changes
This section covers where players may stand, how the first service and court side are chosen, and when players change sides during a match.
At a Glance
What This Section Covers
- Position of the players
- Choice of sides and service
- Changes of sides
Official Rule Breakdown
Player Positions
Each pair plays on one side of the net. The server puts the ball in play and the receiver is the player diagonally opposite the server.
The receiver, the receiver's partner, and the server's partner may stand anywhere on their own side of the court during the serve.
Choosing Sides and Service
The choice of first serve, first receive, and court side is decided by a coin toss.
The pair winning the toss may choose to serve or receive first, choose the side for the first game, or ask the opponents to choose first.
Declaring Serve and Receive Order
Once sides and serve order have been chosen, both pairs identify who will serve and receive first.
Those orders then govern the relevant part of the match unless a rule allows the order to reset at a later point.
Changing Sides
Players change sides after the first game, the third game, and every later odd-numbered game in the set.
In a tie-break, players change sides after every 6 points. If a side-change error is discovered, it should be corrected as soon as possible while keeping points already played valid.
In Practice
- A player may not stand outside the court during service.
- One player can dominate open play if they remain within their court, but all players must still serve and receive in the correct order when required.
- If a side-change mistake is discovered after a first-serve fault, the server still has only one serve left after the correction.