Plastic tennis court design and equipment specifications

The playing field should be a rectangle 78 feet (23.77 meters) long and 27 feet (8.23 meters) wide. It is divided in the middle by a net suspended from a rope or cable with a maximum diameter of 1/3 inch (0.8 centimeters).

1. Court

　　The court should be a rectangle 78 feet (23.77 meters) long and 27 feet (8.23 meters) wide. It is divided in the middle by a net suspended from a cord or cable not exceeding 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter. 

2. Net 

      The net cord or cable shall not exceed 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter. At each end, the net shall be attached or fastened to the top of a post, which shall be a square post with sides not exceeding 6 inches (15 cm), or a round post of 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. The posts shall extend not more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the top of the net cord. The midpoint of each post shall be 3 feet (0.914 meters) from the side lines. The height of the posts shall be such that the top of the net cord is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 meters) above the ground. When a doubles net is used on a court for both singles and doubles matches, the singles match shall be played with two 'singles posts' supporting the net each 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 meters) high. The cross-section of each singles post shall be square with sides of less than 3 inches (7.5 cm), or round with a diameter of less than 3 inches (7.5 cm). The midpoint of each singles post shall be 3 feet (0.914 meters) from the singles side lines. The net shall be stretched tightly so as to effectively fill the space between the two posts, and open all the meshes to the extent that the ball cannot pass through the middle of the net. The height of the midpoint of the net is 3 feet (0.914 meters) and shall be secured and held in tension by a completely white band not exceeding 2 inches (5 cm) in width. The top of the net shall be bound with white tape from 2 inches (5 cm) to 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) wide on each side. 

3. Court Lines 

      The boundary lines at the ends of the court are called base lines, and those at the sides are called side lines. A line parallel to the net, 21 feet (6.4 meters) from each side of the net, is called a service line. The area defined by the net, the service line and the side lines on each side is divided into two equal service areas by the center service line. The center service line is a line connecting the midpoints of the service lines, and running parallel to the side lines. It is 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Each base line is divided into two equal parts by the imaginary extension of the center service line, 4 inches (10 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, which is separated by a short line, the 'midpoint', connecting perpendicularly from the base line into the court. All lines, except that the base line may not exceed 4 inches (10 cm) wide, shall be from 1 inch (2 cm) to 2 inches (5 cm) wide. All measurements shall be taken to the outside edge of the lines. 

4. Permanent Fixtures 

      Permanent fixtures on a tennis court include not only the net, posts, singles posts, net cords, cables, center straps and tapes, but also, for example, the backstops, stands, fixed or movable chairs surrounding the court, spectators, all facilities around and above the court, as well as the umpires, net judges, foot fault judges, line judges and ball boys in their respective designated positions. 

If advertising is located behind the back lines and chair for the line judges, it may not include white or yellow. Light colors are permitted only if they do not interfere with player vision. (ITF Note 1: In Davis Cup, Federation Cup, and ITF-organized professional tours, specific requirements for the size of the areas behind the base lines and on the sides are included in the specific rules of those events. ITF Note 2: For clubs and amateur players, the minimum distance behind the base line is 18 feet (5.5 meters) and 10 feet (3.05 meters) to the sides.)

Match Equipment

1. Balls 

     The exterior of the balls used on the court shall be of uniform cloth material, and shall be either white or yellow with no seam marks visible. The Size of the ball shall conform to the requirements in Appendix I, Section 4 (inspection of balls is detailed in Rule III). The weight shall be between 2 ounces (56.7 grams) and 2 1/6 ounces (58.5 grams). When dropped from a height of 100 inches (254 cm) onto a concrete surface, the rebound height shall be between 53 inches (134.62 cm) and 58 inches (147.32 cm). When a pressure of 18 lbs (8.165 kg) is applied to the ball, the inward deformation shall be between 0.22 inches (0.559 cm) and 0.29 inches (0.737 cm), and the rebound deformation after compression shall be between 0.315 inches (0.8 cm) and 0.425 inches (1.08 cm). These two deformation data shall be the average values obtained from tests along three axes of the ball. In each case, the difference between any two data shall not exceed 0.03 inches (0.076 cm).    If the match is played at an altitude of 4000 feet (1219 meters), two other special types of balls shall be used. The first is that in addition to the rebound height between 48 inches (121.92 cm) and 53 inches (134.62 cm), the internal pressure of the ball is greater than the external atmospheric pressure, and other aspects are exactly the same as described above. This type of ball is usually called a pressurized ball; the second type of ball has a rebound height between 53 inches (134.62 cm) and 58 inches (147.32 cm), and its internal pressure is approximately equal to the external atmospheric pressure, and can be maintained for more than 60 days at the specified altitude of the match venue. Other aspects are exactly the same as described above. This type of ball is usually called a zero-pressure ball or pressureless ball. 

      All tests regarding ball bounce, Size and deformation shall conform to the provisions of Appendix I. 

      The International Tennis Federation shall rule on any question whether a particular ball or sample conforms to the above standards, or whether it may be approved for use in matches. This ruling may be initiated by the ITF itself, or may be initiated upon application by any party genuinely interested, including any player, equipment manufacturer, or national tennis association, and its members. Such applications and rulings shall be conducted in accordance with the ITF's review and hearing procedures. 

2. Rackets 

    Rackets that do not meet the following requirements are not permitted to be used in matches played under these rules:

a. The hitting surface of the racket should be flat, consisting of strings connected to the racket frame according to uniform rules. The strings should be interwoven or bonded at their intersections; the string samples should be largely consistent, and the density in the center should not be less than that in other areas. The design and stringing of the racket should ensure that both sides of the racket maintain largely consistent properties during impact.

b. From January 1, 1997, the total length of the racket frame (including the handle) used in professional matches cannot exceed 27 inches (73.66 cm). From January 1, 2000, the total length of the racket frame (including the handle) used in non-professional matches cannot exceed 27 inches (73.66 cm). Before that, the maximum length of rackets used in non-professional matches was 32 inches (81.28 cm). The total width of the frame cannot exceed 12 1/2 inches (31.75 cm). The total length of the strung plane cannot exceed 15 1/2 inches (39.37 cm), and the total width cannot exceed 11 1/2 inches (29.21 cm).

c. The frame, including the handle, cannot have any attachments or devices, unless the attachment is solely and explicitly used to limit and prevent wear, breakage, vibration, or to adjust weight distribution, and its Size and position must also be reasonable.

 

Court Types

Overview

　　Tennis courts can be divided into outdoor and indoor, and there are various different court surfaces. This will be determined by economic factors. For example, grass tennis is the most basic outdoor court, but its establishment and maintenance costs are too high, so it is now being replaced by artificial courts, which are cheaper and easier to maintain. Another type of court that is popular in Europe is the clay court, which is used in the French Open.

Grass Court

　　Grass courts are the oldest and most traditional type of court. Their characteristic is that the friction between the ball and the ground is small when the ball lands, and the ball's rebound speed is fast, requiring very high demands on the players' reaction, agility, running speed, and skills. Therefore, grass is often seen as the domain of "offensive tennis," and various attacking tactics such as serving and volleying and approaching the net are almost considered to be winning treasures on grass courts, while baseline players have little success on grass courts. However, because grass courts have extremely high requirements for the quality and Specification of the grass, coupled with climate limitations and expensive maintenance costs, they are difficult to promote worldwide. Currently, the few annual grass court professional tennis events are almost all held in the British Isles, and the time is concentrated in June and July, with Wimbledon being the oldest and most prestigious one.

Clay Court

　　More accurately, it is a "soft court," the most typical example being the French Open on clay courts. In addition, various common sand and mud courts can also be called soft courts. The characteristic of this type of court is that there is greater friction between the ball and the ground when the ball lands, and the ball speed is slower. Players have a lot of room to slide during running, especially during sudden stops and turns, which means that players must have better physical fitness, running and movement abilities, and stronger willpower than on other courts. Matches on this type of court are a great test of the players' baseline rallies, and players generally have to put in several times more sweat and patience to compete with their opponents at the baseline. The winners are often not the aggressive serve-and-volley players, but those who fight hard at the baseline.

Hard Court

　　Most modern matches are played on hard courts, which are the most common and widely used type of court. Hard courts are generally paved with cement and asphalt, with a red or green plastic surface layer. The surface is smooth and hard, and the ball's bounce is very regular, but the ball's rebound speed is fast. Many excellent tennis players believe that hard courts are more "explosive," and hard courts dominate tennis matches, so they must be given special attention. It should be noted that hard courts are not as elastic as other types of courts, and the ground's reaction is strong and stiff, so they are prone to causing injuries to players, and this damage has cost many excellent tennis players a great deal.

Carpet Court

As the name suggests, this is a "portable" retractable tennis court. Its surface is a plastic layer, nylon woven layer, etc., generally bonded with special glue to a ground base of asphalt, cement, or concrete with a certain strength and hardness. Some can even be directly laid or bonded to any supportive ground. It is easy to lay and roll up, suitable for transportation, and has very strong adaptability. It can be used indoors, outdoors, or even on rooftops. The speed of the ball depends on the flatness of the court surface and the roughness of the carpet surface. In terms of maintenance, this type of court is also very simple. Just keep the ground clean, free of damage, and free of water accumulation (with corresponding drainage facilities).