Tennis Rule Change to Take Effect in USA on January 1, 2012

Written by: Staff on 15th December 2011

Tennis Rule Change to Take Effect in USA on January 1, 2012 |

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that on January 1, 2012 the rules of tennis officially will be changed and require that 10 and Under Tennis tournaments be played utilizing smaller, lighter racquets and lower-bouncing balls on smaller courts. The change was adopted by the USTA in the summer of 2010.

This rule change signifies the emergence of 10 and Under Tennis as an important part of the development of young players. The scaled-down equipment and smaller courts better allow kids to rally and play the game earlier in their development, and increase the likelihood that they will return to the court and continue to improve while having fun doing it.

Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President said, “Similar to other sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer, kids will now learn and compete on the right-sized court with the right-sized equipment, which will help us grow the game.”

The specifications for the revised rule hold that all tournaments for those ages nine and 10 be played on 60-foot courts using orange low-compression tennis balls and regulation nets (3- feet at the center) or, for those more experienced and more skilled players, on 78-foot courts with green lower-compression balls. Tournaments for those eight years-old and younger are to be played on 36-foot courts using either red low-compression balls or foam balls and nets at a height of two-feet, 9-inches.

In preparation of the rule change, in 2011 the USTA helped install more than 3,000 youth-sized tennis courts in 283 markets in 45 states throughout the country. The courts were either constructed or refurbished by painting permanent 36-foot and 60-foot tennis lines on existing 78-foot tennis courts, or constructing stand-alone 36-foot and 60-foot courts. These courts were built in 502 facilities, which include public parks, school yards, tennis facilities and at local community based youth organizations.

Many traditional 78-foot courts are also seeing an impact of 10 and Under Tennis as some are now featuring 60-foot blended lines. Blended lines are painted in a different, more subtle color than the traditional lines, which enable courts to be adapted for both adults and younger children to play on the same courts without confusion.

Topics: Usta