You’re the Umpire
Make the call.
Know the reason.
Choose 5, 10, 20 or all 100 original on-court questions from the bundled bank. Answers cite the ITF Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition. This is practice, not official certification.
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Scenarios state their assumptions, including any doubles, alternative scoring or competition procedures. A new run shuffles locally without duplicate questions; refresh starts a new run. Submitted answers lock, and Previous/Next become available only after answering. For example, a 7–6 points score in a standard tiebreak is still live because a two-point lead is needed.
1. Standard advantage game: the score is deuce. A wins the next point. What is the new score?
Answer: Advantage A. A has a one-point lead after deuce. A needs the following point too to win the game.
2. Standard advantage game: A has advantage, then B wins a point. What happens?
Answer: Deuce. The players are level again. The score returns to deuce.
3. Standard 7-point tiebreak at 0–0: A is the first server. Who serves, and from which half?
Answer: A, deuce half. The first tiebreak point belongs to A and starts from the right (deuce) half.
4. Standard tiebreak: A served first and three points have finished (A leads 2–1). Who serves the fourth point?
Answer: A, ad half. A serves point 1, B serves 2–3, and A serves 4–5. Point 4 starts on the ad half.
5. Standard tiebreak: A served first and six points have finished (3–3). What is next?
Answer: B serves from deuce; change ends if not already done. The seventh point is B’s second point in this service turn. Players change ends after six completed points; the next serve is from the deuce half.
6. Standard 7-point tiebreak: A wins a point at 6–6. Is the tiebreak finished at 7–6?
Answer: No, the lead must be two. Seven is the minimum target, not an automatic finishing score. At 7–6 the lead is only one.
7. A served the first point of a standard set tiebreak, which finishes 7–5. Who serves first in the next set?
Answer: B. The first tiebreak server receives in the next set’s first game. B therefore serves, regardless of the tiebreak winner.
8. A standard tie-break set is 5–5 in games. A wins the next game. Is 6–5 a completed set?
Answer: No. A needs a two-game lead before 6–6. At 6–5 the set continues.
9. A standard tie-break set is 6–5. A wins the next game. What is the set score?
Answer: 7–5, set complete. A now leads by two games and wins the set 7–5.
10. Under the standard change-of-ends rule, the third game of a set has just finished. What should the players do?
Answer: Change ends. Players change ends after the first, third and each subsequent odd game. The ordinary service order continues.
11. The server has won one point and the receiver has won two in a standard game. Which score is called?
Answer: 15–30. Call the server’s score first. One point is 15 and two points are 30.
12. A board shows love–40. What does love mean?
Answer: That player has no points in the game. Love represents zero points, regardless of how many points the opponent has.
13. The server leads 40–30 in an advantage game and wins the next point. What happens?
Answer: The server wins the game. The server now has at least four points and a two-point lead. Advantage is only needed after deuce.
14. A player wins both of the first two sets of a best-of-three match. Must Set 3 be played?
Answer: No, two set wins decide the match. Best of three means first to two set wins. A third set is unnecessary after a straight-set win.
15. An event announces an advantage set without a set tiebreak. At 6–6, what follows?
Answer: Ordinary games until a two-game lead. An advantage set continues until one side leads by two games. A tie-break set is a different method.
16. A singles event expressly uses no-ad scoring. Who chooses the receiving half at deuce?
Answer: The receiver. In this alternative, the receiver chooses the right or left receiving half for the point that decides the game.
17. Under the ITF mixed-doubles no-ad alternative, who receives the deciding point?
Answer: The player of the same gender as the server. The mixed-doubles provision specifies the receiver of the same gender as the server. Receiving partners do not exchange positions for this point.
18. The announced short-set format is four games by two, with a standard tiebreak at 4–4. What happens at 4–4?
Answer: A tiebreak decides the set, recorded as 5–4. This specified short-set alternative uses a tiebreak at four all. Its winner receives the deciding game in the set score.
19. A best-of-three event announces a deciding 10-point match tiebreak. The sets are one all. What is next?
Answer: The match tiebreak instead of an ordinary third set. A deciding match tiebreak replaces the final set. Its points are distinct from ordinary set games.
20. An announced 10-point, win-by-two match tiebreak reaches 10–10. Which next two-point sequence ends it?
Answer: The same player wins both points. At ten all, a two-point lead is still required. Splitting the next two points leaves it level.
21. Immediately before an ordinary service motion, where should the server stand?
Answer: At rest behind the baseline, between the relevant centre-mark and sideline extensions. The server begins behind the baseline within the permitted lateral boundaries. Standing on the baseline is not allowed.
22. A server releases the ball, decides not to swing, and catches the toss. Is that alone a fault?
Answer: No. A server may abandon a toss without attempting to strike it and catch the ball, including with the racket, or let it bounce.
23. A server swings intending to hit the tossed ball, but misses completely. What is the call?
Answer: A service fault. Missing while attempting to strike the serve is a fault. It differs from choosing not to swing.
24. During the service motion, the server’s toe touches the baseline before racket contact. What is the call?
Answer: Foot fault. Neither foot may touch the baseline or court during the service motion. Contact by part of a foot still counts.
25. A server starts legally and jumps at contact without any prohibited foot contact or position change. Is being airborne a fault?
Answer: No, both feet may leave the ground. A server may have one or both feet off the ground. The other service and foot-fault requirements still apply.
26. Which format permits serving from behind the space between the singles and doubles sidelines?
Answer: Doubles only. This lateral space is available for a doubles service stance. It is outside the permitted singles stance.
27. A server makes a running approach as part of the service motion but never touches the baseline. Is avoiding the line enough?
Answer: No, changing position by walking or running is also prohibited. The foot-fault restrictions also cover walking or running to change position during the motion. Slight foot movements are permitted.
28. A correctly positioned server faults on a first serve from the ad half. From which half is the second serve taken?
Answer: The same ad half. The second attempt uses the same half, except when the first attempt was made from the wrong half.
29. A doubles serve strikes the server’s partner before reaching the receiving court. What is that serve?
Answer: A fault. A served ball touching the server, their partner, or something they wear or carry is a service fault.
30. In ordinary tennis, a server deliberately lets the released ball bounce once, then hits it as a serve. Is this valid?
Answer: No, it must be struck before that bounce. An ordinary serve must be struck after release and before reaching the ground. This scenario excludes wheelchair-tennis exceptions.
31. A receiver waits behind the baseline and outside the singles sideline, on their own side of the net. Is this position prohibited?
Answer: No, the receiver may stand inside or outside the court on that side. The receiver is not confined to the marked court. The server’s positioning restrictions do not apply to the receiver.
32. A receiver attempts a return, misses, then says they were not ready. What does the attempt establish?
Answer: The receiver is considered ready. An attempt to return establishes readiness. A later claim does not undo that attempt.
33. A serve is delivered to a demonstrably unready receiver who makes no return attempt. The ball lands long. What is the treatment?
Answer: A service let; it cannot be called a fault. The server must wait for readiness. When the receiver is shown not to have been ready, the serve is a let rather than a fault.
34. A receiver volleys a serve before it bounces and returns it into court. Who wins the point?
Answer: The server. A serve must bounce before it is returned. A successful volley does not meet that requirement.
35. A doubles serve, without touching the net, hits the receiver’s partner before bouncing. The partner is outside the service box. Who wins?
Answer: The serving team. Without a service let, hitting either receiver before the first bounce gives the server the point. Standing outside the box does not change this.
36. A1 serves game 1 and B1 serves game 2 of a doubles set. Who serves games 3 and 4?
Answer: A2 then B2. Partners alternate their team’s service games in the established sequence: A1, B1, A2, B2.
37. A1 has received the first point of a doubles set, establishing the receiving order. May A2 take a later deuce-court return merely to improve the matchup?
Answer: No, follow the receiving order chosen for the set. The designated receiving rotation continues through the set. It is not a fresh choice before each point.
38. A doubles return brushes one partner’s racket, then is hit by the other partner before crossing the net. What happens?
Answer: That team loses the point. Both partners cannot touch the ball as part of returning it. This differs from one player’s accidental double contact.
39. A doubles server’s partner stands near the net on their own side, inside a service box, and causes no hindrance. Is this allowed?
Answer: Yes. The non-serving and non-receiving partners may stand anywhere on their own side, inside or outside the court, subject to hindrance rules.
40. At the start of a new doubles set, the team due to serve wants its other partner to serve first for that team. Is this allowed?
Answer: Yes, each team chooses its first server for each set. The team may choose its first server at each set’s start. The teams’ overall service turns still apply.
41. Part of a rally ball touches the baseline on landing. Is it in or out?
Answer: In. Touching a boundary line counts as touching the court it bounds. There is no majority-of-the-ball test.
42. A serve lands on the centre service line bounding the correct diagonal box. What is the call?
Answer: Good serve. The line bounds the service box. Touching it is in if the serve is otherwise valid.
43. A doubles serve first bounces in the alley, beyond the singles sideline but inside the doubles sideline. Is the extra width available for serving?
Answer: No, service boxes retain their usual width. Doubles alleys enlarge the rally court, not the service boxes. The serve must first bounce in the correct service court.
44. In a singles rally, the ball lands in the doubles alley without touching the singles sideline. What is the decision?
Answer: Out. The singles court ends at its singles sideline. The alley is outside even on a court also marked for doubles.
45. A ball bounces in your court and spins back over the net. May you reach across to return it without touching the net or opponent’s court?
Answer: Yes, this bounce-back situation permits reaching over. The rules allow reaching across when a valid bounce sends the ball back over the net. Other contact restrictions remain.
46. In doubles, a return goes outside a net post below net-top height and bounces correctly, touching no permanent fixture. Is it good?
Answer: Yes, this return need not pass above net height. A return may pass outside the posts above or below net height, provided it lands correctly and meets the other return rules.
47. A player hits on their own side, then follows through above the net without touching it. The return lands in. What happens?
Answer: Play continues. The racket may pass above the net after contact on the player’s own side. A net touch would be a separate issue.
48. One continuous, unintentional stroke accidentally contacts the same player’s racket twice and lands in. Is that alone a loss of point?
Answer: No, deliberately repeated contact is the prohibited case. The rule prohibits deliberate carrying or repeated contact. An accidental double hit is not itself a hindrance.
49. A player catches a high rally ball before its bounce, saying it was obviously heading out. What is the decision?
Answer: The catching player loses the point. Predicting an out bounce does not end the rally. Catching a live ball gives away the point.
50. A thrown racket strikes the ball into court for an apparent winner. Is that a valid return?
Answer: No, the player loses the point. The racket must be held when contacting the ball. Throwing it to return the ball loses the point.
51. A player’s shirt touches the net while the ball is in play, although the racket stays clear. What happens?
Answer: The player loses the point. The net-touch rule covers the player and anything worn or carried, not just the racket.
52. A live rally ball clips a player’s shoe before a successful racket return. What is the decision?
Answer: The player struck loses the point. The live ball may not touch the player or something worn or carried, apart from the held racket. A later racket hit cannot repair it.
53. An incoming ball has not crossed the net and has not bounced back from the volleyer’s side. The volleyer reaches over and hits it. Is this legal?
Answer: No, the volleyer loses the point. Ordinary contact must wait for the ball to pass the net. The special bounced-back-ball exception is excluded here.
54. A return hits the opponent’s backstop before bouncing on the court. Who wins?
Answer: The opponent. A backstop is a permanent fixture. Hitting it before a valid bounce loses the point for the hitter.
55. An untouched return bounces in the correct court and then hits the backstop. Who wins?
Answer: The player who made the return. After the unreturned ball has bounced correctly, contact with a permanent fixture awards the point to the hitter.
56. A return hits a spare ball lying in the opponents’ correct court. Everyone can still identify the actual ball in play. What happens?
Answer: Continue the point. This can be a good return. A let is needed if the actual ball becomes unclear, which this scenario excludes.
57. The ball splits open during a rally. What happens to that point?
Answer: Replay the point. A ball breaking during play requires a replay. This differs from a merely soft ball.
58. After a point, the ball feels soft but is not broken. Must that completed point be replayed for this reason?
Answer: No. A soft but unbroken ball does not require replaying the completed point. The broken-ball provision is narrower.
59. A string breaks during a point. No event regulation forbids broken-string rackets. May the player continue using it?
Answer: Yes. Continuing with accidentally broken strings is permitted unless event organizers specifically prohibit it.
60. Where may a string vibration damper be attached under the racket rule?
Answer: Outside the crossed-string pattern. The permitted string location is outside the pattern of crossed strings, not arbitrarily among them.
61. Under ordinary service-let rules, a first serve touches the net and lands correctly. Which attempt follows?
Answer: Another first serve. An otherwise good net-touching serve is repeated as the same service attempt. No fault has been used.
62. After a first-serve fault, the second serve clips the net and lands correctly. What follows under ordinary service-let rules?
Answer: Another second serve. A service let does not cancel the earlier first-serve fault. Only the second attempt is repeated.
63. A serve clips the net and first bounces outside the correct box. Under ordinary service rules, what is the call?
Answer: Fault. Net contact creates a service let only when the serve is otherwise good. This bounce is not.
64. A groundstroke clips the net cord and lands in the correct court. Is net contact alone a reason to replay?
Answer: No, continue. Rally returns may touch the net and still be good. The service-let rule does not apply to groundstrokes.
65. The first serve was a fault. During the following rally, a ball rolls in from another court and a let is called. How is the point restarted?
Answer: With a first serve. A rally let restarts the whole point, unlike a second-service let that preserves the earlier fault.
66. The first serve is a fault and the next service attempt is also a fault, with no let between them. What happens?
Answer: The receiver wins the point. Two consecutive service faults lose the point for the server. There is no third attempt.
67. An event explicitly uses the Appendix VI no-let service alternative. A serve clips the net and lands correctly. What happens?
Answer: The ball remains in play. This announced alternative removes the ordinary net-touch service let for an otherwise valid serve. It is not the default rule.
68. An umpire finds an opponent’s unintentional act genuinely hindered a shot. No other exception applies. What is the general result?
Answer: Replay the point. An unintentional opponent act causing hindrance generally produces a replay. A deliberate act has a different consequence.
69. An umpire finds a player deliberately distracted the opponent and actually hindered the opponent’s shot. Who wins?
Answer: The hindered opponent. An opponent’s deliberate act causing hindrance awards the point to the hindered player. Actual hindrance is part of the stated finding.
70. A live rally ball hits a bird flying across the court. What is the outcome?
Answer: Replay the point. This is outside interference requiring a replay. A permanent fixture such as a backstop is different.
71. A spare ball was already lying on a player’s own side when the point began. It later obstructs that player. Is that alone a valid hindrance claim?
Answer: No. This case excludes an object already present on the player’s side at the start. Remove such objects before beginning a point.
72. A player stops a rally solely because they think the opponent was being hindered. Does that belief justify stopping?
Answer: No, the player who stopped loses the point. The specific case does not allow stopping on the assumption that the opponent was hindered.
73. A doubles receiver’s partner touches the net while the serve is travelling, before its first bounce. What is the decision?
Answer: The receiving team loses the point. The ball is live after service contact. The receiving partner’s net touch before the bounce loses the point.
74. In singles with a doubles net and singles sticks, a return passes under the cord between a stick and adjacent post, touches neither, and lands in. Is it good?
Answer: Yes. The rules specifically permit this route if the ball touches no net, cord or post and lands correctly.
75. A player runs outside a net post across the imaginary sideways extension of the net, without touching the opponent’s court or forbidden objects. Is that crossing alone a loss?
Answer: No. Crossing the imaginary extension alone does not lose the point. Touching the opponent’s court or net during play would be different.
76. May a player hold and use two rackets at once during play?
Answer: No. Using more than one racket at a time is prohibited. Changing rackets between points is a different matter.
77. A proposed racket has a battery that alters its playing characteristics. Is that allowed?
Answer: No. An energy source affecting playing characteristics is prohibited. Opponent agreement does not change that requirement.
78. When should the initial choice of court ends and service be decided by toss?
Answer: Before the warm-up. The toss precedes warm-up so the starting choices can be established.
79. The toss winner chooses to serve first. Who chooses the initial court end?
Answer: The opponent. Choosing service leaves the end choice to the opponent. Winning the toss does not automatically give both choices.
80. An announced ball change falls at the beginning of a set tiebreak. When is it made?
Answer: At the start of the second game of the next set. A scheduled ball change is delayed rather than made at the beginning of a tiebreak.
81. A set ends 6–2, an even total of eight games. Under the standard rule, when is the next end change?
Answer: After the next set’s first game. With an even game total, keep the same ends at the set boundary and change after the next set’s first game.
82. In an umpired match, a player disputes the chair umpire’s interpretation of tennis law, rather than a factual line call. May the player ask for the referee?
Answer: Yes, the referee is the final authority on tennis-law questions. The rules distinguish questions of law from questions of fact. A player may request the referee over the chair’s interpretation of tennis law.
83. The first game of a set ends. Under ordinary continuous-play rules, what accompanies the end change?
Answer: No rest. Players change ends after the first game but continue without the usual changeover rest.
84. Six points of a standard set tiebreak are complete. May players take the ordinary 90-second rest while changing ends?
Answer: No. The standard six-point end change is made without a rest during the tiebreak.
85. A deciding match tiebreak replaces Set 3. May the singles players toss again to choose a different first server?
Answer: No, the existing service order continues. A match tiebreak continues the original service order. It does not start a new match with another toss.
86. Under the Appendix VI deciding match-tiebreak procedure, what break comes immediately before it?
Answer: A 120-second set break. The match-tiebreak notes specify a 120-second set break. Any other special event provision must be considered separately.
87. A short-set event expressly uses the Appendix VI five-point short-set tiebreak. At 4–4 in points, what happens?
Answer: Play one deciding point. This specific alternative has a deciding point at four all. It differs from the standard seven-point, win-by-two tiebreak.
88. An event chooses four-game short sets. Does that choice alone make every game no-ad?
Answer: No, game scoring must also be specified. Set length and no-ad game scoring are separate alternatives. The event must specify the game-scoring method.
89. The announced format uses a 10-point final-set tiebreak at 6–6, rather than a match tiebreak replacing the set. At one set all, what is next?
Answer: A full final set, with that tiebreak only if games reach 6–6. A final-set tiebreak is played within a full final set. A deciding match tiebreak replaces that set entirely.
90. A server faults from the wrong half. The mistake is found before the second serve. What happens?
Answer: Take the second serve from the correct half; the fault stands. Correct the serving half immediately. A fault served from the wrong half remains a fault.
91. Both players are at the wrong court ends. A first-serve fault occurs before this is found. What is the correction?
Answer: Move to the correct ends and give a first serve. Correct the ends according to the score. Unlike a wrong-half error, the fault made before this error was found does not stand.
92. In singles, the wrong player serves an entire ordinary game before the error is noticed. What happens to service order?
Answer: Keep the altered order. After an ordinary game is completed by the wrong server, the altered order remains. Completed points also stand.
93. In singles, the wrong server is discovered after two completed points of an ordinary game. What is the basic correction?
Answer: The proper server takes over; completed points stand. Before a game is complete, restore the proper server when the error is found. Completed points are not erased.
94. The wrong tiebreak server is discovered after an even number of points have been completed. Should the error be corrected now?
Answer: Yes, immediately. The correction depends on completed-point parity: correct after an even number; the altered order remains after an odd number.
95. During a doubles game, partners discover they have reversed receiving order. What should they do?
Answer: Keep it for this game, then restore the proper order next receiving game. The receiving error remains for that game. Resume the original receiving order in their next receiving game.
96. Under the ordinary continuous-play rule, what is the maximum time from a point ending until the next first service is struck?
Answer: 25 seconds. The baseline between-point limit is 25 seconds. Applicable event procedures describe its administration.
97. No special extension applies. What is the maximum rest at an eligible ordinary-game changeover, excluding the first game of a set?
Answer: 90 seconds. An eligible normal changeover allows up to 90 seconds. The first game and tiebreak end changes are exceptions without rest.
98. No special event extension applies. What is the ordinary maximum break at the end of a set?
Answer: 120 seconds. The usual set break is 120 seconds, measured until the next first service is struck.
99. The organizers have not set a different warm-up provision. What maximum do the ordinary rules specify?
Answer: Five minutes. The baseline warm-up maximum is five minutes, unless organizers decide otherwise.
100. A player assumes off-court coaching is automatically allowed at every 2026 event. What should be checked?
Answer: Whether the sanctioning body permits it and under what conditions. Off-court coaching may be permitted by the sanctioning body. The applicable event conditions therefore matter.