How long does 1 set last? Tennis Rules

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in modern world. Every day there are many tournaments with different prize funds: from 15 thousand dollars to 2.5 million in US currency. The first rackets of the world

familiar to the whole world, they are the faces of corporations that produce sporting goods. Everyone knows Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and other eminent tennis players. The first tennis competitions were held back in 1884, since then the game has evolved, and the rules of tennis have constantly changed. In this article we will talk about them.

Two opponents or two teams of two people take part in a tennis duel. There are both men's and women's singles and doubles competitions. Frequent and championships among mixed teams.

Tennis rules state that the ball must be brought into play by one of the players serving with a racket. The right to serve passes from one opponent to another in turn. When serving the ball, the player must hit a special part of the court. And the receiver must not allow the ball to hit the ground in his own half of the court more than once. Tennis players are given 20-25 seconds to put the ball into play.

Games are divided into points, games and sets. To win a game, according to the rules of tennis, a player must score 15-30-40 points and win another draw. If the score in the game becomes equal to 40-40, then the players continue to play until the difference in two won draws. That is, if one of the players won the serve, then he is assigned the letter “A” - Advantage, after which he needs to win one more time in the game.

In order to win the entire set, the player needs to score six points. In the case when the score becomes equal to 5:5, the players continue to play until the difference of two games. If the score has become 6:6, then a tie-break is assigned, in which 7 innings are played. The number of sets may vary, depending on the tournament and the gender of the participants. For example, as a rule, women play less than 3 sets, while for men this number can reach up to five, and the match itself often lasts more than four hours. After three sets in men's confrontations and two sets in women's, a break of ten minutes is announced - this is how the rules of big tennis say.

If the player believes that the ball has gone beyond the line of the court, and the referees missed this moment, he can ask for a "challenge", in which it will be proved with the help of a hawk-eye video replay whether the ball hit the court or not. In addition, in tennis there is a judge on the tower, it is he who is guided by the rules of tennis and makes the appropriate verdict. He is assisted by line judges who also determine whether the ball has gone or not.

The rules of tennis are written not only for players and referees. There are also. So, for example, shouting and any interference with athletes are considered bad form on the part of the fans. And among tennis players, regular is also considered a manifestation of arrogance and disrespect, despite the fact that this is just a sports game. Tennis in its history is replete with unforgivable emotional outbursts from the players.

The best way to understand and feel all the rules and subtleties of the game is to play tennis yourself. A tennis school is present in almost every city, which simplifies the search for a court and a partner of the appropriate level.

Quick answer: the number of sets varies, the duration of the set is not regulated by time.

Tennis is a sport in which either two players or two teams, each consisting of two players, compete. The goal is to send the ball towards the opponent with the help of a racket in such a way that he cannot reflect it after the first fall of the ball in his half of the playing field.

The rules of the game are very interesting, but at the same time, remembering them the first time is not so easy.

So, the players are in their halves of the field, after which one of the players makes a serve, which the second player must accept. The tasks of the players are as follows: to direct the ball in such a way that it is not repulsed by the receiving side after the first touch of the ball on its side. At the same time, it is possible to hit the ball, even if it did not touch the court at all. The player who makes the mistake loses the rally and his opponent gets a point.

Why do players need points? To win the game. In turn, the player who won 6 games (provided that his opponent won no more than 4 games) wins the set.

In order to win a match, you need to win either 2 out of 3 sets or 3 out of 5 sets - this moment initially set by the rules of the competition. Therefore, the winner is the player who won the required number of sets.

How long is a set? There are no time limits, the game lasts not by time, but by points.

How long does a tennis match last on average?

Again, there is no fixed time, so the duration of the match may vary. For example, one of the longest matches lasted as long as 11 hours, but this is an isolated case. On average, the duration of one match is 1.5-3 hours. One of the shortest matches lasted only about 30 minutes.

Time in tennis is strictly regulated. Any violation of the rules leads to a remark or punishment. The referee uses a stopwatch, with which he determines the time for all pauses.

Number of sets

There are various tournaments in which the number of sets is different. For example, in the Davis Cup and the Grand Slam in men's matches, 5 sets. The player who wins in three sets is declared the winner.

In other tournaments, different rules are used, and the number of sets is no more than 3. If a tennis player wins two sets in a row, then the referee stops the game and declares him the winner.

In all women's tournaments, the same number of sets is used - only 3. If a tennis player loses in two sets, the game is stopped.

Length of a tennis match

Tennis tournament matches are played only on outdoor courts. in the open and indoors The rules of the game are slightly different. Let's look at how long a tennis match lasts on different courts.

The set is not limited in time. There may be 3 or 4. Tennis players win by points, not by time. All games apply for recruitment more points by a tennis player.

Regardless of the duration of a tennis set, you can interrupt it in a variety of ways. different reasons. This includes the refusal of the player to finish the match, and after that he is recognized as the loser. The set and the game may be stopped due to an injury to a tennis player or due to adverse weather conditions. If it starts to rain, then the referee stops the game, and the next day it continues. Therefore, it is not possible to say exactly how long a game lasts in tennis.

There is one more reason why the fight can be postponed to the next day - 2 opponents play excellently and do not concede to each other.

The longest match was recorded in 2010. It took place at Wimbledon between John Isner and Nicolas Mayu. Surprisingly, this fight lasted 11 hours over three days.

The shortest match lasted 28 minutes and ended after the 1st set. On average, matches last 1.5 - 3 hours.

Time regulation

If a tennis player has not prepared for a serve or a reception within a reasonable time, then the first warning is assigned to him. Warm-up before the game should not exceed 5 minutes.

In tennis, there are game pauses, for example, breaks between two draws. This break should not exceed 25 seconds. Also, pauses are provided after odd games for rest, changing the racket, changing the side of the court.

Pauses exist for tennis players taking part in doubles and singles at the same time. If in the first game the athlete was on the court for at least 1 hour, he is given a break of 30 minutes. With the duration of the 1st match 1 - 1.5 hours - a break of no more than 1 hour.

As for the answer to the question of how many sets there are in tennis, you first need to decide who the participants are, women or men. If we take into account the duration of the set, then there are no time limits here.

Number of sets and game rules

There are different tennis tournaments, and the number of sets in them is different. For example, in tournaments such as the Grand Slam and the Davis Cup, the rules require men to play 5 sets. But the game ends immediately if one of the players wins 3 sets and he is declared the winner.

But how many sets in men's tennis if it's a regular tournament? It turns out that the rules here are completely different and there can be no more than 3 sets. But if the athlete wins two sets in a row, then the game stops and he becomes the winner. If we consider women's tournaments, then the number of sets is the same here - only 3. The game lasts until one of the tennis players wins 2 sets.

These are the rules for men and women, regardless of whether there are only 2 players on the court or whether it is team game, where there are 2 tennis players on each side. As for the rules, the main difference in different tournaments is the rebound of the ball. In some cases, the ball after rebounding from the court should not leave it. But in other tournaments there is no such rule, and the main thing is that before hitting him with a racket, he does not have time to hit the court (already outside the tennis court) one more time.

How long is a tennis match?

It should be borne in mind that it is customary to play tennis only in the open air. And officially it is called so - "luan-tennis". If the game takes place indoors, then its name is completely different - “zhe-de-pom” and there the court is completely different. The rules of the game are also slightly different. Although there may be 5 or 3 sets in a tennis match, its duration is not limited by time. A tennis player wins not by time, but by points. Sets are divided into games, and in each of them you need to score more points.

The tournament can be interrupted for various reasons. For example, one of the players refuses to play, and he is declared the loser. Or one of the tennis players gets injured. But the match can also be stopped due to unfavorable conditions. weather conditions. If it starts to rain, the game stops and continues on the second day.

The match can be postponed to the next day for one more reason: two players turned out to be on top and none of them wants to concede to each other. It turns out that none of them has time to win 3 sets out of 5 in a day. In this case, the game stops and is also transferred to the second day. The longest tennis match lasted in 2010. It was held at Wimbledon and its participants were Nicole Mayu and John Isner. The match between them lasted 11 hours and lasted 3 days.

As for the shortest match, it lasted only 28 minutes. The opponent here gave up after the end of the first set. But it is quite possible that he simply for some reason decided to pass the game or felt bad. If we take the statistics, then on average one match lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours.

Somehow one of the high-ranking sports officials in a private conversation made a speech, the meaning of which boiled down to the fact that they say what kind of sport is tennis? They don’t hit hard, they don’t lift weights, they don’t run fast, etc. What is the sportiness of this type? But is it true that determines the pace of the game, regulates the alternation of play and rest?

It turns out that one of the mandatory items in the arsenal of a judge on the tower is a stopwatch. Each draw of a point for him ends with the inclusion of a time count, the intervals of which are strictly regulated.

Game pauses in tennis.

Before the start of the match, both players must be given the right to a warm-up, the duration of which should not exceed5 minutesunless otherwise specified by the Chief Judge. For example, if the players were unable to practice due to rain or lack of practice courts, the Referee may extend the warm-up time to10 minutes. The warm-up is an obligatory part of the game and cannot be canceled under any circumstances (players being late, one of the players using a toilet or medical break, etc.) At the end of the warm-up, the referee on the tower says the word "Time" for the first time, after which the players a reasonable amount of time should prepare for the game.

The rule that determines the further pace of the game says that the player receiving the serve must be ready to receive when the server is ready to serve. That is, the receiver must always play at the pace of the server. The time interval between the previous ball being out of play and the next one being put into play must not exceed 20 seconds (ATP - 25 seconds). After each odd game in a set, except for each first game, when changing sides, this gap shall not be more than 90 seconds(announcement "Time" sounds after 60 seconds). After each set, players are entitled to a break, called a set break, of no more than 120 seconds(ad "Time" after 90 seconds). All of the above time periods are the maximum allowable pauses, and if the server is ready to serve early, the receiver must be ready to continue the game. Of course, this does not mean that after an ace, the server can immediately serve the next serve, but he has the right to use the regulated intervals to the maximum, while the receiver has somewhat less time to prepare and largely depends on the desire and ability of the server. If the match is played without the boys serving the balls, the umpire may add 5-7 seconds to the regulation time. Violation of time, unwillingness to continue the game in the specified intervals, is punished with a warning in the first case and the loss of a point in each subsequent one. A time penalty does not entail a monetary penalty, so the player can control the pace of the game to some extent by giving a point for the right to rest. This is extremely rare, but it may well be useful in decisive moments of the game.

Technical breaks in tennis.

In addition to the usual inter-game pauses, other stops may occur in the match. The most common are toilet and medical breaks. In our breaks not provided. Only hard training.

In men's professional tennis, a player may use one toilet break in a three-set match and two breaks in five sets. The break time is not regulated, but is determined as appropriate. In women's and junior tennis, the number of breaks is the same - 2. Each break should not exceed 5 minutes, if taken on a set break, then the set break time is added to the toilet break time and the total break is increased to 7 minutes. Similarly, the time of the break taken at the change of sides is increased, with the exception of the transition after the first game and at the tie-break.

In men's tennis toilet break can be taken only on set break except in extraordinary situations. In women's and junior tennis, the set-break break is also preferred, however, it is possible to use the break at any other time, at the discretion of the platform judge and referee. One of toilet breaks in women's matches can be used to change clothes. Such a break can only be taken at a set break, and must not exceed 7 minutes, including set-break time. By special decision of the Referee, breaks may be extended if the respective premises are far from the courts, which must be announced before the start of the tournament. Violation of the time of toilet breaks for women and juniors entails warning after the first 20 seconds delays and point loss after every next 20 seconds.

If a player has a need to take an over-limit break, he can do this during the usual inter-game pauses. The duration of such a break should not exceed the duration of the respective scheduled interval. In this case, the player must necessarily inform the referee on the tower. Being late for the start of the next draw will result in a corresponding penalty.

The referee on the tower must inform the other player about the toilet break, there are no announcements for the spectators in this case.

Medical time out in tennis.

During the match, the player has the right to ask for and receive the assistance of the tournament doctor at any time, regardless of the score. Break needed to render medical care, is called a medical timeout. A player may receive one time-out per injury. The duration of the medical time-out is the same for everyone and cannot exceed 3 minutes. The countdown begins from the moment the nature of the damage or injury is determined and the ways of providing assistance. Having prepared necessary tools, the doctor informs the judge on the tower about his readiness, after which the stopwatch starts. In women's tennis, 3 minutes are also allotted for the injury determination procedure. As with the determination of the toilet break time, in the case of a medical time-out, the set-break and transition times are added. In the case of assistance outside the court, the countdown is made by the Chief Judge of the tournament, from the moment the injury is determined, in the place where assistance is provided. After a medical timeout, the player may receive needed help on two subsequent transitions, in this case the time for rendering assistance does not exceed the transition time. When providing assistance during the match, injections are strictly prohibited.

The procedure for assigning a timeout is as follows:

Player: asked for a doctor's help;
Referee on the tower asks to call the doctor of any of the staff of the courts or free judges and announces: "Doctor called to court";
After the arrival of the doctor, (if the match is for women, turns on the stopwatch) announces: "Doctor examines a player";
After the doctor has announced his readiness, he announces: "Player N has now received a medical time-out".
There are also announcements: "2 minutes left (1 min, 30 sec)" And "Time".
After that, the player must 30 seconds continue the match. If this does not happen, then the violator of the rule is fined according to the following scale:

a) a warning
b) through 20 seconds(ATP - 25) loss of a point;
c) through every the following 20 seconds(in ATP 25) loss of a game until the Referee decides to remove the player from the match.

Why did we dwell in such detail on things that at first glance do not have direct relation to the game?

The thing is that skillfully using the allowed breaks, the player can influence the rhythm of the game, knock down an opponent who has caught courage or give himself extra time to rest and recuperate. As practice shows, in professional tennis a break taken on time often radically changes the course of the match. Many will say that there is some unsportsmanlike element in this, but the rules of fair play imply playing by the rules, that is, using all available resources to achieve victory, not only physical and technical, but also legal.

Forced breaks in tennis.

Such breaks include pauses caused by external factors(rain, darkness, possible technical problems, etc.). Naturally, the duration of these intervals cannot be determined, however, the procedure for the further continuation of the match depends on it. So, if the duration of the forced break was less than 15 minutes, the game resumes without warm-up, If 15-30 minutes- warm-up up to 3 minutes, if more than 30 minutes the game resumes with the usual 5 minute warm-up.

Breaks between tennis matches.

If a player has more than one match to play on the same day, the minimum time between games is determined as follows:

If the first match lasted up to an hour- break at least 30 minutes;
An hour to an hour and a half- break at least 1 hour;
Over an hour and a half- break at least 1.5 hours. Break between singles and doubles should not be less than 30 minutes.

Break between matches the previous and following days cannot be less 12 hours.

The last provision is very important, as it protects the interests of the players. Often, due to lack of time, tennis players have to finish games very late, especially in winter time, and the next day's schedule obliges them to play in the morning. In this case, the schedule can and should be revised, otherwise, great harm player's health.

P.S. We hope that all of the above will be a good help to novice players who often complain about not the best schedule for them or a biased attitude. Knowing these provisions, you will be able to defend your innocence and protect your interests in any tournament, as well as use them in tactical schemes the most difficult matches.

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