Home About Tennis Rules Promotion Link Japanese

The rules for “Blind Tennis”

Tennis for the blind and partially sighted
(By JAPAN BLIND TENNIS FEDERARION)

General Notes
(1) Blind Tennis is played using a short tennis racket and a special sponge ball which rattles（a table tennis ball with four small iron balls inside the sponge ball.）
(2) Singles and doubles matches can be played in Sound Ball Tennis, with doubles pairings usually consisting of visually impaired and able-bodied player.
(3) The rules of singles game are described below. An organizer of each event decides the rules for doubles.
(4) Please refer to the rules published by the Japan Tennis Association for any rules not mentioned here forth.


Rules
Article 1: COURT DIMENSIONS
(1) The court dimensions are the same as that of a badminton court.
(2) Length: 13.40m. Width: 6.1m Divided into two halves by a net halfway up the length of the court.
(3) The total playing area outside the lines of the court should provide enough space to take consideration of the safety of players. Hence, there should be at least 3m of free space behind the baseline and 2m on both sidelines. The height of the roof (if applicable) should be a minimum of 8m.
(4) The service line is parallel with the baseline. It is 4.72m from the net and joins both sidelines.
(5) The sidelines and the service line surround the service boxes. The center line divides the area in two.
(6) The width of all lines is 5 cm. It is included within the dimensions of the court.
(7) Sticky tape stuck down on the playing surface is to be used to make out the lines. Any color (apart from transparent or a color which is similar to that of the court surface) can be used.
(8) To enable visually impaired to ‘feel the lines’, string is placed under the line. The string is placed in the middle of the line tape. 　The diameter of the string is 2mm. (In Japan, string for kite-flying is used.)
(9) Short Tennis nets are to be used with a height not exceeding 0.80m at the center. (0.85m at the both sides)

Article 2: THE BALLS
(1) JBTF official balls are used. It is foam-coated ball with a table tennis ball at its centre that emits a rattling sound when hit or bounced and a piece of tape on the outside that binds both halves of the foam together.
(2) The color of the balls is yellow and black.
(3) The width of the tape is 2.5 cm. There is no regulation for the color of the tape.
(4) The diameter of the ball is 9 cm.

Article 3: RACKETS
(1) A ‘Short Tennis’ or junior racket is used. The length of the racket should be less than 56 cm. The use of an altered full-sized adult racket is not permitted.
(2) There is no regulation determining the surface area of the racket.

Article 4: SERVICE
The procedure of starting a point by serving is as follows in sound ball tennis:
(1) Before a player serves, he calls out “Ikimasu?” (Ready?). The receiver responds with “Hai.” (Yes.)
After saying “Yes.”, the server has 5 seconds to hit his serve.
If the server does not say “Ready?” or the receiver does not say “Yes.”, and the server hits his serve, the service is a let.
(2) Both a server and a receiver can ask a judge and a ball person their own positions on-court.

Article 5: SERVICE FAULT
A service is a fault,
(1) When the ball does not bounce within the boundaries of the service court on its first bounce.
(2) When the server fails to make contact with the ball after having started his swing.
(3) When the server foot-faults by stepping over the baseline before he makes contact with the ball.
(4) When a ball hits a receiver directly without first bouncing in the service box (the feet of the receiver should be placed back behind the service line).
(5) When the server hits a ball on the run or whilst walking.

Article 6: LOSING POINTS
A player loses a point,
(1) When he fails to make contact with a ball before it bounces for the forth time (B1), for the third time (B2. B3), for the second time (B4).
(2) When he serves double faults.
(3) When he is coached during the course of a match.
(4) When a ball hits him directly. Note that if a player is outside the boundaries of the court and is directly touched by a ball hit by an opponent prior to it bouncing, the opponent who hit the ball loses the point.
(5) When a ball hits the racket twice (a “double-hit”) intentionally.
(6) When he reaches over the net and makes contact with the ball on the opponent’s side.
(7) When the racket or any part of the body touches the net whilst the ball is still in play.
(8) When a ball hits a judge.

Article 7: SCORING
(1) 6 regular games, best of 3 sets: whoever wins 2 sets first is the winner. If the organizer of the event would like to change the　scoring system, it must be announced in the program prior to the commencement of the tournament / match. (NOTE: In Japan, most tournaments run a 4-games match. When the game is tied 3 to 3, tiebreak is played in most games.)
(2) The tiebreak is recommended for the B1 (totals).

Article 8: OTHER RULES
(1) When both players are partially sighted, the server may choose a yellow or black ball. They keep that color of ball for every game that they serve thereafter in that match. A yellow ball is used for the totally blind.
(2) A player is not allowed to be coached during play and loses a point if observed to be breaking this rule.
(3) A player can ask the judge the nature of his service fault (ie: how far out, wide or long, direction, etc) so that he can rectify his next attempt.
(4) When a ball breaks in the course of a rally, the point is replayed.
(5) When a ball hits a net post and bounces in the court, it is in. But when a service hits a net post and bounces in the service court, it is a fault.

Article 9: VISUAL IMPAIRMENT CLASSIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE ALLOWANCE OF BOUNCES

NOTES:
�@ The eyesight and the view take precedence in determining the visual impairment classification of a player.
�A B2, B3, B4 players can play in B1 game with blindfolds.
�B A player can compete in an upper eye leveled class.


Appendix: RULES FOR A MIXED DOUBLES GAME
A recent new rule is being applied in some visually-impaired/fully sighted doubles matches.

The following are the rules for Asukamu Cup mixed doubles championship. They are for reference purposes only and are non-binding:
(1) A visually impaired player is paired up with the normal sighted player. The objective is to improve communication between the visually impaired and the able bodied.
(2) Court size is same as a singles game.
(3) Classification and the rules
D1 class: B1 player (up to 3 bounces) with a full-sighted player (only 2 bounces)
D2 class: a partially sighted player (up to 2 bounces) and the sighted (only 1 bounce)

Notes:
�@ Similar to table tennis, the visually impaired and the sighted must take turns to hit a ball.
A full-sighted player who pairs with B1 player hits a ball after two bounces. A full-sighted player who pairs with B2 player hits a ball after one bounce.
�AWhen a ball directly hits the sighted, he loses a point. When a ball touches a visually impaired whose both feet are outside the boundaries of the court, the opponent who hit the ball loses a point.
�BWhen no-advantage scoring is used (40-all, the next point wins the game), a visually impaired serves to the opposing visually impaired player. The 　　　reciever can choose the side.
�CThe players are not allowded to get any coaching (except their own partner).


(Translated by Ayako Matsui   Corrected by Philippe Azar)