2018 ITF Rules: No-Ad, No-Let, Short Sets and Tie-Break introduced

Through its official website, the International Tennis Federation announced the rules for the 2018 season.

There are some important additions that can be applied by some ITF and Futures tournaments in special situations, like when there is a delay due to weather conditions.

The rules we are speaking about are similar to what was adopted at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017.

The "No-Ad" scoring method: at deuce, a deciding point will be played, based on the receiver's choice of the side of the court.

Short sets: A player to win four games will win the set, as long as there is a two-game margin. At four-all (or at three-all, depending on the sanctioning body's discretion), a tie-break game shall be played, which will have the first player to win five points take the set.

In case of sets being tied, both in best-of-three and best-of-five sets' matches, a match tie-break will be played instead of the final set. Again, depending on the discretion of the sanctioning body, this match tie-break could either be played as a seven-point or 10-point tie-break.

Thus, the player who first seven or ten points, with a margin of two points will win the match.

There is also the "no-let rule": if the server's ball hits the net, the point will continue.

Thirty30 Comment

The “new” rules above are as per Appendix V in the 2018 ITF Rules of Tennis.

Thirty30 Tennis provides a better option for shortening a match.

Thirty30 Tennis is much simpler and matches still FEEL, LOOK and SOUND like a traditional match.

Thirty30 - Every Point REALLY Counts