Foot Tennis

Rules

Rules Change Based On Age And Skill for Modifications for list of modifications click here

RULE 1 – THE COURT

  •  Soccer-tennis is played on the “Serve Court”.
  • Court is 10 feet wide by 15 feet long

RULE 2 – THE NET

  • Nets should be 10 feet in length and should be no more than 39 inches high at the posts with the minimum midpoint height of 3 feet.

RULE 3 – THE BALL (SOCCER BALL)

  • Soccer-tennis uses a regulation size 4 & 5 soccer ball.

RULE 4 – TEAMS AND PLAYERS

  • The game is played between two teams with two players on each team.
  • If during a game, a player is injured, the game must continue until a stoppage in play allows for a substitution.
  • In Coed Games, a girl must be on the field.

RULE 5 – PLAYERS EQUIPMENT

  • The official uniform of soccer-tennis includes a shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes. We ask that each team would at least wear matching tops (can be jerseys, t-shirts, sleeveless; but must be matching).

RULE 6 – DURATION OF THE MATCH

  • Soccer-tennis matches are played as best of 3 games to 15 points, the team must win by 2 points.
  • In a best of three situations, the first team to win two games, wins the match. There is a 3-minute maximum break between games before the teams switch sides to begin another game.
  • There is one 30 second time out allowed per team per game.
  • Game duration will last no longer than 24 minutes.

RULE 7 – BEGINNING THE GAME

  • The winner of a coin toss is allowed to elect whether they will kick off or choose a side to defend.

RULE 8 – THE KICK-OFF

  • Referees start the game with the sign to serve.
  • A kick-off is used to begin each game and also between each point scored.
  • Kick-offs are played from behind the service box line of the tennis court and the ball must land in opposite service box area.
  •  Players cannot step on the line during a kick-off.
  • A player has two attempts to execute a kick-off and must play the ball out of his hands, by drop kick (ball hitting the ground before being kicked).
  • If players are unable to use one fluid motion using the drop kick method, they can execute a kick-off using the ball-bounce volley method, if and only if, it does not present a disadvantage to the opposing team. This will be adjudicated at the referee’s discretion. Again, balls must land in opposite service box area on the opposing team side.
  • Any kick-off that hits the net but lands on the opposing side (let) must be repeated.
  • If the first service does not make it over the net or in bounds, a second service is awarded. If such an event happens twice (double fault), the opposing team receives a point.

RULE 9 – SCORING

  • Both teams can score a point at any time (the defending team can score even if they did not kick off to start play).
  • If the ball touches the opposing teams pitch more than two times than the team is awarded a point
  • if a team serves the ball out of bounds then the opposing team is awarded a point.
  • All lines count for the field of play.

RULE 10: SERVICE

  • Service will be held by one team for 5 point combinations. Service is changed every time the score equals 5, 10, 15, and 20 points. (Similar to ping pong; i.e. score 3-2, 1-4, 5-0, 2-3, 6-4, 7-8, 11-9 etc…)
  • The player cannot return the service directly. The service must bounce once in the serve court before being returned.

RULE 11 – TEAM BALL CONTACTS

  1. The receiving team can touch the ball an unlimited number of times per team before returning the ball to the opposing team.
  2. Each player can only take a maximum of two consecutive touches before they have to pass it or serve it over
  3. Both players do not need to touch the ball however.
  4. The ball can be directly returned to the opposing team with only one ball touch, if desired.
  5. If the ball touches the opposing teams pitch more than two times than the team is awarded a point

RULE 12 – INDIVIDUAL PLAYER BALL CONTACT

  • Players can use any part of their body to touch the ball, with the exception of the arms or hands. Shoulders are not considered part of the arm.

RULE 14 – POINTS

  • Every play can result in a point scored by either one of the teams.
  • Faults at the kick-off
  • 1a. Kick-off is done before referee allows play to begin. 1b. Kick-off is not played from the hands. 1c. More than one ground contact is made before kicking off. 1d. The player steps onto the playing field during or before kick-off. 1e. Player kicks the ball into the net (If the ball hits the net, and goes over to the opposing side, the fault does not result in a point, but the kick-off is repeated.) 1f. The kick-off lands outside the playing field (‘out”)
  • Faults during a play 2a. Player uses more than two touches before getting rid of the ball. 2b. During a play, the ball touches the ground more than one time. 2c. A team plays the ball, and it lands outside the playing field. 2d. A team plays the ball into the net. 2e. A player touches the net. 2f. A player touches the ball with their hand, or arm. 2g. The ball touches the ground before it goes over the net. 2h. The mystery/secret 3rd touch will be enforced! (Accidentally hits your foot, then shin, and you proceed with another touch…FAULT!)

RULE 15 – TIE BREAKERS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

  • Head-to-Head 
  • Set Differential
  • Sets for
  • Sets Against 

RULE 16 – COURT CHANGE

  • After every game, both teams change sides.
  • The kick-off remains with the team who scored prior to last game being called.

RULE 17 – DISTURBANCES

  •  If disturbances arise that players have no influence over (such as problems with the net or equipment or a player injury, the referee is allowed to stop play immediately and the kick-off is repeated with no points given.

RULE 18 – PENALTIES

  • Referees can warn players for unsportsmanlike conduct by issuing a yellow card to the offending player. Also, the team loses 1 point.
  • A red card will bar the player from the rest of the match, and their team must substitute another player. If there is no other player, the team forfeits 5 points and continues a man down!

RULE 19 – THE REFEREE

Official soccer-tennis games must be supervised by a referee, with these duties:

  • Make sure rules are clear and abided by
  • Use signs to regulate play from start to finish, between games, and after each play Decide points (referee decisions are final)
  • Keep score correctly 
  • Control the clock
  • Interrupt play due to disturbances, rule-breaking, or injuries
  • Keep unauthorized persons off the playing field
  • Give out warnings and/or remove repeat offenders from the match
  • Make sure the game ball is an official ball
  • Fill out the match sheet and give it to tournament official