The ITF Tennis Play and Stay campaign aims to promote tennis as easy, fun, and healthy, and to ensure all starter players can serve, rally and score from their first lesson.
Fundamental to the campaign is the use of slower balls by coaches working with starter players, ensuring that their first experience of tennis is a positive one, where players are able play the game.
Competition can be great fun for all levels and ages of player. Several formats and scoring systems exist that are perfect for starter players. These formats offer the chance to meet and play with other players of similar abilities in a fun and friendly atmosphere.
A variety of competition formats and Scoring Formats are included in the ITF Rules of Tennis to allow clubs and coaches to tailor competitions to the needs and lifestyles of all players.
The parents' role is more important in Tennis10s than at any other stage of tennis because children are very influenced by the behaviour of their parents at this age. Engaging, retaining, and developing players is essential to the success of any sport and healthy competition is a key driver in making this happen.
Creating a player-friendly platform for children to be introduced to competition at a level suitable for their age and understanding is vital. Parents can assist in creating a positive playing environment for their child by providing the right support and encouragement.
- Real-time skill level rating
- Find evenly matched opponents wherever you are
- Track your tennis progress based on your actual performance
Game. Set. Matched.
Tennis10s is tennis for players aged 10-and-under, played on smaller courts with slower Red, Orange and Green balls. It is a fun way to start tennis and makes it easy for children to play the game, develop good technique and tactics and a love for the sport.
Since 2012 the ITF Rules of Tennis (Appendix VII) state that competition for players aged 10-and-under must be played with slower Red, Orange and Green balls on the appropriately sized courts. The traditional Yellow ball is no longer be permitted.
SEE THE RULES OF TENNISRed - Stage 3
The ball
- 75% slower than a Yellow ball*
- Foam ball: 8-9cm
- Felt ball: 7-8cm
*estimated ball speed
The court
- 10.97-12.8m x 4.88-6.1m
- Net Height (at the centre): 31.5-33" (0.8-0.838m)
Recommended Scoring Formats
- 1x Tiebreak to 7 or 10
- Best of 3 Tiebreaks to 7
- 1x Short Set to 4
- Timed matches
Orange - Stage 2
The ball
- 50% slower than a Yellow ball*
- Felt ball: 6-6.86cm
*estimated ball speed
The court
- 17.98-18.29 x 6.4-8.3m
- Net Height (at the centre): 31.5-36" (0.8-0.914m)
Recommended Scoring Formats
- Best of 3 Tiebreaks to 7
- 1x Short Set to 4
Green - Stage 1
The ball
- 25% slower than a Yellow ball*
- Felt ball: 6.3-6.86cm
*estimated ball speed
The court
- 23.77 x 8.23m
- Net Height (at the centre): 36" (0.914m)
Recommended Scoring Formats
- Best of 3 Tiebreaks to 7
- 1x Short Set to 4 (3rd Set as match Tiebreak to 10)
- A combination of the formats used at Red and Orange stages
Tennis Xpress is an ITF Official Programme and is an easy, active, and fun coaching programme for adults. Tennis Xpress is designed as a 6-session course of 9-hours (6 x 1.5 hours).
It is a specific ‘off-the-shelf’ course that has been developed by the ITF to introduce starter adult players to tennis using the slower balls. The aim is to help starter adults to serve, rally and score (play the game) from the first session.
If you want to learn more about all aspects of the ITF Tennis Play and Stay campaign, there is a library full of short courses and eBooks on the ITF's online learning platform.
Log on to the ITF Academy and search for the items below:
ITF Play Tennis Course
ITF Play Tennis Manual (eBook)
ITF Play Tennis Course - Introduction to equipment
ITF Play Tennis Course - Introduction to the Play & Stay campaign
Tennis10s
Tennis10s: Marking Red & Orange Courts (eBook)
Tennis10s: Manual (eBook)
ITF Play Tennis Course - Introduction to Tennis10s
Competition
Q & A – Competition formats and rules for beginner players
Q & A – Competition for Tennis Xpress
Q & A – Competition for Tennis10s
Parents
Being a Better Tennis Parent (eBook)
Q & A – Parents of beginner tennis players: Fundamentals
Parents of Beginner Players - Introduction to tennis
Tennis Xpress
Tennis Xpress: Play tennis the easy way (eBook)
Tennis Xpress: Fundamentals of teaching tennis to adult players
Want more info about ITF Tennis Play and Stay? Contact serverallyscore@itftennis.com