23. As soon as two chases are marked, or one chase when the score of either player is at forty or advantage (see law 25), the players change sides. The player who made the first chase now defends it, while the other plays to win it ; and so with the second chase, except when only one has been marked.
24. If by an error three chases have been marked, or two chases when the score of either player is at forty or advantage (see law 25), the last chase in each case is annulled.
25. On either player winning his first stroke, the score is called fifteen for that player; on either player winning his second stroke, the score is called thirty for that player; on either player winning his third stroke, the score is called forty for that player ; and the fourth stroke won by either player is scored game for that player, except as below.
If both players have won three strokes, the score is called deuce, and the next stroke won by either player is scored advantage for that player. If the same player win the following stroke, he wins the game; if he lose the following stroke, the score is again called deuce; and so on, until either player win the two strokes immediately following the score of deuce, when the game is scored for that player.
26. The player who first wins six games wins a set, except as below.
If both players win five games, the score is called games all, and the next game won by either player is scored advantage game for that player - If the same player win the following game, he wins the set; if he lose the following game, the score is again called games all; and so on, until either player win the two games immediately following the score of games all, when he wins the set.
Note.—Players often agree not to play advantage sets, but to decide the set by one game after arriving at the score of games all.
27. Every chase is marked, and every stroke scored, by the marker, who is entitled to consult the dedans when he is in doubt. A player who is dissatisfied with the marker’s decision is entitled to appeal to the dedans. A majority of the dedans confirms or reverses the marker’s decision. An appeal must be made before a recommencement of play.
Note.—The dedans should not give a decision unasked on a question of marking a chase or stroke, but may, and should, correct inaccurate scoring of chases, strokes, games, or sets.
Three-Handed and Four-Handed Games, sometimes called Double Games.
28. The partners serve and strike-out in alternate games, unless it shall have been previously agreed to the contrary.
Note.—It is usually, but not always, agreed that the striker-out may leave to his partner such services as pass him.
The former laws apply to these as well as to single games; the advantages and disadvantages attaching to a single player under the former laws here attaching to a pair of players.
Odds.
29. (a) A bisque or a half-bisque may not be taken after the service has been delivered.
(6) The server may not take a bisque after a fault; but the striker-out may do so.
Note.—A bisque is a stroke which may be claimed by the recipient of odds at any time during a set, subject to the provisions of laws 29 and 30.
30. A player who wishes to take a bisque or a half-bisque, there being a chase or two chases marked, may take it either before or after changing sides; but he may not, after changing sides, go back to take it.
31. (a) When the odds of round services are given, the ball served by the giver of the odds must touch the grille penthouse after touching the service penthouse and before dropping in the service court or on one of the lines which bound it.
(b) Neither faults nor failure in complying with the above condition are counted against the giver of the odds; but the recipient of the odds may decline to return such services as do not touch both the penthouses; if, however, he attempt and fail to return any such service, it is counted against him.
32. Half-court: the players having agreed into which half-court on each side of the net the giver of the odds shall play, the latter loses a stroke if the ball returned by him drop in either of the other half-courts.
But a ball returned by the giver of the odds which
(a) drops on the half-court line, or
(b) drops in his half-court and touches the dedans post before falling, or
(c) drops in his half-court and falls in the dedans, even though on the other side of the dedans post, or
(d) touches the dedans post before dropping,
is counted for the giver of the odds.
And a return boasted against any wall by the giver of the odds which
(e) drops in his half-court, or
(f) drops on the half- court line, or
(g) touches the dedans post before dropping, or
(h) touches any penthouse, battery, or wall before dropping in his half-court, dropping on the half-court line, or touching the dedans post,
is also counted for the giver of the odds.
Note.—It is, of course, evident that the giver of these odds may make a chase, or win a chase or a stroke, with a ball which drops in his half-court, or on the half-court line, but falls in the other half-court.
33. When the odds of “touch no walls” or “touch no side walls” are given, a ball returned by the giver of the odds which on falling makes a nick is counted for the striker.
Directions to the Marker.
It is the duty of the marker
to call the faults, and the passes;
to call the strokes, when won, or when he is asked to do so;
to call the games and sets at the end of each, or when asked to do so;
to mark the chases, when made;
to call the chases when there are two in the order in which they were made, or the chase when there is one with the score at forty or advantage; and then to direct the players to change sides;
to call the chase or chases again, in order as above, when the players have changed sides, and each chase as a player has to play for it;
not to call play or not play in doubtful cases before the conclusion of the rest, unless asked to do so;
to decide all doubtful and disputed strokes, subject to an appeal to the dedans;
to warn the players of any balls lying on the floor in their way, or to their danger or disadvantage, and to remove all such balls;
to collect the balls into the ball-basket; and to keep the ball-troughs constantly replenished in the dedans and last gallery, and the latter especially in three-handed and four-handed games.( J. MA*.)
TENNIS, Lawn. Lawn-tennis is a modern adaptation of the first principle of tennis, in the simplest form, to a ball-game played on grass with rackets. The balls are of india-rubber, hollow, and covered with white cloth. The rackets are lighter and broader than those used at tennis. The court for the single-handed game, one player against one, is shown in fig. 1, that for the three or four-handed game in fig. 2.
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Lawn-tennis courts. Fig. 1, for single game; fig. 2, for double game.
The dimensions of the courts, the size and weight of the balls, the mode of scoring, and other details are given in the laws of the game (see below). The only requisites for the game are the balls, rackets, net and posts, and a hard level surface of grass. It may be, and often is, played upon surfaces of wood, asphalt, cement, gravel, or other substance. The grass requires constant mowing, rolling, and in dry weather watering, to keep it
