streaks tennis rules

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The objective is to have an EXCITING and FUN game that makes you want to keep playing!

Six or more balls is preferred in order to keep the pace of the game going (suggestion).

1. Decide before playing each game on whose score will be called first and keep that order of score calling throughout the rest of the game
2. Players begin play at the baseline
3. Either player can begin play by hitting an underhand rally ball to the other player
4. The ball must be hit a total of 4 times for the point to start. 
5.  The 4th hit of the ball makes the point “live”. 
6. The first 4 rally balls do not have to bounce, they can be volleyed. 
7. A player has the option to refrain from hitting one of the first 4 rally balls if he/she chooses to without any consequence.  (i.e. sometimes the play of that ball would put you at a disadvantage for example, if it is far from you, or on your weaker shot side, and hence you may decide not to play it)
8. Players should try to hit the first 3 balls in the middle of the court in order to establish the rally.  But those balls can be hit with as much force/power and positioning as you like which might entice your opponent to hit the ball, and if it does come back over the net might put it in such a position for you to play a winning shot.  The strategy of these shots you will develop over time.
9. One point is awarded to the player that wins the rally, unless a "Streaks Winner" is hit.
10. Two points are awarded for a “Streaks Winner”. A “Streaks Winner” is defined as a shot that is not reached by the opponent (not touched), wins the point, AND, the shot must land between the service line and baseline in the singles court.  Shots touching the lines are called in.  However, two points are not rewarded for a winner shot that lands in the service box (only one point is awarded).
11. The one exception to a Streaks Winner is if the winner is from a lob ball in which case only 1 point, not 2 is awarded.  You cannot win the game on a lob ball. 
12. The player to reach 21 points first, wins the game, however, the player must win by a "Streaks Winner" as defined in #10.  Hence when a player reaches 19 points, they need to press to get the Streaks Winner to win the game.  Meanwhile the opponent will keep getting points if the player who has 19 points makes mistakes and loses points (1 or 2 points).   
13. The objective of first player to 19 is to score a Streak Winner point to win the game.
14. If both players are within 21 won points (ie. at 19 points), the next winner, wins the game.
15. For every consecutive two Streaks Winners, one point is also deducted from the opponents score.   If the opponent has not yet scored a point, the opponents score remains at zero. 

Depending on the time you have you may decide to play the Challenge Game.  That is the best of three games to 21.   If the score is 1 game each, you might decide, given the time remaining, to play to 11 points as the "winner takes-all" (or tie-break) game rather than the 21 points.

Variations:

1. You can modify the game depending on the time you have to 11 points instead of 21.  Same rules apply except for the winning score being 11.  At 9 points you have to score a Streaks Winner to win.
2. It has been found that when the score reaches 19-19, that getting the final Streaks Winner may be difficult and take a long time depending on the level of the players.  If you are limited on time, a variation to deciding the winner of the game with only a Streaks Winner is to introduce a 3 single point consecutive streak that can be used to determine the winner (ie. a player has to score 3x 1 points in a row), or the "Streaks Winner", which ever comes first.   
3. There is no serving, but you can introduce the same game with serving, but the game will be slower.  You can take turns serving to say 11 points and then switch turns.

Socially Distanced Streaks Tennis:

1. Please make sure to abide by the socially distancing guidelines for your city when playing any tennis game.   

• When coming to the court be sure to wear a face mask
• Keep 6ft apart from your opponent
• Use your own towels and water
• As is possible, keep your tennis balls separate from your opponents (mark your tennis balls with your name in marker)
• After the game make sure to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.

Be safe and have fun!

Yes you can play with four players!    The same rules for Singles play above apply, with the following  additional points to be noted:

1. Doubles play takes place in the full court (including the doubles lines).
2. Players should start the point standing on either side of their side of the court (ie. of each side of the middle of the court (ie. the line between the two service boxes).
3. For each point played players can decide which side of the court they want to play the rally balls on.
4. Either player may feed the ball or hit the ball.  
5. Players stay on their side of the court during the rally but after the 4th shot is played the players may switch sides.
6. Whomever is feeding the ball, needs to announce loudly to the opponents, the score and say "Service" before hitting the ball.
7. The ball must be fed from the baseline and across court to the opponents. but thereafter can be played to any side of the court (anywhere)  
8. Players may not step into the service boxes until the forth (4th) shot has passed over the net.
9. Two points are awarded for a “Doubles Streaks Winner”. A “Doubles Streaks Winner” is defined as a shot that is not reached by the opponents (not touched before the second bounce), wins the point, AND, the shot must land anywhere in the opponents court.  Shots touching the lines are called in.  
10. Doubles Streaks Winners include lobs , drop shots and shots that hit the net but are winners.
11. Only shots that go in the net or are not returned within the opponents court are scored with one point to the opponents.

Other than the above rules, please refer to the rules in Singles that apply.

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Streaks Tennis Rules are copyrighted by the Authors of Streaks Tennis.  Changes and slight variations to these rules do not remove the rights associated with these original rules established and documented on the StreaksTennis.com website.   We welcome any suggestions and variations to the Streaks game rules.  Please send those to us by clicking here.