Court of Appeals: By Any Means Necessary

WATCH: Tennis Channel Live—American men surge in time for US Open

The tennis summer swing is in full force across all surfaces, and with the return to hard courts comes more debates over lines and serves, questionable calls, and the perennial query: What does The Code say?

Court of Appeals is here to clear the air. Rebel Good, a past editor of Friend at Court, the USTA’s handbook of rules and regulations, has taught officiating for more than 30 years and will resolve all your rules questions and quarrels.

By Any Means Necessary

A drop shot landed close to the line. I ran as hard as I could and retrieved the ball, but my momentum carried me into the net post and net on the next court over. There was quite a clatter. The opponents returned my shot into an open court for a winner. After the opponents determined I was okay and congratulated me on the great get, an argument started: If my shot had been a winner, would I have lost the point by running into the net and net post a court over?

—Bob Rubin, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.

You can crash into the stuff on an adjacent court with reckless abandon, even though you can’t touch the net or net post on your court while the ball is in play, without losing the point (Rule 24.g.). Those same things on an adjacent court are only classified as permanent fixtures for your court (Rule 2), and touching (or obliterating) them won’t count against you.

—Rebel Good

Got a question? Send it our way. Email your question to courtofappeals@tennis.com.