How Wheelchair Tennis’s Two-Bounce Rule Works

How Wheelchair Tennis's Two-Bounce Rule Works Explainer

Wheelchair tennis uses the familiar court, net, equipment, and scoring of tennis, but it modifies the bounce rule. A player may return the ball after its first or second bounce. That extra bounce accounts for the time and movement needed to maneuver a sports wheelchair while preserving the sport's speed and shot-making demands.

The first bounce must land inside the normal court boundaries. The second bounce may occur either inside or outside the court before the player returns the ball. If the ball bounces a third time, the point is over, just as a second bounce ends a point in non-wheelchair tennis.

In a match between a wheelchair player and a non-wheelchair player, each competitor follows the bounce rule that applies to that competitor. The wheelchair player may use two bounces, while the standing player must return the ball before a second bounce. This allows both to share the same court without changing the basic scoring system.

The chair is treated as part of the player's body for many rule applications. Touching the net with the chair during play, for example, can cost the point. The two-bounce allowance is therefore one targeted adaptation within a complete competitive rule set, not a relaxed version of the game.