What happens if the wrong player serves in soft tennis?
A · Advanced · Serving and receiving · 1 of 6If the wrong pair serves, the wrong partner serves, a pair is at the wrong end or the wrong service court is used, the error is corrected once found. If found before a point starts, it is corrected for that point. If found during a point, play goes on and the correction is made at the next point. Points already played stand.
How it works
- What it covers: errors in the change of servers, the change of ends, the order between partners and the service court.
- The calls: "Change service", "Change sides" or "Rotation change".
- Found before a point: corrected for that point.
- Found during a point: the point is played out and the correction made at the next one.
- Points played: all points before the error was found count.
- After a first fault: the error is corrected at once and play resumes with a first serve.
- Score errors: the umpire calls "Correction" at the next fault or point call; play is not stopped.
The glossary has the rotation error, the change of service and sides, the servers and receivers, the fault, the umpire's signals and calls and the score sheet.
Tricky cases
The wrong partner serves and wins three points before anyone notices. Do they count?
Yes. Points already played stand; the order is corrected from then on.
The error is noticed after a first-serve fault. Does the fault count?
No. The error is corrected at once and play restarts with a first serve.
The pairs forgot to change ends after the third game. What now?
They change when it is noticed, and the score stands.
The umpire called the wrong score. Is play stopped?
No. The umpire corrects it at the next call; any point being played counts.
Why the rule exists
Replaying points would be unfair and confusing. Letting played points stand, and fixing the order from the next point, keeps the match fair without undoing what happened.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Order errors | Corrected, points stand | ISTF C 33.1 |
| After a fault | Restart with first serve | ISTF C 33.2 |
| Score errors | "Correction" call | ISTF U 17 |
From the rule book
International Soft Tennis Federation, Technical Rules (web text, site snapshot of 30 January 2024): Rules for Competitions, article 33; Rules for Umpiring, article 17. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the ISTF Technical Rules, published on the federation's website.