How do soft tennis team events work?
I · Intermediate · Conduct, officials and events · 6 of 6Events can be doubles, singles, mixed doubles or teams, run as knockouts, round robins or both. A team tie is an odd number of singles or doubles matches, played in an order given in advance; the team winning more matches wins. In a round robin, a tie between two is decided by their match against each other.
How it works
- Events: men's and women's doubles and singles, mixed doubles and men's and women's team events.
- Formats: knockout, round robin or a mix, set in the competition guide.
- Team tie: an odd number of matches in the order submitted in advance.
- Winning a tie: more matches won; organisers may stop once a team has won a majority.
- Wrong order: playing out of the submitted order disqualifies the team.
- Managers: one manager or coach counts as a team member.
- Two teams level: the winner of their match ranks higher.
- Three or more level: win ratio among them, then games and points differences, then a draw of lots.
- Byes: the next power of two minus the number of entries.
- Local rules: national bodies may use their own rules in national events.
The glossary has the events, the team competition, the tournament and round robin, the round-robin ranking, the draw, seeds and byes and the retirement in a round robin.
Tricky cases
A team cannot field enough players. Can it play?
Yes, if it can play more than half the matches of the tie; the rest are lost.
A player retires halfway through a round robin. What happens to their results?
Their earlier matches count as lost, unless the retirement came under the injury or withdrawal rules, when results so far stand.
Three teams are level on wins. How are they ranked?
By win ratio in the matches among them, then games, then points.
There are 12 entries in a knockout. How many byes?
Four: 16 minus 12.
Why the rule exists
A fixed, advance order stops teams from matching their best pair to the opponent's weakest after seeing the line-up. Head-to-head ranking rewards the result between the teams in question.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Team ties | Matches in a fixed order | ISTF O 9.2 |
| Round robin | Head-to-head ranking | ISTF O 10 |
| National events | Local rules allowed | ISTF O 8(1) |
| World Championships 2024 | Doubles, singles, doubles; a 2-0 lead ends the tie | WC 2024, item 14 |
From the rule book
International Soft Tennis Federation, Technical Rules (web text, site snapshot of 30 January 2024): Rules for Operations of Competitions, articles 4, 8 to 11 and 14; Rules for Umpiring, articles 21 and 23(5). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the ISTF Technical Rules, published on the federation's website.