Doubles Beginners: Serves

Here is the order of serving in a very simple form (except for the very first server of the game):

Order of serves – Assuming both teams have their right wall player serve first

1. Team Blue – (assuming the team is choosing to have their right wall player serve first)
   • Right player
   • Left player
2. Team Yellow (assuming the team is choosing to have their right wall player serve first)
   • Right player
   • Left player

If the left-walled player on Team Blue serves first the sequence would be as follows:

1. Team Blue (assuming the team is choosing to have their left wall player serve first)
   • Left player
   • Right player
2. Team Yellow (assuming the team is choosing to have their right wall player serve first)
   • Right player
   • Left player

Detailed breakdown of what happens:

Typically the Right wall player of any given team serves first before their partner and has a choice from which side to serve from. However, the left-wall player can serve first but must maintain the left-first-right-second order throughout the game.

In the following examples, we will assume the right wall player will play the first serve and serve until they lose the point, at which point the left wall player then gets their turn for serving.

Like singles, you must serve from the service box to the other side and the ball must not bounce before the short line and must be playable in the opposite back quadrant where your opponent is standing. And like singles, if you win the rally, you serve from the opposite side.

EXAMPLE

Assumes Team Blue wins the first serve, the sequence is relatively straightforward (except for the very first set of rallies):

• Team Blue – first serve of the game ONLY:
  • Right wall player – gets to choose which side to start serving from
  • If the Blue team wins the rally, the right wall player serves from the opposing side
  • If the Blue team loses a rally, it goes to the opposite team to serve on the first serve only
• Team Yellow
  • Right wall player – gets to choose which side to start serving from
    • If Yellow team wins the rally, Right wall player serves from the opposing side
    • If Yellow team loses the rally, the serve goes to their Left-wall partner
  • Left wall player – serves from the opposing side that the Right wall player last serves from.
    • If Yellow team wins the rally, the Left wall players serves from the opposing side until the team loses the rally.
    • If Yellow team loses the rally it is now the opposing teams turn to serve
• Team Blue
  • Right wall player – gets to choose which side to start serving from
    • If Blue team wins the rally, Right wall player serves from the opposite side
    • If Blue team loses the rally, the serve goes to their Left wall partner
  • Left wall player – serves from the oppose side that the Right wall player last serves from.
    • If Blue team wins the rally, left wall players serves from the oppose side until the team loses the rally.
    • If Blue team loses the rally it is now the opposing teams turn to serve
• etc…

Where everyone stands

If your team is serving, you and your partner stand in the same quadrant together. See examples below.

EXAMPLE: Right wall player of Team Blue is serving from the right.

The Right wall player (Blue R) serves from the right service box, their partner (Blue L) stands beside them in the right quadrant ready to move over the moment to their side of the court the moment their opponent hits a return.

The opponent on the side of the server (Yellow R) stands back during the serve. They won’t need to hit the ball until after their opponent (Yellow L) on the opposite side hits a return so can move up after the serve.

The opponent receiving the serve (Yellow L) can stand where they want on the left – generally they place themselves to be ready to get any number of serves that come at them.

Right wall player of Team Blue is serving from the left.

Right wall player serves from the left (Blue R). Their partner (Blue L) moves back a little to give them access to run backover to the right after the opposing team (Yellow R) hits the return. Blue R has to be ready to cross immediately back to their side (allow Yellow R space to hit the shot) in case Yellow R drills the return back hard to the back right corner corner.

Left wall player of Team Blue is serving from the right.

As with the previous example, when the Left wall player serves from the right, (which they may have to do after right wall player has served from the left and they lost the rally, or they themselves have served from the left and won the rally), they will have to be ready to move to the other side of the court.

Left wall player of Team Blue is serving from the left

This is the missor image of the Right walled player on Team Blue serving from their side of the court above.

Other notes

• Exception: the very first rally of the game, only the right wall server serves before the serve goes to the opposing team.
• When you call out the score, you number you call out first is of the team who is serving. So if Team A has 6 points and Team B has 10, and team B is about to serve (either right wall or left wall player serving), the score is called out as “10 – 7”. If Team B loses the rally but the left wall player serves it is “10-8”. If Team A wins the rally, it then is “9-10”
• You get a second serve if you hit your first serve out of bounds!
• You spin a racquet to see who goes first (the equivalent of a coin toss)
• The player that first serves for the team gets to choose what side to serve from (“Choice”), however whatever teammate serves first – either left or right – must serve first before his or her teammate throughout the game.