Is this a legal tennis move?

Question

Picture the scene; your playing tennis, you hit the ball, it goes high up in the air and it's going to land on your opponent's side of the court, but very near the net.

I was playing my friend and as he hit the ball back to me (a downward swinging volley), his body literally came flying over the net (without touching the net with his racket or body, mind you). He lands on my side of the court, and then does a backflip back over the net again and into his side of the court.

I cry foul, and he says, it's not a foul because he never touched the net any time; subsequent argument made him later interject that there was no rule about doing a coby bryant style super leap over the net and that landing on my side of the court and somersaulting back over was completely legal.

So can you fly over the net while returning a ball, and backflip over the net as long as you don't touch the net?

Answer 1

You cannot go over to the other side. You become a Sith.

Answer 2

Yes, as long as he doesn't touch the net.

Answer 3

it is not legal, u got screwed!

Answer 4

dwi is correct under USTA rules and most other civilized rules of play.  Part of the net's purpose is to keep the players separated.  It's a rule of civility and decorum.

I have to speculate you're making this story up - but it did make for a good question!

Answer 5

it is legal.

it is illegal if you touch the net.

are tennis coach was telling us what you can do and cant it is perfectly ok to jump over net

Answer 6

in tennis you are not allowed to touch the net or cross your side of the court during a point. so for example if your in the volley and you hit the ball before it reaches your side of the court (on the other side of the net) its a foul. however if you touch the net or fall to the other side, after the point has ended, meaning the ball bounced twice or your opponent missed the shot, then the point is yours.

therefor what your friend did was a foul.

Answer 7

yup! it's legal

Answer 8

yes it is, just you can't touch the net!

Answer 9

NO this is not legal. you are not allowed at any time during a game to cross your opponents side of the court and you cannot reach over the net to hit the ball either unless you are just following through

Answer 10

yes

Answer 11

This is NOT legal.  You cannot touch the opposing player's side of the court during a point.  For backup on this, see the USTA's rules of tennis site- Look under "The Code" #20 (on page 57).  

Not only was your opponent wrong, he was obligated to call the infraction on himself!

Answer 12

NO IT IS NOT LEGAL!!!!!! Unless he touched the court after the second bounce of the ball, it is an illegal action. In the USTA Code, if the ball is "out of play" (after the second bounce) then it is legal, but otherwise, no.

Answer 13

i dont know, but that's hilarious :D