Are the Alleys In on a Doubles Serve? Tennis Court Lines Explained
The doubles alleys are out for a serve. Even in doubles, the serve must land in the correct diagonal service box. Once the serve starts the rally legally, shots can land in the alleys and still be in. The wider doubles court does not make the service box wider.
Identify the service box first
The service line, centre service line and singles sideline define each service box. The long strip between the singles and doubles sidelines is the alley.
A serve that lands in that strip has missed the box. Do not use the outer doubles sideline as the serving target boundary just because four people are playing.
What changes after the return
During the rally, doubles uses the full width between the outer sidelines. A shot into an alley can therefore be good, provided it lands within the court.
This is the source of the common confusion: the same patch of surface is outside the serving target but inside the rally court. The stage of the point determines which boundary matters.
A ball on the correct line is in
When a ball touches a boundary line belonging to the correct target area, it counts as in. A serve touching the service-box boundary is different from one landing beyond that boundary in the alley.
For a rally ball, the doubles sideline is the outer boundary. For a serve, the relevant side boundary is the singles sideline.
Who returns the serve in doubles?
Partners choose their receiving sides for the set. The player assigned to the deuce side receives serves sent there, and the other receives on the ad side.
Once the serve has been returned, either partner can hit the next shot. Doubles tennis does not require teammates to alternate strokes during a rally.
A quick check before your first match
Point out the diagonal service box, then walk to the alley and distinguish its role during serving and rallies. Agree on the serving and receiving order before play starts.
A simple example helps: a first serve landing cleanly in the alley is a fault; a returned ball landing in that same alley during a doubles rally can be good. Remembering that pair is easier than trying to memorize every line at once.
Quick check
- Serve into the diagonal service box.
- Use the doubles width during rallies.
- Keep receiving sides consistent within the set.
Read next: electronic line calling and close decisions.
