Special Olympics Tennis is a singles and doubles event where all competitors have mental or physical disabilities.

Special Olympics tennis is similar to traditional tennis and allows athletes with physical and mental disabilities to compete in singles, doubles events, and individual skills competitions. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender.

In Special Olympics tennis, the goal is to win more sets than the opponent in order to win the match.

Play is started by an overhead service which must land within the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the net or lands outside the service box, a fault is called. If the server fails to deliver a proper serve on two consecutive attempts, a double fault is called and a point is awarded to opposing player. Players volley until one hits the ball out of bounds, allows the ball to bounce more than twice on their own side or has the net return a hit ball. When any of these occur, a point is awarded.

Scoring follows the following progression: 15, 30, 40, (game winning point). When a player has 0 points, their score is love. When the score is tied at 40, it is referred to as deuce. If the game's score reaches deuce, a player must win by two points. The player to score first while the score is deuce is given the advantage.

The first player to win 6 games, wins a set. International play dictates men must win three sets, and women must win two, to win a match.

In 1987, tennis became an official sport in the Special Olympics. At the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, 127 athletes from 29 programs competed. As of 2005, 18,013 Special Olympics athletes compete in tennis.

Net
Racquet
Tennis Ball

Tennis is a game that has been known to cause specific damage to players' knees and elbows. Injuries can be avoided by stretching before matches and using proper form while playing.

Tennis players heavily rely on agility and quickness. As such, training methods center around developing these skills.For Special Olympics tennis, athletes must compete and complete in individual skills training in order to develop the skills necessary to be successful and advance into match play. These skills include racket bounce, "ups," forehand volley, backhand ground stroke, serve-deuce court, serve-advantage court and alternating ground stroke.

Ace - a service the opposing player is unable to return

Backhand - swinging the racquet across the body

Deuce - a score of 40-40

Fault - occurs when a player improperly serves

Love - a score of zero

Rally - a series of hits that eventually ends with one player scoring a point

http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Compete/Sports_Offered/Tennis.htm