Is It Time for No-ad Scoring?

No-ad scoring has been a part of tennis for long time now. I'm not sure what it's original purpose was, other than to keep matches from going on forever. Now, it's used in the competitions I'm involved in when it's important to keep lots of matches progressing at the same rate. But it's certainly become a standard format even when time isn't an issue. All of the pro doubles tournaments use it (as well as the 10 point matchbreaker instead of a third set). It's the scoring system for college matches. And I think it's high time that we adopt it for high school tennis as well. It's already an option if both coaches agree. In the matches we've played that way, it has made little (probably no) difference in the outcome of the match or any individual line. I will continue to ask opponents if they'd like to use it, but I'd like to see it become the standard.

There are lots of good reasons to switch to no-ad scoring. Here are just a couple. First, it would shorten the matches which now often take a very long time to complete. We've all been part of a match where one singles match goes on forever. Often that one match holds up 2 doubles lines. No ad scoring would help standardize match times. We limit practices to 90 minutes for the health of the players, but have no problem with asking them to play 3 hours on match day (to say nothing of the individual regional and state tournaments where up to six sets can be played in a single day - often with little recovery time between matches). If a match is being played early in the season without lights, it's not unusual to complete less than the full 9 lines. Quicker matches would get players home sooner as well. Second, it can be incredibly exciting. There's an extra charge in the air when it's decision point. If you haven't watched a no-ad match or played it, try it sometime to see what it's like.

I also think that no-ad has less effect on the outcome than we'd expect. There are lots of lopsided matches in high school tennis that changing the scoring system won't effect. However, it might give the lower level player a chance at a few more games. Any time you shorten the competitive format, the odds of an upset happening increase. Don't agree? I'll give you a choice in your match against Roger Federer: best of five sets: or one point, winner take all. And if we give the "lower seed" the opportunity to win four points to three, as opposed to four points to two they might score a couple of extra games. I doubt they win the match, but it has to feel better to get several games off your strongest opponents instead of going out 6-0, 6-0.

Tennis is full of traditions, some better than others. I'm sure we'll never see no-ad in the grand slams. But it has made it's inroads at the levels I mentioned above and no one has complained that it's ruined the game there. It would be a good change at our level too.