All official tournaments, leagues and competitions of the American Soccer-Tennis Organization (ASTO) and licensed partners have to be played according to these rules.

Adult SOCCER-TENNIS is played on the doubles playing surface of a regulation tennis court. (Age 12 and under play only on the “Serve Court”.) The court should be 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. The playing surface should be marked with brightly-colored lines, which are part of the playing field. A regular tennis court is already built to accommodate SOCCER-TENNIS. The court is split in two parts by tennis net. Nets should be 42 feet in length and should be no more than 39 inches high at the posts with the minimum midpoint height of 3 feet. SOCCER-TENNIS uses a regulation size 5 ball at all exhibition matches, tournaments, and league matches. (Age 12 and under play with size 4 ball.) The game is played between two teams with three players on each team. There are two substitutes allowed per team throughout a match, players are allowed to return after being substituted. If during a game, a player is injured, the game must continue until a stoppage in play allows for a substitution. In Coed Games, a minimum of 1 girl must be on the field. The official uniform of soccer-tennis includes a shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes. Any kind of shoe may be used with the exception of shoes that would destroy the surface of the court (such as cleats, or studded shoes). SOCCER-TENNIS matches are played as best of 3 games to 15 points, the team does not have to win by 2 points. In a best of three situations, the first team to win two games wins the match. There is a 3 minute maximum break between games before the teams switch sides to begin another game. There is one: 30 second time out allowed per team per game. At certain tournaments, organizations may play a full match with only one game. In that case, the first team to reach 15 points is the winner. The winner of a coin toss is allowed to elect whether they will kick off or choose a side to defend. Referees start the game with the sign to kick-off. A kick-off is used to begin each game, and also between each point scored. Kick-offs are played from behind the service line of the tennis court (similar position to tennis services). Players cannot step on the line during a kick-off, but if a player elects to jump serve the kick-off he can land inside the court after the service. A player has two attempts to execute a kick-off and must play the ball out of his hands, either per volley or drop kick (ball hitting the ground before being kicked). Balls can land anywhere on the opposing team side. (Age 12 and under kick-off must be played in the Serve Court - left or right). The player cannot return the kick-off directly. The kick-off must bounce once in the serve court.) Any kick-off that hits the net but lands on the opposing side (let) must be repeated. If the first service does not make it over the net or in bounds, a second service is awarded. If such an event happens twice (double fault), the opposing team receives a point and the service Both teams can score a point at any time (the defending team can score even if they did not kick off to start play). After each break in play, the referee should call out the score stating first the kick-off team score, followed by the defending team score. A scoreboard can also be used for tournament and league play and should be placed in a location that can be seen by players and spectators alike. The receiving team can touch the ball a maximum of three times before returning the ball to the opposing team. Except during the kick-off where the receiving player is allowed to take 2 touches. Between the service recipient’s 2 touches, the Ball cannot bounce to the ground. (Age 12 and under receiving player must play the ball with only one touch.) All three players do not need to touch the ball however. (For example, Player A passes to Player B, who returns the ball to Player A, who then plays the ball over the net.) The ball can be directly returned to the opposing team with only one ball touch, if desired. Players can use any part of their body to touch the ball, with the exception of the arms or hands. Shoulders are not considered part of the arm. The only time a ball is allowed to touch the ground outside the playing field, is when a kick-off player elects to bounce the ball before kick-off. Any other ground contacts outside the playing field are “out balls” and the opposing team is awarded a point and the next service. Inside the playing field, a ball can bounce one time before a player touches the Ball. Since the maximum number of players that can touch the ball before a return is three, the maximum number of times a ball can touch the ground before being returned to the opposing side is two. The two ground contacts must be used by a minimum of two players before returning the ball. (Age 12 and under the ball is allowed to bounce once between each touch.) The players can decide to return the ball after only one touch if desired. Every play can result in a point scored by either one of the teams. Faults at the kick-off

• 1a. Kick-off is done before referee allows play to begin.
• 1b. Kick-off is not played from the hands.
• 1c. More than one ground contact is made before kicking off.
• 1d. The player steps onto the playing field during or before kick-off.
• 1e. Player kicks the ball into the net (If the ball hits the net, and goes over to the opposing side, the fault does not result in a point, but the kick-off is repeated.)
• 1f. The kick-off lands outside the playing field (“out”)

Faults during a play

• 2a. Player uses more than two touches before getting rid of the ball.
• 2b. During a play, the ball touches the ground more than two times. (Age 12 and Under, the ball touches the ground more than THREE times.)
• 2c. The ball has more ground contacts than players who touch the ball.
• 2d. A team plays the ball, and it lands outside the playing field.
• 2e. A team plays the ball into the net.
• 2f. A player touches the net.
• 2g. A player touches the ball with their hand, or arm.
• 2h. The ball touches the ground before it goes over the net.

After every game, both teams change sides. The kick-off remains with the team who scored prior to last game being called. If disturbances arise that players have no influence over (such as problems with the net or equipment or a player injury, the referee is allowed to stop play immediately and the kick-off is repeated with no points given. Referees can warn players for unsportsmanlike conduct by issuing a yellow card to the offending player. Also, the team loses 1 point. A red card will bar the player from the rest of the match, and their team must substitute another player. If there is no other player, the team needs to finish the game with two players on the field. Also, the team loses 3 points. Official SOCCER-TENNIS games must be supervised by a referee, with these duties:

• Make sure rules are clear and abided by
• Use signs to regulate play from start to finish, between games, and after each play
• Decide points (referee decisions are final)
• Keep score correctly
• Control the clock
• Interrupt play due to disturbances, rule-breaking, or injuries
• Keep unauthorized persons off the playing field
• Give out warnings and/or remove repeat offenders from the match
• Make sure the game ball is an official ball
• Fill out the match sheet and give it to tournament officials

Linesmen are assigned positions diagonally behind the kick-off point to decide when a ball has bounced outside the playing field, or when a player has stepped into the field during or before kick-off. They use the same signs as the referee to call the play. THE REFEREE HAS THE LAST CALL. The linesmen must support the referee especially with Out Balls and Kick-Off faults.