Rules the code of conduct
What Is a Code Violation in Tennis? Time Violations, Penalties and Defaults
A code violation is the chair umpire's formal penalty for breaking the code of conduct: smashing a racket, swearing, stalling, arguing. The first one is a warning. After that the penalties start to cost points, games and money.
- Penalty steps
- 4warning, point, game, default
- Serve clock
- 25seconds between points on the tours
- Racket abuse
- $500maximum ATP fine per violation
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Basics
What is a code violation in tennis?
In shortA code violation is a penalty the chair umpire gives for breaking the code of conduct: abusing a racket or ball, swearing, verbal or physical abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct or illegal coaching. It is announced to the crowd and counted on a fixed penalty ladder.
The phrase "code violation" comes from the code of conduct that every professional tournament plays under. The ATP has one, the WTA has one, and the four Grand Slams share their own rulebook, but they work the same way. The chair umpire sees an offense, announces it into the microphone ("Code violation, racket abuse, warning, Mr. Kyrgios"), and the penalty follows a ladder that gets steeper with each violation in the same match.
A code violation in tennis is different from a rule infringement such as a foot fault or a ball landing out. Those decide points. A code violation punishes behavior, and the penalty can be a warning, a point, a game or, at the top of the ladder, the match. Fines come on top and are set after the match by the tournament supervisor or referee.
For a beginner the most useful thing to know is that the ladder is shared across all the offense types. A racket smash, then a muttered obscenity, then an argument with the umpire count as first, second and third code violations, even though they are three different offenses.
Penalties
Code violation penalty: from warning to default
In shortFirst violation: warning. Second: point penalty. Third and every later one: game penalty, and after the third the supervisor can default the player. A single flagrant violation can mean an immediate default.
- 1st violation Warning The chair umpire announces it; nothing changes on the scoreboard.
- 2nd violation Point penalty The opponent is awarded the next point.
- 3rd violation Game penalty The opponent is awarded a whole game.
- 4th and later Game penalty or default Every further violation costs a game, and the supervisor or referee decides whether it ends the match.
Immediate default. A single flagrant violation, such as hitting an official with a ball, can end the match at any point on the ladder. The defaulted player loses the prize money and ranking points from that event.
Time violations follow their own ladder
- Server
- Warning, then a fault for each further violation
- Receiver
- Warning, then a point penalty for each further violation
Source: ATP Official Rulebook 2026, section 8.04. The Grand Slam rulebook uses the same warning, point and game sequence.
The point penalty schedule in section 8.04 of the ATP rulebook is short: first offense warning, second offense point penalty, third and each subsequent offense game penalty. After the third, the supervisor decides whether each further offense is a default. The same section lets the supervisor default a player for a single violation if it is serious enough, and the decision is final.
A point penalty is given at the start of the next point, so it can decide a game. A game penalty can decide a set. The most famous example came in the 2018 US Open women's final, when a game penalty against Serena Williams put Naomi Osaka one game from the title at 5-3 in the second set. Osaka won 6-2, 6-4.
Time violations
Time violation in tennis: the 25-second shot clock
In shortPlayers get 25 seconds between points on the ATP and WTA tours and at the Grand Slams. The first time violation is a warning; after that a server loses a first serve and a receiver loses a point each time.
Serve clock
25 seconds from the end of one point to the next serve, on the ATP, WTA and Grand Slam courts. Under the ITF rules the limit is 20.
- 0 s The point ends and the clock starts.
- 25 s Time is up for the next serve.
- Over Warning first, then a lost first serve (server) or a lost point (receiver).
Time violations are the most common penalty in professional tennis and the one fans see most often since the clock went on the scoreboard. The Australian Open introduced a visible 25-second serve clock in 2018, and it is now standard at the Slams and on both tours. Under the ATP rulebook the clock runs from the moment the ball goes out of play.
The penalty does not follow the code violation ladder. The first time violation in a match is a warning. After that, each violation by the server costs a fault, which turns a first serve into a second serve, and each violation by the receiver costs a point. Warnings count across both roles: a warning received as server and a violation as receiver make a second violation.
Players complain about it regularly, usually when a long rally ends and the crowd is still cheering. Jannik Sinner got a warning at Indian Wells in 2024 for spending too long inspecting a ball against Ben Shelton; he shrugged and played on. The ITF's own Rules of Tennis, used at club level, are stricter on paper, with 20 seconds, but almost nobody times a park match.
Offenses
What counts as a code violation in tennis
In shortThe ATP code lists ball abuse, racket or equipment abuse, audible and visible obscenity, verbal abuse, physical abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct and coaching outside the permitted limits, among others.
The categories are specific, and the umpire names the category when calling the code violation. Ball abuse is hitting a ball violently or recklessly out of the court, or at someone. Racket abuse is smashing or throwing a racket, or hitting the net, the chair or the court with it in anger. Audible obscenity covers words the crowd can hear; visible obscenity covers gestures. Verbal abuse is directed at an official, an opponent, a spectator or anyone else, and physical abuse means unauthorized physical contact.
Unsportsmanlike conduct is the catch-all. It has covered everything from leaving the court without permission to spitting toward an official. It is also the category with the biggest fines, because the code treats it as the most serious after physical abuse.
Questioning a call is not on the list, even though fans sometimes think it is. A player may ask the umpire about a call, and even ask for the referee, without any penalty. It only becomes a code violation when the questioning turns into abuse.
Racket abuse
Racket abuse: fines and penalties
In shortRacket abuse is a code violation like any other on the ladder, so a first smash is usually a warning and a second a point penalty. The ATP adds a fine of up to $500 per violation.
| Offense | Maximum fine |
|---|---|
| Ball abuse | $350 |
| Racket or equipment abuse | $500 |
| Audible or visible obscenity | $5,000 |
| Verbal abuse | $20,000 |
| Physical abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct (Masters 1000) | $60,000 |
The racket abuse fine is small next to a top player's prize money, which is the usual criticism of it. At the Slams the totals can be higher, because the Grand Slam rulebook sets its own fines. Serena Williams paid $3,000 for racket abuse in the 2018 US Open final, part of a $17,000 total that also included $4,000 for coaching and $10,000 for verbal abuse, all taken from her runner-up prize money.
A broken racket also has a practical cost: it has to be replaced from the player's bag, and some players have run out. Many are fined for racket abuse even when the racket survives, because the offense is the violent use of it, not the damage.
Cases
Famous code violations and defaults
In shortThe best-known cases are the defaults of Denis Shapovalov (2017), Alexander Zverev (2022) and Novak Djokovic (2020 US Open), and Serena Williams's three violations in the 2018 US Open final.
- Feb 2017
Denis Shapovalov, Davis Cup, Ottawa
Trailing Kyle Edmund in the deciding rubber, Shapovalov hit a ball away in frustration and struck chair umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye. He was defaulted, Great Britain won the tie 3-2, and he was fined £5,600.
- Sep 2018
Serena Williams, US Open final
Carlos Ramos gave a coaching warning, a point penalty for racket abuse and a game penalty for verbal abuse. Naomi Osaka won 6-2, 6-4; Williams was fined $17,000.
- Aug 2019
Nick Kyrgios, Cincinnati
After smashing two rackets and leaving the court without permission in a loss to Karen Khachanov, Kyrgios was fined $113,000 for ball abuse, obscenity, unsportsmanlike conduct and leaving the court.
- Sep 2020
Novak Djokovic, US Open
Down a break against Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round, Djokovic hit a ball behind him that struck a line judge in the throat. He was defaulted and lost his prize money and ranking points from the event.
- Feb 2022
Alexander Zverev, Acapulco
After a doubles loss Zverev struck the umpire’s chair repeatedly with his racket. He was withdrawn from the tournament, fined $40,000 and later put on probation by the ATP.
What the defaults have in common is that none came at the end of the ladder. Each was an immediate default for a single act that put an official at risk, which the rules treat as flagrant whatever the player meant. Djokovic, by most accounts, did not intend to hit anyone; it made no difference. The foot fault call that led to a point penalty against Williams at the 2009 US Open is covered in the guide to foot faults in tennis, and the rest of the rulebook is on the tennis rules page.
Coaching
Coaching: from code violation to allowed
In shortCoaching from the stands was a regular code violation for decades. The ATP rulebook now allows it from the coach's designated seat, within limits on when and how.
Under the 2026 ATP rules, coaching is allowed at ATP Tour and Challenger events as long as the coach sits in the designated seats, speaks only when the player is at the same end of the court and keeps it to a few words, and does not interrupt play. Hand signals are allowed too. Coaching outside those limits is still a code violation.
The change removed one of the most argued-about penalties in tennis. The 2018 US Open final began its downward spiral with a coaching warning, after Patrick Mouratoglou admitted to making hand signals from the box. Under the current ATP rules, the same signals would be legal.
FAQ
Code violations in tennis: questions and answers
In shortQuick answers on warnings, penalties, time violations, fines and defaults.
What happens if you get a code violation in tennis?
Under the point penalty schedule the first code violation is a warning, the second costs a point and the third and every later one cost a game. After the third, the tournament supervisor or referee decides whether each further violation is a default. Fines are added after the match.
How many code violations before you are disqualified?
There is no fixed number. A player can be defaulted after the third violation at the supervisor's discretion, or immediately for a single serious offense such as hitting an official with a ball.
What is a time violation in tennis?
A time violation is taking longer than the allowed time between points: 25 seconds on the ATP and WTA tours and at the Grand Slams. The first is a warning; after that a server loses a first serve and a receiver loses a point for each further violation.
Do tennis players get fined for breaking racquets?
Yes. Racket abuse is a code violation, and the ATP rulebook allows a fine of up to $500 per violation on top of the on-court penalty. At the 2018 US Open final Serena Williams was fined $3,000 for racket abuse as part of a $17,000 total.
Did Jannik Sinner get a time violation?
Yes. In the fourth round of Indian Wells in March 2024, against Ben Shelton, chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani gave him a time violation warning after he spent too long inspecting a ball. Sinner accepted it and played on.
Is a code violation the same as a time violation?
No. A time violation is a separate rule with its own penalties. A player can receive time violations without any code violation, and the two ladders are counted separately.
Who gives a code violation in tennis?
The chair umpire calls code violations during the match. The tournament supervisor or referee decides on defaults after the third violation and sets fines afterwards.
Can coaching be a code violation in tennis?
It used to be a common one. The ATP now allows coaching from the designated seats within limits, such as short verbal instructions when the player is at the same end and hand signals. Coaching outside those limits is still penalized.
What was the most famous code violation in tennis?
Probably the three violations given to Serena Williams by Carlos Ramos in the 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka: a coaching warning, a point penalty for racket abuse and a game penalty for verbal abuse.
Does a code violation affect ranking points?
A warning, point penalty or game penalty does not. A default does, and a defaulted player loses the ranking points and prize money won at that event.