| Backboard |
A wall, usually of wood, that's used for practice. It's often marked with a line at the height of the net. |
| Back court |
The area of the court from the baseline to the service line. |
| Backhand |
A stoke made with the hitting arm or arms and racquet across the body. Can be hit with one or two hands. |
| Backspin |
Backward rotation on the ball, caused by drawing the racket strings down during the stroke, that results in a low bounce. On some surfaces, the ball may even bounce back toward the net. Also known as underspin. See also chip; chop. |
| Backstop |
A fence, wall, or other boundary behind the end of the court that retains balls within a limited area. |
| Ball boy/girl |
A person who retrieves balls for the players. |
| Ball toss |
The action of tossing the ball into the air to initiate a serve. |
| Band |
The strip of canvas at the top of the net. |
| Baseline |
A line at the end of the court, parallel to the net, that marks the lengthwise boundary of the playing area. |
| Baseline game |
A playing style in which the player hits almost all of his or her shots from near the baseline, rather than taking the net. |
| Baseline judge |
An official, stationed on a line with the baseline, who is responsible for determining whether shots are in or out. The baseline judges are seated on the same side of the court as the umpire. |
| Baseline player |
A player who employs a baseline game; aka a grinder. |
| Block |
To return the ball by holding the racket stationary rather than swinging it. |
| Break |
To win a game as receiver; as a noun, a synonym for service break. |
| Break back |
To win a game as receiver immediately after having suffered a service break. |
| Break point |
A point which will result in a service break if it's won by the receiver. |
| Bye |
The right to advance to the next round of a tournament without playing a match. Top-seeded players are often given byes in the first round. See seed. |