Defending Against an I Formation

Occasionally, you players will face a doubles team that uses an Australian or I formation.

In this line-up, the server stands close to the center service mark (similar to a singles player), while the net player moves in front of the receiver's partner (close to the service line), rather than in front of the receiver.

Both players on the serving team are now on the same side of the court, leaving the half of the court directly in front of the returner open.

This is done to handle a receiver who is consistently hitting crosscourt winners, sharply-angled returns, or who has difficulty returning down the line. It is frequently used on only one side of the court (against one player) as a way to take an advantage away from a strong player, or to take advantage of a weak player.

The serving team usually serves down the middle of the court, taking away the receiver's ability to hit easily down the line (straight ahead to the open court), or may serve wide if the player has difficulty hitting down the line (for example, a right-handed player in the ad court may have a weak backhand).

While having an open court ahead of him may seem like a bonus, the receiver must try to guess if: 1) the net player is going to poach back; 2) the server is going to stay back and move over to cover the open court; 3) the server is going to serve and volley.

Players who have not played against this formation before may become rattled, especially the first time they see this formation, producing weak returns.

The first thing you and your partner should do when you see an Australian formation is to immediately call a let. This will allow you to get together and discuss your response to this strategy. It also takes away the element of surprise from your opponents, as well as some confidence, as they now see that you have a strategy to deal with theirs.

In general, the safest course of action against Australian doubles is to lob crosscourt. This immediately takes the net player out of the point. Whether or not the net player poaches or stays is now irrelevant, and takes him completely off the receiver's mind.

Additionally, if the server serves and covers the open court, she must now rush back to the opposite side of the court to track down the deep lob.

Even if the server serves and stays, he or she will have to play a deep lob from the back court.

If the server serves and volleys, this might be a problem, but she will have to hit the overhead from midcourt.

In most situations, a crosscourt lob put the receiving team in the driver's seat.

Make sure you understand what an Australian formation is (many novice players will even try to correct their opponent's positioning prior to the start of the point, thinking they are lined up wrong!) and how to deal with it the first time you see it.

If a serving team continues to use this formation to take away a strength of the receiving team, continue to discuss your options between points and play proactively, rather than reactively.