Who Receives a Golden Point or Star Point? A Practical Guide

At a FIP Golden Point or Star Point, the receiving pair chooses the receiving court, but its players cannot swap their established receiving positions. In mixed doubles, the receiver must be the same sex as the server. Start with those two rules before deciding who will return.

First check that the point really is decisive

Golden Point begins at the first deuce. Star Point begins at the third deuce, after two saved advantage cycles. Before that Star Point trigger, use the ordinary service sequence for the advantage points.

Calling every point after 40–40 a Golden Point creates confusion in a Star Point match. A first advantage point and the eventual deciding point have different consequences.

Choose a court without exchanging returners

Imagine that you have received in the right court throughout the set and your partner in the left. In a men’s or women’s match using the FIP deciding-point rule, your pair may select either receiving court. If you select the right, you receive. If you select the left, your partner receives.

The choice does not let your partner move into the right receiving position for that point. It also does not let the serving pair choose a different server: the player serving the game continues.

Apply the mixed-doubles restriction

Suppose a woman is serving in a mixed match and the woman in the receiving pair has the left receiving position. She must receive the FIP deciding point in that position. If the man serves and the receiving man has the right position, the deciding serve goes to him there.

These are hypothetical examples of the published restriction. A separately organised social format may set out different arrangements, which should be clear before play.

Play a normal service point

The deciding point still allows a first and second serve. The return must still bounce before it is struck. A valid service let is replayed; it does not use up a scoring point or end the game.

For a hypothetical second-service let, replay the second serve. You do not receive a new first serve merely because the game is being decided on this point.

For Silver Point, read the separate procedure

A league can define one advantage cycle followed by a decider and call it Silver Point. That does not, by itself, answer who receives. Check whether its rules adopt the FIP Golden Point receiving arrangement and what they say about mixed matches.

Before serving, make one clear call naming the deciding point and the receiving court. Resolve any uncertainty before the ball is struck, then give the actual return your attention.