Definitions of Playbook Symbols

Here are definitions of the symbols commonly used in our playbooks.

X's and O's

These are common notations used in the sports world when coaches are diagramming a "play" they want their athletes to run. Typically, X's represent the defenders, and O's represent the offensive players. This system of notation can be traced back to Head Coach Charles Daly at Army Football in 1919.

H & V

Hero and Villain. You and your doubles partner are the Heroes, and your opponents are the Villains. Specifically, in describing how a series of events (a Play) unfolds, we've borrowed Hero and Villain from the Texas hold'em poker world. "Hero" refers to the player whose perspective a hand is told from (usually yourself), and "Villain" refers to their opponent(s).

Hero (The Protagonist): Often used in hand histories to identify the player whose decisions are being analyzed. If you are posting a scenario, you are the hero.

Villain (The Opponent): Used to identify the adversary, regardless of their skill level, style, or whether they are playing "badly".

S, R, SP, RP

Server, Returner, Server's Partner, Returner's Partner. These ones are pretty straightforward for us tennis players. Usually, the Server's Partner is up at net, and so is the Returner's Partner, but SP and RP might be hanging out back at the baseline if they lack a strong net game or prefer to play doubles two-back.