Tennis Rules Explained

Tennis is easy to enjoy once you understand the basic rules. A match is played between two players in singles or two teams of two players in doubles. The goal is to hit the ball over the net and into the opponent's court in a way that the opponent cannot return legally.

The official Rules of Tennis are maintained by the International Tennis Federation, also known as the ITF.

Basic objective of tennis

The objective is to win points by:

• Hitting the ball into the opponent's court
• Forcing the opponent to miss
• Making the opponent hit the ball out
• Making the opponent hit the ball into the net
• Winning enough points to win games, sets, and the match

Singles vs doubles

Singles

Singles is played by one player against another player. The singles court is narrower because the doubles alleys are not used during normal singles rallies.

Doubles

Doubles is played by two players on each team. The full court width is used, including the doubles alleys.

How serving works

Each point begins with a serve. The server must stand behind the baseline and serve diagonally into the opponent's service box.

A player gets two chances to serve:

• First serve
• Second serve

If both serves miss, it is called a double fault, and the server loses the point.

What is a fault?

A fault happens when the serve does not land in the correct service box or breaks a serving rule. Common faults include:

• Serving into the net
• Serving outside the service box
• Stepping over the baseline before contact
• Missing the ball during the serve attempt

What is a let?

A let can happen when the serve touches the net but still lands in the correct service box. In most standard rules, the server repeats that serve.

How points work

Tennis has a unique scoring system:

• 0 points = Love
• 1 point = 15
• 2 points = 30
• 3 points = 40
• 4 points = Game, if leading by at least two points

If both players reach 40, the score is called deuce. A player must then win two points in a row to win the game. For the full breakdown, see how tennis scoring works.

How games, sets, and matches work

A tennis match is made up of points, games, and sets.

• Points make a game
• Games make a set
• Sets make a match

A player usually wins a set by reaching six games with at least a two-game lead. If the set reaches 6-6, a tie-break is often played, depending on tournament rules.

Common tennis rules beginners should know

The ball must land inside the court

A shot is good if it lands on the line or inside the correct court area. A ball touching the line is considered in.

Players may only hit the ball once

A player cannot intentionally hit the ball twice during a normal shot.

The ball can bounce once

A player must return the ball before it bounces twice. If the ball bounces twice, the opponent wins the point.

The net cannot be touched during play

A player normally loses the point if they touch the net while the ball is still in play.

Singles court areas

Important court areas include:

• Baseline
• Service box
• Singles sideline
• Doubles sideline
• Net
• Centre mark
• No-man's land

Doubles court areas

In doubles, the doubles alleys are used. This makes the court wider than in singles.

Tennis etiquette

Good tennis etiquette includes:

• Calling lines honestly
• Waiting until the point is finished before walking behind a court
• Respecting the opponent
• Keeping noise under control
• Shaking hands after the match
• Following the referee or umpire's decision