Rules of Tennis & How to Play

The rules of tennis are relatively simple, and can easily be adjusted for singles and doubles. The course of play has a few idiosyncrasies, but follows a basic flow that can easily be modified to the skill of the players.

  1. Serving

    • Every volley begins with a serve. One player serves from his own baseline to the diagonally opposite service court--the marked area directly beyond the center of the net from where the player stands. Players usually serve overhand, but aren't prohibited from serving underhand. If the server fails to hit a good serve--a serve that lands outside the proper service court or is hit into the net--it is called a "fault." If he serves two faults in a row, his opponent wins the point. A "let" is called if the serve hits the net and falls fair; the server is given a do-over.

    Volleying

    • When the server puts a legal serve in play, a volley begins. The players react to each other's shots and attempt to return them by hitting them back over the net into their opponent's court. While a player must let a serve bounce before returning it, she is allowed to hit the ball before in bounces in an ongoing rally.

      In singles, this court is defined by the inner set of sidelines. In doubles, the boundaries of the court are defined by the outer set of sidelines. Players continue returning shots into each other's courts as long as is necessary. As soon as one player fails to return a ball or misses the opponent's court by hitting the ball long, wide or into the net, the player loses the point.

    Game, Set, Match

    • A player who wins a volley is awarded a score of 15 for each of the first two volleys won, and 10 for the next volley. The first player to win four volleys wins a game, provided he wins by two points. If the score is tied 40-40 in a game, the score is called "Deuce," and a player must win two consecutive points after a deuce to win the game. Players alternate serving after each game.

      The first player to win six games wins a set, again provided she wins by two games. If the set is tied at six games apiece after 12 games, the players play a tiebreaker with the first player to seven points--again by two--taking the set.

      In women's tournaments, the first player to win two sets wins the match, while most men's tennis tournament matches are played to best three of five sets.