BASIC RULES OF TENNIS

The following is a basic guide to the rules of tennis. For a detailed set of rules, Click here ​

SCORING

Tennis is a unique game in that it has special names given to the various points awarded. When calling out the score, the person serving the ball should always say their score first. A score of zero is called out by saying 'Love', and from there, the points go to 15, 30, 40, and game. If both players get a score of 40, the game must become a tie-breaker, and a 40-40 score is announced by saying 'Deuce'. In a 'Deuce' situation, if a player gets a point, they are said to have 'Advantage'. If a player with an 'Advantage' gets another point, the game is over. If a player gets a point while the other has 'Advantage', the score is reset to 'Deuce'. When a game is won, another game is begun until someone wins 6 games. The catch is that they must win by two.So if it gets to 6-5 another game must be played as winning by two is necessary. If a player wins a game and gets to 7-5 they have won the set.

DOUBLES AND SINGLES

Tennis can be played a variety of different ways. There are men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. Singles focuses more on moving your partner side to side in the back court. Doubles is about specific shots and strategy. Doubles also has a faster pace and is played at the net more, as opposed to the back court. Both singles and doubles games have the same scoring rules, but the court is larger for a doubles match.

CHOOSING THE FIRST SERVER

A coin toss or racket toss is usually conducted to determine which player in a singles or doubles team goes first. The winner of the coin toss can serve first or allow the opponent to go first. If the winner declines the serve, he or she can choose which side of the court to play on first. The server is switched after each game, and players switch ends on odd games ie after 1,3,5 or 7 etc.

PLAYING THE BALL

The ball is hit back and forth by two or four players on the court. The ball may only be hit once, even in doubles, before it must go back over the net. Players can let the ball bounce once before they hit it, but this isn't required. If the ball bounces more than once, gets hit more than once, gets stopped by the net or lands out of bounds, the point goes to the opponent.

If any part of the ball touches the sidelines or baselines, it is a legal shot. For singles play, the ball must land on or inside the singles sidelines. Once the ball has been served, players are free to make shots from any part of the court.

SERVING

The player who wins the serve will put the ball in play throughout an entire game. When the next game begins, the serve goes to the opponent, trading back and forth throughout the match.

The server must stand behind the baseline in the back court and to the proper side of the center hash mark in order to serve. The side changes after each point, so a player who serves to the right of the line for the first point must serve to the left for the second point, and so on.

The ball must go across the court, cross the net and land in the service box to be legal. The server must stay behind the baseline throughout the serve; if any part of the body touches or crosses the line, it is considered a fault.

If the ball fails to cross the net or lands outside the service box, it is also considered a fault. If a server has two faults called before putting the ball in play, a double fault is charged and a point is awarded to the opponent. The opponent must let the ball bounce once or the server gets a point. If the serve is legal and the opponent fails to return it, an ace is scored and the server gets a point.

A let serve occurs if the ball hits the net and bounces legally into the service box, or if a player serves before an opponent is ready to resume play. In both of these cases, no fault is charged to the server. In tournament play, a let may be called by the judges if crowd noise or thrown objects distract a player during a serve.

TENNIS ETIQUETTE

The following points of etiquette should be adhered to, in order to make playing the game of tennis a more enjoyable experience for everyone: 

• Entering or Crossing the Courts 
• Be mindful of entering or crossing the courts during play
• If there is a game in progress, please wait until the point has been completed and the ball is out of play before entering or crossing the courts
• Shut the gates behind you

Sportsmanship 

• Conduct yourself on court in a sportsman-like manner
• Show respect for your opponent
• Refrain from shouting or cursing (players on adjacent courts will also appreciate it)
• Call the ball fairly – if in doubt, play the point again
• Call the score clearly before each point
• Between points, return any ball on your side of the net to the server in an efficient manner
• Shake hands with your opponent (and umpire) at the completion of a match

Court Attire 

• Wear appropriate footwear to avoid marking or damaging the courts
• Mobile Phones 
• Ensure mobile phones are turned off or on ‘silent mode’ during play

Pick Up After Yourself 

• Take your rubbish with you when you leave the court and dispose of it in the garbage bins in and around the clubrooms, or take it home with you

Supervision of Children 

• Court etiquette applies to children as well
• It is the responsibility of adults to assist and supervise young children both on and off the court
• No bikes or scooters to be brought on courts, as they damage the surface.

Have Fun! 

• The objective of playing tennis (apart from exercise) is to have fun!
• Adhering to court etiquette will ensure everyone has a good experience

TERMINOLOGY

Here are a few tennis terms to help you understand what someone is bleating on about at the other end of the court and to help make you feel like a pro: 

Ace:  A serve where the tennis ball served is served in and not touched by the receiver. Aces are usually powerful and generally land on or near one of the corners at the back of the service box.

Advantage:  When one player wins the first point from a deuce and needs one more point to win the game.

Backhand:  A stroke in which the ball is hit with the back of the racquet hand facing the ball at the moment of contact. A backhand will often be hit by a right-handed player when the ball is at the left side of the court, and vice versa.

Backspin:  A shot such that the ball rotates backwards after it is hit; also known as slice or underspin.

Baseline:  The line at the farthest ends of the court indicating the boundary of the area of play.

Break Point:  A point which, if won by the receiver, would result in a break of service; arises when the score is 30–40 or 40–Adv. A double break point (or two break points) arises at 15–40; a triple break point (or three break points) arises at 0–40.

Bye:  The automatic advancement of a player to the next round of a tournament without facing an opponent.

Court:  The area designated for playing a game of tennis.

Crosscourt:  Hitting the ball diagonally into the opponent's court.

Deep:  Describes a shot that lands near the baseline, as opposed to near the net.

Deuce:  The score 40–40 in a game. A player must win two consecutive points from a deuce in order to win the game.

Double Fault:  Two faults in a row in one point, causing the player serving to lose the point.

Doubles:  A tennis game played by four players, two per side of the court.

Down the Line:  Describes a ball hit straight along the sideline to the opponent's side of the court.

Drop Shot:  A play in which the player hits the ball lightly enough to just go over the net; designed to catch a player who is away from the net off guard.

Fault:  A serve that fails to land the ball in the correct area of play, therefore not starting the point.

Foot Fault:  A type of service fault in which a player, during the serve, steps on or over the baseline into the court before striking the ball. A foot fault may also occur if the player steps on or across the center hash mark and its imaginary perpendicular extension from the baseline to the net.

Forced Error:  A miss caused by an opponent's good play; contrasted with unforced error.

Forehand:  A stroke in which the player hits the ball with the front of their racquet hand facing the ball; contrasted with backhand.

Game Point:  A situation when the player who is leading needs one more point to win a game, usually used for the server (as the opposite situation is break point).

Half Volley:  A shot made after a short bounce or simultaneously to the bounce.

Head:  The portion of the racket that contains the strings.

Hold Serve:  To win the game when serving.

Kick Serve:  A type of spin serve that bounces high.

Let:  A call that requires the point to be replayed. This typically occurs when an otherwise valid serve makes contact with the net. However, a let call can also be made when there is some distraction to either player that the players themselves do not cause, such as a ball boy moving behind a receiver, debris flying across the court in windy conditions, or a ball accidentally falling out of a player's pocket or entering from a neighboring court. The call is made by the chair umpire when one is assigned to the match, as in professional matches, or one of the players when there is no chair umpire. Furthermore, when a receiver is legitimately unprepared for a serve, a let is technically the result, even if the word goes unspoken, in favour of a simple statement by the receiver that he was not ready.

Lob:  A stroke where the ball is hit high above the net. If the opposing player or players are up at the net, the intention may be an offensive lob in order to win the point outright. In a defensive lob, the intent is to give the player time to recover and get in position, or, if the opponents are at the net, to force them to chase down the lob.

Love:  Zero (score) eg "15-0" is spoken "fifteen-love"; "to hold to love" means "to win the game when serving with the opponent scoring zero points"; "to break to love" means "to win the game when receiving with the opponent scoring zero points". Thought to be derived from the French term, "l'oeuf", literally "egg", meaning nothing.

Match Point:  A situation when the player who is leading needs one more point to win the match.
Mixed Doubles:  A tennis match played by four players, two male, two female, one of each player sex per side of the court.

Net:  The interlaced fabric, cord, and tape stretched across the entire width of the court; it is held up by the posts.

No-man's Land:  The area between the service line and the baseline, where a player is most vulnerable.

Out:  Describes a ball that lands outside the play area.

Overhead (also known as "smash"):  A stroke in which the player hits the ball over his/her head; if the shot is hit relatively strongly, it is referred to as a smash; smashes are often referred to as simply "overheads", although not every overhead shot is a smash.

Passing Shot:  A shot that passes by (not over) the opponent at the net (see also lob).

Point:  The period of play between the first successful service of a ball and the point at which that ball goes out of play.

Racquet:  A bat with a long handle and a large looped frame with a string mesh tautly stretched across it, the frame made of wood, metal, graphite, composite, or some other synthetic material, used by a tennis player to hit the tennis ball during a game of tennis.

Rally:  Following the service of a tennis ball, a series of return hits of the ball that ends when one or other player fails to return the ball within the court boundary or fails to return a ball that falls within the play area.

Receiver:  The person who is being served to.

Second Service:  The second and final of the two serves a player is allowed at the beginning of a point.

Serve:  To begin a point by hitting the ball into the opponent's half of the court.

Set Point:  A situation when the player who is leading needs one more point to win a set. If the player is serving in such a situation, (s)he is said to be "serving for the set".

Singles:  A tennis game played by two players.

Slice:  A shot with underspin.

Smash:  A strongly hit overhead, typically executed when the player who hits the shot is very close to the net and can therefore hit the ball nearly vertically, often so that it bounces into the stands, making it unreturnable.

Spin:  Rotation of the ball as it moves through the air, affecting its trajectory and bounce.

Strings:  The material weaved through the face of the racquet. The strings are where contact with the ball is supposed to be made.

Stroke:  A striking of the ball.

Sweetspot:  The central area of the stringbead which is the desired location for making contact with the ball.

Tiebreak:  A special game at the score 6–6 in a set to decide the winner of the set; the winner is the first to reach at least seven points with a difference of two over the opponent.

Topspin:  Spin of a ball where the top of the ball rotates toward the direction of travel; the spin goes forward over the top of the ball, causing the ball to dip and bounce at a higher angle to the court.

Tramline:  A line defining the limit of play on the side of a singles or doubles court.

Unforced Error:  During play, an error in a service or return shot that cannot be attributed to any factor other than poor judgment and execution by the player.

Volley:  A shot hit by a player before it bounces on his own side of the court, excluding overheads.

Winner:  A forcing shot that cannot be reached by the opponent and wins the point; a forcing serve that is reached by the opponent, but is not returned properly, and wins the point.