Amongst other games, tennis is one of the most popular sports of the 21st century, and people are playing tennis like never before. With this rise in acceptance, a lot of newbies are getting into the game with low or no knowledge of tennis rules.
Also, many tennis ground spectators don’t know what’s going on in the field.
If you are not familiar with the tennis rules, this guide is for you, in which we have put together all the tennis rules together, including the singles, doubles, service, and the other rules. We have a separate articles for Tennis Grip and Serve to give you detailed guide.
Tennis is played on a rectangular court, in which there is a net in the middle of the ground. Players have to land the ball in the opponent’s area over the net (without touching it) within the lines.
And, if the opponent is not able to smash the ball back to the player’s area, the player gets the point for it.
Also, you cannot smash the ball outside the court. If Player 1 smashes the ball outside the court, Player 2 gets the point for it.
Finally, the player with more points wins the game.
Match Start
The tennis match starts with a toss; the toss is usually done using a coin or the racket. The player who wins the toss serves the ball first, and the player who did the wrong call selects the side of the ground.
Tennis Rules For Serving
Service is one of the most crucial shots of the tennis match, as the service can make or break your game.
In fact, the tennis match starts with a serve. There are two chances to serve in a game. If you fault your first serve, you can always go for the second serve.
General Rules for Services:
The player who wins the toss decides who will service the ball.
The player has two chances for doing a good service.
You have to hit the ball diagonally in the court in the opponent’s area.
For a legit serve, you have to hit the ball from behind the baseline area.
Service Faults:
Here are the service faults that you need to avoid.
If you hit the baseline.
Change your position.
Miss the ball while hitting.
After being shot, the ball touches you, your belongings (racket, shirt, etc.), or your partner.
Rules for Let Serve
Let service is a type of service when it’s not considered a fault, but you have to replay the service in most of the scenarios.
A serve is considered as let serve if it has the following attributes:
The ball is served when the contender is not ready.
The ball hits the opponent player after hitting the net.
When the ball lands in the opponent player’s court after hitting the net.
Tennis Rules for Points
Tennis game is decided based on points. In the Tennis scoring system, we don’t use an average number; instead, we use numerical sequence and French words. Points are counted in the order given below;
0 point = Love1 point = 152 point = 303 point = 404 point = Game
A player should win a game by at least 2 points, in case the match is drawn at 40-40, then “Deuce” is called after which the player who takes the next point is awarded the advantage and can win the game by taking the next point or game can go back to deuce if the opponent takes the next point.
Tennis Rules for Sets
Set are made up of games, and the player who wins 6 games first wins the sets. However, just like points, a player has to win by a margin of two. If the margin is less than two and the game goes to 6-6, we introduce a tie-breaker.
In a tie-breaker, we normally count like 1-0, 2-0. The tie-breaker game continues until one player wins seven points with a lead of two or more over his opponent.
Tennis Rules for Singles
In a single, innermost sideline is used, and the total measurement is 27 feet wide and 78 feet long. A single match mostly consists of 3 sets, but in some cases, 5 set games are also played according to tournament preference.
Like normal tennis rule, a player has to win two sets with a margin of at least two games to win a match for a three-set match.
Tennis Rules for Doubles
In doubles, the court uses outermost sidelines for point scoring and measures a total of 36 feet wide and 78 feet long.
Total four players are involved, with two on each side of the court, using the full court with baselines and the doubles sidelines.
If you serve the first game, then the opposing team will serve in the next game and in this order, service is served in the whole match. A double game is often played to the best of five sets, and normal rules of point-scoring are used in a doubles match, just like a singles match.
Conclusion
Tennis is a sport played with a racket and a ball on a rectangular court. The objective of the game is to hit the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court, with the aim of making it difficult or impossible for the opponent to return the ball.
Tennis rules for serving require the server to stand behind the baseline and hit the ball into the opponent’s service box diagonally across the net. The server is allowed two attempts to serve, and if the ball hits the net and goes into the correct service box, the serve is considered a “let” and is retaken. If the server misses both attempts, the point is awarded to the opponent.
Tennis rules for points dictate that each game starts with a score of 0-0, or “love-all”. When a player wins a point, the score progresses to 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, and then game point. If both players reach 40-40, this is called “deuce” and the player who wins the next point gains “advantage”. If they win the subsequent point, they win the game, but if they lose it, the score returns to deuce.
Tennis rules for sets state that a set is won by the player who wins six games, provided they have a two-game lead over their opponent. If the score is tied at 6-6, a tiebreak is played, in which the first player to reach seven points, with a two-point lead, wins the set. In a typical tennis match, players compete to win the best of three or five sets, depending on the tournament or competition format.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can We Touch the Tennis Net?
No, you cannot touch the tennis net during a match. If you touch the tennis net during a game, it is considered a foul, and the opponent team/player will get the point for it.
2. How Many Games are in a Set of Tennis
There is a total of 6 games in one set. The player with a margin of two-point wins the game. If there is a margin of less than two, then there is another set.
3. How Long is a Tennis Match?
Typically, a best of three tennis matches is about ninety minutes long, and on the other hand, the best of five games lasts for three hours.
Stan Kozin is a skilled and experienced tennis coach based in Los Angeles, California. With over 15 years of experience, I am the founder of KOACH KOZIN tennis academy, where I train players of all levels. Prior to starting my own academy, I worked as a tennis coach at prestigious institutions such as Harvard-Westlake School and Weddington Golf And Tennis. In addition to coaching, I run my affiliate blog providing insights on tennis shoes as they are the integral part of tennis game. My dedication to the sport and passion for coaching have made me a sought-after coach in the United States.
