Basic tennis rules and how tennis scoring works

Tennis is the racket sport with the longest tradition in Mexico: it is played at clubs, parks and public sports centres across the country, and every year Acapulco hosts the Mexican Open (Abierto Mexicano), one of the best-loved events on the professional tour. Its basic rules are simple, but the scoring — 15, 30, 40 — confuses everyone the first time. This guide sums up the rules of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as far as you need them for your first match.

The court

• It is 23.77 metres long. It is 8.23 metres wide for singles and 10.97 metres for doubles: the side alleys only count in doubles.
• The net is 91.4 centimetres high in the centre and 1.07 metres at the posts.
• On each side of the net there are two service boxes, reaching back to the service line, 6.40 metres from the net.
• Courts can be hard (the most common in Mexico), clay or grass. The surface changes the bounce, not the rules.

How a game is scored

This is the tricky part. Points within a game are not counted 1, 2, 3, but like this:

• No points: love (in Mexico, cero).
• First point: 15.
• Second point: 30.
• Third point: 40.
• Fourth point: game.

The server's score is always called first. "30-15" means the server has two points and the receiver one.

If both players reach 40 the score is deuce (in Mexico, iguales). From there you need two points in a row: the first gives advantage; if the player with advantage wins the next point they take the game, and if they lose it the score goes back to deuce. That is how a single game can last a very long time.

Many amateur and doubles events use the deciding point (no-ad): at deuce a single point is played and the receiver chooses the side.

Sets and match

• A set is won by reaching 6 games with at least two games' margin: 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.
• At 6-6 a tie-break is played: the first to 7 points with a two-point margin wins (7-5, 8-6…). The set finishes 7-6.
• In a tie-break points are counted 1, 2, 3; the first player serves one point and then each player serves two in a row.
• Most matches are best of three sets. At the Grand Slams men play best of five.
• In amateur events and doubles the third set is very often replaced by a super tie-break (or match tie-break) to 10 points, won by two.

The serve

• You serve from behind the baseline, between the centre mark and the sideline.
• Toss the ball and hit it before it touches the ground. It may be overarm or underarm, though almost everyone serves overarm.
• The ball must land in the diagonally opposite service box. The lines count as in.
• You get two attempts. Miss both and it is a double fault, point to your opponent.
• If the ball clips the net and lands in the correct box, that serve is replayed (a let) without losing the attempt.
• Stepping on the baseline before contact is a foot fault.
• The first point of each game is served from the right-hand side, alternating every point.
• The server changes every game.

During the point

• The return of serve is always played after the bounce.
• For the rest of the point you may hit after one bounce or volley before the bounce.
• The ball must land inside your opponent's court. A ball touching the line is in.
• A ball may clip the net during a rally and carry on to the other side.

When you lose the point

• The ball bounces twice on your side before you return it.
• Your shot lands out or stays in the net.
• You touch the net or reach into the other court while the ball is in play.
• You hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
• The ball hits your body or clothing before it bounces.
• You deliberately hit the ball twice.

Changing ends

Players change ends when the total number of games in the set is odd: after the first, third, fifth… In a tie-break they change every six points. It makes sure nobody plays the whole match with the sun or wind in their favour.

Doubles

The rules are the same with three differences: the side alleys are in, each pair decides who receives on the right and who on the left (and keeps it for the set), and the serve rotates among the four players in order, one game each.

Court etiquette

Most amateur matches have no umpire, so tennis runs on trust:

• Each player calls the balls on their own side. If in doubt, the ball is in.
• The server calls the score before every point.
• If a ball from another court rolls onto yours, call "let" and replay the point.
• Wait for the point on the next court to finish before walking behind it.
• Shake hands at the net at the end.

Getting on court

With these rules you are ready to play. The next step is finding opponents at your level: a match that is too easy or too hard is fun for nobody. On MeetAndPlay you can answer a short level questionnaire and join open tennis matches in your city, singles or doubles.