How to play Tennis: rules and scoring

• Singles or doubles
• Best of 3 or 5 sets

Goal: Win points, games and sets to take the match.

Setup

• Singles is played by two, doubles by four.
• The tramlines are in for doubles.
• A toss or a racket spin decides the first serve and the ends.

How to play

1. You serve diagonally into the opposite service box, with two attempts.
2. Missing both is a double fault and loses the point.
3. The ball may bounce once or be volleyed.
4. Whoever fails to get it over the net and into the court loses the point.
5. The serve changes every game, and players change ends after odd-numbered games.

Scoring

• Points go 0, 15, 30, 40; four points and two clear win a game.
• At 40-all (deuce), with advantage you need two points in a row.
• With no-ad a single deciding point is played.
• Six games and two clear win a set (6-4, 7-5).
• At 6-all a tie-break to 7 is played, with one serve then two each.

Winning

• The match goes to whoever wins 2 of 3 or 3 of 5 sets.
• The final set can have a tie-break, a 10-point super tie-break or no tie-break at all; agree on it at the start.

Note

• Club matches often use short sets (to 4, tie-break at 4-all) or a single set.
• In doubles partners take turns to serve.
• In the app you tap the winning side after each point; a ball shows who is serving.