Tennis Rules

While the rules of tennis are rather simple, the game in itself is complex. Basically it’s main aim is to score points through striking the tennis ball in such a manner that their opponent won’t be able to return it. It can be played outdoors or indoors, and on a standard tennis court. Tennis can also be played either as a “singles” or “doubles” game. The singles game is participated by two people playing against each other, while the “doubles” is played by four people -two persons each team.

Basic Rules For Playing Tennis

Although professional players integrate excellent skills for their different strokes, serves, and hit, which make the game somewhat challenging, the basic tennis rules are fairly simple. Here are the tennis rules in its simplified form.

Rule 1

Challengers stand on the court’s opposite sides. A player delivering the tennis ball to its start point is referred to as the “server”. The player standing opposite and on the cross-court of the server is called the “receiver”.

Rule 2

Tennis rule number two is simply – a “toss” of a racquet or coin determines a player’s right to choose their side, serve, receive, or give their opponent these choices. After the choice of receiver or service is selected, the opponent decides which side to start.

Rule 3

Tennis rule states that the server must stand at the back of the “baseline” on the court’s deuce, and within the “singles” court boundaries when playing singles, and within “doubles sideline” for a doubles game.

Every “even point” is played from “deuce court”, while “odd number point” is played from “advantage court”. The server must not do the serve till the receiver is “ready”. Serves are done from the a deuce court to their opponents “service box” on deuce court, as well as “advantage court” to “advantage box”. Servers missing their target two times lose a point. Balls hitting the net and going into the right service box is given another serve. A serve is considered a “fault”, if servers step onto the baseline before “contact” is done.

Rule 4

A receiver is considered ready if they make an attempt to return a server’s ball. A receiver can stand in a preferred area but must let the served ball bounce in the “service box”. If a ball doesn’t land within the service box, it’s considered a “fault”, and second serve is granted. If a ball is hit by either of the opponents before it bounces, server gets the point.

Rule 5

Server calls the score first at all times. If server wins a first point, he/she gets the sore of 15. Scoring is similar to a “clock” –fist score is 15, second is 30, third is 45 or 40 nowadays, and zero is called “love”. The score returns to “love” when a game is won. A score that is 40-40 is called a “deuce”, and a player must win by two points.


Rule 6

The first player to win six games by two points wins a set. A player who wins two sets first, wins the match. If a score is ties to 6-6, a “tie-breaker” is done. The firs player to score seven points winning by two will win the set. Tiebreakers continue till one players wins by two. Thus, it is a “Game-Set-Match”.


Rule 7

Player hitting a ball that goes outside boundaries or the net will lose the point. If a ball hits the net and goes into an opponent’s court, ball is considered in “play”. A player touching the net, drops his/her racquet while hitting a ball, tries to distract opponent, bounce ball over the net, or hits any part of their surroundings will lose the point. A ball landing on the line is considered “good”.

The rules of tennis are uncomplicated, and as long as these basic rules are kept in mind, a player will always be on the right track when playing the game.