RULES OF THE GAME

Rules of tennis

The rules of tennis are determined by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). They apply to both men and women. In tennis, the ball must be hit over the net into the opponent's court. The aim is to make it impossible for the opponent(s) to return the ball in the same way.

Score progression

The scoring in tennis is somewhat peculiar, namely 15, 30, 40 and game, with deuce ('tie') occurring at 40-40. At deuce, two consecutive points must be scored to win the game. Tennis matches are usually “best-of-three”, or up to two sets won, with a set won by the team that first wins six games with a two-game difference. At 6-6, a tiebreak is played, which goes up to seven points won with a two-point difference. A possible third set can be played as a super tiebreak or match tiebreak. This goes up to ten points with a two-point difference.

Gameplay

During rallies, the ball may only hit the ground once. A player may choose to let the ball bounce or volley it. A volley may not be hit as a return. Play continues under these rules until the ball bounces twice on the court or a player otherwise violates the rules. This largely depends on the game format you are playing in. A tennis court is made up of many lines. Some have a different purpose if you are playing in a singles or doubles? In the video below we show you which lines there are and what they mean!