Singles and doubles are the two types of tennis. The differences between these two types of tennis are the number of people on the court (four vs. two) and understanding that in doubles, you are able to hit the ball into the alley (the sides of the tennis court marked off by white lines). Tennis is a simple game to grasp, and a fun game that everyone can enjoy.
Game Preparation
There is a coin toss before every match that determines who serves first and which side each player will be on. Players switch sides throughout the match to make sure there is no advantage due to wind, sun, shadows or any other intangible.
Serving
Players stand on opposite sides of the court when serving. The server must hit the ball to the opposite service box (the box that is at the opposite side of the court, closer to the net). The spot that the player serves from changes every serve. Before the serve, the server must stand on the end line on his side of the court. The person returning the serve, also known as the receiver, may stand anywhere he likes, but is not allowed to hit the ball before it bounces. When the server steps over the baseline before serving, if the ball fails to make it into the correct service box, or if the serve does not go over the net, it is called a fault and the server gets another chance to serve. Each player is given two chances for each serve. If the ball hits the net, then bounces over, it does not count as an attempt, but the player must reserve.
Playing the Net
If the ball hits the net and fails to go over, the receiver is given the point. If the ball hits the net, but continues on to the other side, the play is still alive and the receiver must hit the ball back, assuming the ball did not bounce out of bounds. A player loses the volley if his racket or any other body part touches the net. They can also lose the volley if, after his swing, his racket passes through the invisible plane of the net.
Out of Bounds
A ball is considered out of bounds if it bounces past the outer-most white lines. If a ball hits the line, the ball is considered to be inbounds.
Scoring
Scoring is performed by these increments: 15-30-40. When someone's score is at zero, their score is "love." For example, if the server has one point, but the receiver has none, the score is 15-love. When a player wins four volleys, they win the game. The first player to six games wins the set, while matches are won by winning a predetermined number of sets. If both players have 40 for the game, they have a "deuce," which is like overtime. The winner of the first serve in deuce has an "advantage." You must win by two points, regardless, so players continue to play until a player reaches "advantage," then gets another point. If the player without an advantage wins the next point, it goes back to deuce.
Penalties
Several penalties occur throughout the game, including: hitting the ball twice before it goes over the net; touching the other side of the court or the net; carrying or catching the ball on the racket during a volley; throwing the racket or any other kind of verbal or physical abuse; or making contact with the ball with any part of your body (excluding the racket).
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