Like most sports, tennis rules can seem confusing and convoluted to many first-time players and beginners, but a boiled-down version of the rules will help you understand the game quickly and begin a long and fun playing career.
Game Play
In tennis, one player stands on either end of the court---or two in doubles play---and take turns hitting the ball over the net in an attempt to score points. Players score points by hitting the ball on their opponent's side of the court so their opponent can't return the ball back over the net. A tennis match consists of a certain number of sets, usually two to five. The first player to win a certain number of games---usually six---wins a set. Games are played to four points, but the winner must win by two or more points. Zero points is known as "love," one point is "15," two points is "30" and three points is "40."
Service
The player who first hits the ball over the net is said to have "service." Players must stand behind the service line when serving the ball, and must stand on the side of the court corresponding to the number of points that have been played during that game. For an even number of points, the server stands on the right side of the court, and left side for odd numbers. The playing court features two boxes on either side of the net. The server must hit the ball in the box opposite the side he is serving on for it to be counted as a legal serve. Failing to hit the ball in the service box counts as a "fault." Two faults equal a point for the opposing player.
Faults
Other faults include hitting the ball on a serve so that it hits the net before landing on the other side of the court, or hitting the ball so that it doesn't make it over the net at all. A ball that hits any part of a boundary line is considered in. A player who allows the ball to hit twice on his side of the court before returning the ball to the other side of the net loses that point. Players may not touch the net with any part of their bodies or with the racket during play.
Member Comments