Tennis is a popular recreational and competitive sport. You will often find public tennis courts in parks, but you can also join clubs and use their private courts. Unlike some organized sports, you only need a racket, a tennis ball and one other person to play. Understanding the rules of tennis will help you better enjoy the sport.
Serve
When first serving the ball, stand behind the baseline of the right serving area. Your feet cannot touch the line or the in-bounds area of the court during the serve. Throw the ball into the air with your free hand and strike the ball so it lands on the opposite side of your opponent's forecourt. The serve is a fault if it touches the net, lands outside the boundary of the opposite forecourt, if you miss the ball when serving or if your feet touch the line or the in-bounds area of the court. A point is awarded to your opponent if you commit two faults in a row. Switch back and forth between the right and left service area after each point is awarded. You hold the serve until one game is complete, then your opponent serves for one game. Continue switching the serve between games until the match is complete.
Play
Play consists of hitting the ball over the net so it bounces within the boundary lines. You do not need to let the ball bounce before hitting it, unless you are receiving a serve. If you make contact with the ball before it hits the service area when your opponent serves a point is given to your opponent. You and your opponent hit the ball back and forth until one player commits a fault.
Faults
You receive a point each time your opponent commits a fault during play, and your opponent receives a point each time you commit a fault. Faults occur when the ball bounces twice on one side of the court, the ball lands outside of the boundary line on the first bounce, you are anything you are wearing touches the net, you hit the ball before it crosses the net, or you throw the racket to hit the ball, according to the U.S. Tennis Association. When playing doubles, a fault occurs if both players hit the ball before it crosses the net. A fault does not occur if the ball touches the net during play and it continues to your opponent's side of the court.
Scoring
Tennis consists of games, sets and matches, each of which have their own scoring rules. In games, you receive a point when your player commits a fault. Zero points is called "Love," one point is "15," two points is "30," three points is "40" and four points is "Game." The score is "Deuce" if both players reach "40." Your score is "Advantage" if you score a point in "Deuce," and you win the game if you win two points in a row after the score is "Deuce." If your opponent scores a point when you have "Advantage," the score is returned to "Deuce." A set is won when you win six games before your opponent wins six games. You must win by two games to win a set. Games continue within a set until one player has a two set advantage. A match is won when one player wins the best out of three or five sets.
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