The International Tennis Federation, or ITF, provides detailed rules regarding tie-break games in tennis. A member of the ITF, the United States Tennis Association, or USTA, follows all ITF rules, including those regarding ties. Learning the tie-break rules will help you to understand tournament play better.
Tie-Break Sets
ITF and USTA rules describe two different types of sets for competition matches, including the "advantage set" and the "tie-break set." Individual tournaments can decide whether to require players to play advantage sets or tie-break sets. The tournament must then announce the set format to be used in competition. In an advantage set, you must win the set by at least two games. This kind of set can last a long time, because it must continue until one player achieves a two-game margin. Most tournaments use the faster tie-break set, in which players who reach six games each must play a tie-break game to end the set.
Tie-Break Game Scoring
Tie-break games follow different scoring than regular games. The score begins at zero rather than at love and continues with the digits 1, 2, 3 and so on rather than with 15, 30 and 40. You must win seven points to win the tie-break game, and you must win by at least two points. If the players in a tie-break reach a score of 6-6, the game must continue until one player gains a two-point margin.
Tie-Break Game Serving
If you received in the last regular game, you get to serve first in the tie-break game. You serve the first point, and then the serve alternates between you and your opponent with each of you serving two points at a time. If you served first in the tie-break game, you will receive first in the next set.
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