Playing tennis is a way to exercise while having fun with friends. You can play recreationally at a community court or take lessons to acquire competitive skills. Regardless of your aspirations, it is good to know the rules of tennis so that you can play correctly. The rules of tennis are universal for girls and boys.
Court
The lines on the court establish different areas of play. The first parallel line closest to the net is called the service line, while the farther parallel line is the baseline. The two outside lines perpendicular to the net establish alleys along each side of the court. In singles play, the ball is considered out of bounds when it lands in the alley, while in doubles it must land outside the entire court, including the alley. Between the service line and the net, the court is separated by a perpendicular line defining the middle of the court.
Serving
Game play starts when one player serves. This person must stand behind the baseline, on the right side of their court, called the deuce side. The ball must land in the left side of the receiver's court, in the box defined by the net, mid-court line, service line and alley. If the ball does not land in this area, the server has one more opportunity to successfully serve. Two bad serves result in a point for the receiver. The next serve will be done from the right side of the server's court, called the ad side. One person will serve for an entire game, switching servers and court sides after each game.
Game Play
The ball is rallied back and forth between the server and the receiver. After a serve, the ball can be hit anywhere within the court boundaries. The ball must go over the net to land on the opponent's side without bouncing down into the hitter's court. When a player hits the ball out of bounds, misses the ball completely, or allows more than one bounce the result is a point awarded to their opponent.
Scoring
A match usually includes two sets of games in girls tennis. Called a "best of three," two-set matches require players to win two out of three sets. To win a set, players must usually win six games, by a two-game margin. To win a game, a player must earn a minimum of four points, and win by a margin of two points. The point scale begins at zero, or "love;" points are awarded as 15, 30, 40 and game. When a tie occurs at four points, or 40 each, it is called "deuce." The point after a deuce is called an "advantage." A player must win by a margin of two points after deuce to win the game.
If a set is tied at 6 games each, a tiebreaker is played in which players receive one game point for each point won, and change serves after the odd-number points. The first player to win at least seven points in the tiebreaker, by a margin of two, wins the game, and the set.
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