For a newcomer to the sport, the rules and terms of tennis can seem a bit confusing. Understanding tennis rules and the terms associated with them is essential to becoming a better player and participating in tournaments and league play.
Scoring
Tennis uses unusual terms for scoring. Love is used to indicate zero points, 15 for one point, 30 for two points and 40 for three points. The first player to score four points and beat his opponent by two or more points wins the game. When both players have scored 40 or more points, and the score is tied, it is known as "deuce." After deuce, when either player scores a point---and thus is up by one point---he is said to have "advantage."
Game Play Vocabulary
A set consists of the first player to win six games, by two. If a set is tied 6-6, a tiebreaker game is played to determine the winner. The first player to win seven points, by two, in the tiebreaker game wins the set 7-6. In most tennis tournaments, the first player to win two out of three sets wins the match. In professional men's tennis, matches are played as the first to win three out of five sets.
Fault
A fault is an error by the server while serving the ball. Common faults include stepping over the serving line before hitting the ball, hitting the net with the ball during service and failing to hit the ball into the appropriate service box. Players are allowed one fault during each service. Two faults equal a point for the opponent of the server.
Let
Any obstruction or distraction during a point, such as a spare ball rolling out onto the court, is called a let. A let results in the point being played over.
Hindrance
Any intentional act directly on the ball by an opponent that distracts or otherwise prevents a player from properly making a play on the ball is known as a hindrance. A player who commits a hindrance loses the point. An unintentional hindrance, such as the ball hitting a bird flying over the court, results in the point being replayed.
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