Lawn tennis is more commonly known as tennis. The game can be played between two players, which is called singles, or four players, which is called doubles. Lawn tennis began in the late 18th century in the United Kingdom and the rules have not changed a lot since then.
Background
Tennis is played on a court that is 78 feet long with a 3-foot net in the center. Players alternate serving each game and players score points when their opponents are unable to return to ball.
Serving
Decide who serves by tossing a coin or spinning a racket and guessing what side will land up. The player who serves begins with the ball behind the baseline on the right side of the court. He must throw the ball in the air and strike it with his racket to serve. The ball must travel over the net and land in the opposite rectangle to count. If the ball does not land in the rectangle it is called a fault. This means the player gets another chance to serve. If she misses that serve as well, her opponent gets the point. If the ball hits the net but lands in the correct rectangle, the server gets an extra chance to serve. After that point, the player alternates to the left side of the court and serves from there. This process is repeated until the game is over.
Returning
The receiving player stands behind the rectangle that the server is hitting to and waits for the serve. Once the ball is served, the receiver reacts and tries to return the ball to the server. The ball can only bounce once on the receiver's side, then must be hit inbounds to the server's side. If the receiver makes it over, the server must then return the ball again. This repeats until one of the players hits the ball out of bounds or does not make it over the net in one bounce.
Scoring
A game begins at "love-love," which means 0-0. The first point is called 15, the second point is 30, the third point is 40 and the fourth point wins the game. Players must win by two points. If both players have 40 points, that is called deuce. The next player to score has the advantage. If the player with the advantage scores the next point, then she wins the game. Basically, once both players have 40 points, the next player to score twice in a row wins. After the first game, opponents switch sides. This is continued every two games throughout the set. A player wins a set by being the first to win six games and must win by two. This means if the score is 6-5, the team with six points must win another game in order to win the set. To win a match, you must win three sets.
Doubles
Doubles is played the same as singles, except the allies are considered in bounds in doubles and out of bounds in singles. Also, the serving order is as follows: team one's first player serves a game, then team two's first player serves, then team one's second player serves, followed by team two's second player.
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