Tennis Rules for Beginners

The court and the lines

A tennis court is a rectangle divided by a net. Singles uses the inner sidelines; doubles uses the outer ones, so the strips between them (the alleys or tramlines) are only in for doubles. Each half has a baseline at the back, a service line, and a center service line that splits the area near the net into two service boxes.

Under ITF Rule 12, a ball that touches any part of a line is good. The guideline for players calling their own lines puts it simply: a ball that is 99% out is 100% good.

Starting the match: the toss

Before the warm-up, the players toss a coin or spin a racket (Rule 9). The winner chooses one of three things: to serve or receive first (the opponent then picks the end), to pick the end of the court (the opponent then decides who serves), or to make the opponent choose first.

Serving

The server stands behind the baseline, between the center mark and the sideline, and hits the ball before it bounces into the service box diagonally opposite (Rules 16 and 17). Every game starts from the right side, and the server alternates sides after each point. If the first serve is a fault, the server gets a second serve; two faults in a row (a double fault) lose the point.

A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box is a let and is simply served again. Full details, including foot faults, are in the serving rules guide.

Winning and losing a point

The return of serve must bounce first; every other shot may be played before it bounces (a volley) or after one bounce. Under ITF Rule 24 you lose the point if:

• you serve two faults in a row;
• the ball bounces twice on your side before you hit it;
• your shot lands outside the court, or hits a fixture (such as the fence) before it bounces;
• you, your racket or your clothing touch the net or the opponent's court while the ball is in play;
• you hit the ball before it has crossed the net;
• the ball touches you or your clothing (anything except the racket);
• you deliberately carry or double-hit the ball;
• in doubles, both partners hit the ball.

Scoring in brief

Points in a game are called love, 15, 30, 40, game; at 40–40 (deuce) a player needs two points in a row. A set goes to six games with a two-game lead, with a tiebreak at 6–6. A match is best of three (or five) sets. Many leagues play No-Ad games and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set.

The full explanation, with examples, is in how tennis scoring works; the tiebreak has its own guide.

Changing ends and time between points

• Players change ends after the first, third and every following odd game of each set (Rule 10), and after every six points in a tiebreak.
• Up to 25 seconds between points and 90 seconds at a change of ends, but no rest after the first game of a set or during a tiebreak (Rule 29).
• Up to 120 seconds between sets.
• A warm-up of up to five minutes.

Singles and doubles

The rules are the same for both, except for the court width and the order of serving and receiving. In doubles, each team decides at the start of every set who serves first, partners alternate service games, and each player receives from the same side for the whole set. See the doubles rules guide.

Rules for matches with no umpire

Almost every club and league match has no umpire, so the players call their own lines and keep their own score. National federations publish guidelines for this, such as the USTA's The Code and Tennis Canada's Guidelines for Unofficiated Matches. The core points:

• Call the lines on your side. You call every ball landing on, or aimed at, your end of the court.
• Give your opponent the benefit of the doubt. If you are not sure a ball was out, it was in. You cannot ask for a replay because you didn't see it.
• Call out loud and promptly. Your opponent is entitled to a clear “out” call or signal.
• The server announces the score: the game score before the first point of each game, and the point score before every point.
• Settle score disputes in order: keep everything you agree on and replay only the disputed points or games; otherwise restart from a score you both accept; as a last resort, spin a racket.

The most common argument in club tennis is the score. In the Racketlovers app you enter the games at each changeover and your opponent confirms them before they go live, so both of you, and everyone following, see the same score.

Wheelchair tennis

Wheelchair tennis uses the same rules with one main exception: the player is allowed two bounces of the ball, and the second bounce may land inside or outside the court. The other adaptations are set out in the ITF's Rules of Wheelchair Tennis.

Play by the rules, share it live

Once you know the rules, try them on our free tennis scoreboard, or score your next real match in the Racketlovers app and share the link so family and friends can follow it live in the free app.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (Rules 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 22, 24, 29)
• Tennis Canada, Rules of the Court 2026 (ITF rules, Rules of Wheelchair Tennis and Guidelines for Unofficiated Matches)
• USTA: Friend at Court (includes The Code)
• ITF: Tennis rules and regulations