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Working as a tennis coach I had the privilege of teaching many beginners the rules and scoring of the game of tennis. However, as a beginner myself many year ago, I benefited from the instruction of a very well-qualified coach at the National Tennis Center in Melbourne, (the venue for the annual Australian Open Tennis Tournament).
This is what she taught me. To begin with one should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the dimensions of a tennis court; knowledge of the exact dimensions is not a crucial requirement but it is a good idea to get a feel for the playing area that you will be using.
A tennis court is set out essentially for the playing of two different games, that being singles and doubles. The easy way to differentiate the different playing area is to remember that the tramlines, the strips of tennis court on either side of the main playing area, are only ever used when one is playing the game of doubles. Occasionally one sees a tennis court where the tramlines are absent, such as in specialized exhibition courts; if you've ever seen one you'll be familiar with the exact dimensions of a singles court.
Whether one is playing singles, two players, or doubles, four players - two on either side of the court, there are a few important things to remember before a racquet is even picked up and play starts.
To begin with find the center mark along the baseline of the court. This is where the serving action begins. The opponent or opponents on the other side of the court are advised to stand back behind the halfway line of the court in order to return serve. In doubles, the exception to this rule is when you are not receiving serve and will then take up a position near the net in order to volley any balls.
When serving the player stands to the right of the center line and begins the service action so the ball is delivered to the left hand forward box on the other side of the net. When the point is completed the server moves to the left of the center line and serves to the right forward box on the other side of the net.
A point is played out until: (a) the ball is hit out of bounds, outside the lines, (b) the server serves two faults, that is two invalid serves or (c) the ball is missed by one player and bounces twice without retrieval.
The scoring of tennis employs a unique system. The first point scored is called as 15, being either 15-0 (fifteen love) where the server or serving team wins the point, or 0-15 (love fifteen) if the opponent wins the point. The second point will be announced as 15-15 if the receiver or receiving team wins or 30-0 if the server wins the first two points. This pattern continues until either one player or team wins four points then a game is called.
If the score gets to 40-40 where both team has won four points a 'deuce' is called by the umpire (or whoever happens to be scoring). When this happens play continues as normal until one side wins two points in a row; when this happens a 'game' is won. The next point after the deuce will be announced as 'advantage' to the winning side. If the opponent wins the next point then the score will go back to deuce and play continues.
Tennis is played in sets, either three or five depending on the type of match. Five sets are usually only used for men's singles matches and three sets for women's and doubles matches. The exception to this rule is played at the Virginia Slim's Championships, the season ending tournament for women on the professional tennis circuit; here the final is played over five grueling sets.
Back to scoring, in a set the score continues until one side wins six games and therefore wins the set. The exception to this rule is when the scoring reaches five games all (5-5); if this happens the first side to reach seven games to five (7-5) will win the set. If the play reaches six games all (6-6) then a 'tie-breaker' is played. The first side to reach seven points with a lead of two will be announced as the winner of the set. Players change ends after every six points. If the tie-breaker score reaches six all (6-6) then play continues until one side wins by a margin of two points.
In a three set game the winner is whoever wins two sets first. In a five set game then the winner is the first to three sets. The exception is when each side wins a set in a three set game or two sets each in a five set game. Then an 'advantage' set is played where the player who reaches six games wins or whoever can win by two games after five all (5-5) is declared.
An advantage set is not always played at club level as it can extend a match for a very long time. At the club level, a tie-break set is often scored to break the deadlock and provide a winner.
Tennis is a great sport for players of all standards and even though the rules and scoring can seem complicated at first, the beginner will soon pick up the finer points and enjoy the course of play.
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