The rules of tennis are quite unique, especially in keeping score. In this article, we will describe the basic rules of tennis that every fan of this wonderful game should know.
The game is played between two players or two pairs of players on opposite sides of the net. The goal of this game is to throw the tennis ball to your opponent’s side so that he cannot return it to your half of the field.
INNINGS
Each ball rally begins with such an important element of the game as the serve. The right to serve passes from one player to another at the end of the game. During the service, the player is behind the back line at the line that divides the tennis court in half along. The player must throw the tennis ball into the diagonally opposite serving area of the opponent’s half. The first serve always takes place to the right of the center line. After each rally, the serving player moves to the opposite side of the center line.
If the tennis ball misses the service area (goes over the service area line or into the net), then the serving player has the right to make a second serve. If the second serve also misses the serving area, then a point is awarded to the opponent. It is also a violation if the serving player stepped over the back line when serving. If, when serving by a tennis player, the ball hit the serving area, but touched it when crossing the net, then such a serve is replayed.
GAME
Each game starts with a score of 0-0. If the server wins the serve, then the score in this case becomes 15-0, and if the rally is lost, then 0-15. The next serve results in a score of 30, then 40, the next rally results in a game, but only if the opponent has a score of 30 or less. In the event that both players have a score of 40, then winning the next point gives the player an advantage. The player with advantage who wins the next ball wins the game.
SET
The player who wins six games is considered to have won the set. If the score in the set is 6-5, then 1 more game is played. If the score becomes 7-5, then the set ends. If, after playing one game with a score of 6-5, the score becomes 6-6, then in this case a tie-break is played.
MATCH
Matches are 3-set and 5-set. In a 3-set, the tennis player who wins 2 sets is considered the winner, and in a 5-set, 3 sets.
TIE BREAK
The serving player performs the first serve, after which the right to serve passes to the opponent and the change takes place after two serves. The winner is the tennis player who first scored 7 points with a difference of 2 points. The tie-break will last as long as you like, until the difference in points reaches two. The last set of the game is played without a tie-break.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- the line is part of the field;
- any ball, other than a serve, that falls on the opponent’s side and touches the net is counted;
- the serve must necessarily be hit after the ball bounces, while during the game the tennis ball can be hit before it touches the surface of the tennis court;
- if the tennis player did not have time to hit the ball after the first bounce and the ball hit the court twice, then
- the rally is considered lost;
- the ball is not counted if it touches the tennis player’s body, or is hit before the ball crosses the net line, or if the tennis player touches the tennis net or net post with a racket, hand or any other part of the body;
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Why in tennis is the successful completion of a point drawn in a special way?
Known since the days of the old French game, scoring is based on dividing the day into 24 hours (up to 24 games were played). In turn, hours were divided into four quarters; each successful ball was equal to one quarter of an hour, i.e. 15 minutes corresponded to 15 points. Thus, one game lasted up to 60 points, and the count was as follows: 15, 30, 45, 60. Over time, the number of games was reduced to 6 in one set, and every third successful ball is now counted as 10 points, i.e. 40 is declared instead of 45.