Tennis Rules 2026: Scoring, Serving, Lets and the Tie-Break

This page follows the International Tennis Federation's Rules of Tennis as of November 2026. The ITF is the governing body of the game, and the English version of its rules prevails over translations. I've kept to the standard rules. The ITF also approves alternative scoring methods, listed in Appendix VI of the rules, but those aren't covered here.

Court size, the net and line calls

Singles is one player a side and doubles is two. The court is the same length for both, but doubles uses a wider court. These are the figures in the rules.

What	The rules say
Court length	78 feet (23.77 m)
Singles width	27 feet (8.23 m)
Doubles width	36 feet (10.97 m)
Net height at the centre	3 feet (0.914 m), held down tightly by a strap
Servicelines	21 feet (6.40 m) from each side of the net

The line rule settles more arguments than any other: a ball that touches a line is regarded as touching the court bounded by that line. So a ball that clips the line is in.

The toss, changing ends and who serves

A toss before the warm-up decides who chooses what. The winner can choose to serve or receive in the first game, and the opponent then picks the end. Or the winner can choose the end, and the opponent then picks whether to serve or receive. The winner can also make the opponent choose first.

At the end of each standard game, the receiver becomes the server. In doubles, the serving team decides who serves first, the partner of the first game's server serves the third game, and that rotation continues for the set.

Players change ends after the first, third and every later odd game of each set. They also change at the end of each set, unless that set had an even number of games, in which case they change after the first game of the next set.

How to serve, step by step

1. Stand at rest with both feet behind the baseline, between the imaginary extensions of the centre mark and the sideline.
2. Serve from the right half of the court to start every game, then alternate halves.
3. Release the ball by hand and hit it with the racket before it hits the ground.
4. The ball has to pass over the net and land in the service court diagonally opposite.
5. If the first service is a fault, serve again from behind the same half, unless you served the fault from the wrong half.
6. Two consecutive faults lose the point.

A foot fault happens if you walk or run during the service motion, or touch the baseline, the court, or the area outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centre mark with either foot.

A service is also a fault if you miss the ball when trying to hit it, or if the ball touches a permanent fixture, a singles stick or a net post before it hits the ground, or touches you or your partner. That catches people: a serve that hits the net post and then drops in isn't a let, it's a fault.

Lets, and the second-serve rule people get wrong

A service is a let if the ball touches the net, strap or band and is otherwise good, or if it's served when the receiver isn't ready. A let serve is retaken.

Here's the bit most club players don't know: a service let doesn't cancel a previous fault. Say your first serve goes long. That's a fault. Your second serve clips the tape and drops into the correct box. That's a let, so you retake the second serve only. You're still on your second serve, not back to a fresh first one.

In every other let case, the whole point is replayed. A let on a first serve, for example, means you start the point again from the first serve.

What wins or loses you a point

The rules list the ways a player loses a point. You lose it if you:

• Serve two consecutive faults.
• Let the ball bounce twice before you return it.
• Hit the ball out.
• Touch the net or your opponent's court with your racket, clothing or body while the ball is in play, even after you've hit it.
• Hit the ball before it's passed over the net.
• Deliberately carry or catch the ball on your racket.
• As the receiver, return the serve before it bounces. You can't volley a serve.

If a ball in play hits a permanent fixture after landing in the correct court, the player who hit it wins the point. If it hits the fixture before it lands, that player loses the point.

Hindrance has two outcomes. A deliberate hindrance by your opponent wins you the point. An unintentional one means the point is replayed.

Game scoring, from Love to Deuce

In a standard game, the server's score is called first. The calls go like this:

Points won	What it's called
None	Love
One	15
Two	30
Three	40
Four (with the other player on two or fewer)	Game
Three each	Deuce

After Deuce, the next point gives that player Advantage. To win the game you need two consecutive points straight after Deuce. Lose the point after Advantage and you're back to Deuce. So a score of 40-30 means the server has three points and the receiver has two.

Advantage sets, tie-break sets and the match

There are two kinds of set, and the method has to be announced before the event. In an Advantage Set, the first to win 6 games with a margin of 2 games wins the set, however long that takes. In a Tie-break Set, a tie-break game is played at 6 games all.

In a tie-break game, points are scored Zero, 1, 2, 3 and so on. The first player or team to win 7 points wins the game and the set, provided there's a margin of 2 points, and the tie-break keeps going until there is. The player who's next in turn serves the first point, the opponent serves the next 2 points, and then each side serves 2 consecutive points in turn. Players change ends after every 6 points.

A match is the best of 3 sets, so you need 2, or the best of 5 sets, so you need 3.

There's a clock, too. The rules allow a maximum of twenty-five (25) seconds between points, ninety (90) seconds when changing ends at the end of a game, and one hundred and twenty (120) seconds for the set break.

My verdict before your first match

I'd learn the scoring table and the line rule first, because those two cover nearly every disagreement on a park court. Then I'd learn the second-serve let rule, since it's the one even regular players argue about.

I'd skip the timing limits and the doubles serving rotation until you're playing in a club or league, where someone will walk you through them. If tennis feels like a lot to take in, the pickleball rules or my padel guide for beginners are gentler starting points, and table tennis scores in a completely different way.

Frequently asked questions

How do you score a game in tennis?

Love, 15, 30, 40, then Game. At 3 points each the score is Deuce, and a player needs two consecutive points after Deuce to win the game.

How many games win a set?

The first player or team to win 6 games, with a margin of 2 games. In a tie-break set, 6 games all leads to a tie-break game.

How does a tennis tie-break work?

Points are scored Zero, 1, 2, 3. The first to win 7 points with a margin of 2 wins the game and set. The first server serves one point, then each side serves 2 points in turn.

What is a let in tennis?

A serve that touches the net, strap or band and is otherwise good, or that's served when the receiver isn't ready. It's retaken, and a service let doesn't cancel a previous fault.

How many sets are in a tennis match?

A match is the best of 3 sets or the best of 5 sets.