Tennis Rules Explained in Simple English | A Beginner's Friendly Guide
Welcome to the exciting world of tennis! If you're new to the sport, the rules might seem confusing at first. But don't worry! This simple English guide will explain the basic tennis rules, helping you understand how to play and enjoy the game.
1. The Main Goal of Tennis The main goal in tennis is simple: hit the ball over the net and into your opponent's court. You win a point when your opponent fails to return the ball correctly—either by hitting it into the net, hitting it outside the court lines, or missing it entirely.
2. Understanding the Tennis Court A tennis court is divided by a net. The main lines are:
- Baseline: The back line.
- Service Line: The line near the net.
- Singles Sideline: The outer side boundary for one-on-one play.
- Doubles Sideline: The wider side boundary for two-on-two play. The area between the service line and the net is split into two service boxes (left and right).
3. How to Start a Point: The Serve Every point begins with a serve. The server must stand behind the baseline and hit the ball into the diagonally opposite service box on the other side of the net. You get two attempts to make a successful serve.
4. Tennis Scoring Made Simple Tennis scoring is unique but easy to learn:
- Points: 0 points = "Love", 1 point = "15", 2 points = "30", 3 points = "40".
- Game: You win a game by winning at least 4 points and being 2 points ahead of your opponent. If both players reach 40-40, it's called "Deuce". From deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game.
- Set: To win a set, you must win at least 6 games and be 2 games ahead (e.g., 6-4). If the set reaches 6-6, a special "tiebreak" game is usually played.
- Match: Matches are typically best of 3 sets (win 2 sets) or best of 5 sets (win 3 sets).
5. Basic Rules During Play
- The ball can only bounce once on your side before you must return it.
- You can hit the ball before it bounces (a "volley"), except when returning a serve.
- The ball must land within the court lines to be considered "in". If it touches any part of the line, it is good.
6. Playing a Match A match starts with a coin toss. The winner can choose to serve, receive, or pick a side of the court. Players or teams switch sides of the court after every odd-numbered game (e.g., after game 1, 3, 5).
Now you know the basic tennis rules! Grab a racket, find a court, and start practicing. The best way to learn is by playing. Enjoy your tennis journey