Quick answer: Tennis is scored in points, games and sets. Points run 15, 30, 40 and game, you must win a game by two clear points, and you need six games (by two) to take a set. You get two serves per point, serving diagonally into the opposite service box, and you change ends after every odd-numbered game. Everything else is detail built on those four rules.
Most explanations of the tennis rules are written for people watching a Grand Slam on television. This one is for people actually playing — at a UK club, in a local league, or on a council court with nobody umpiring. That changes which rules matter, and it adds one almost nobody covers: how calls are made when there is no official on court.
Tennis scoring explained: points, games, sets and match
The tennis rules on scoring look strange until you see the pattern. Within a game your score goes love (zero), 15, 30, 40, then game. Win a point at 40 and the game is yours — unless your opponent is also on 40, which is deuce. From deuce you must win two points in a row: the first gives you advantage, the second wins the game. Lose it and you return to deuce, which is why one game can run for several minutes.
A set goes to the first player to win six games with a lead of at least two. At 6–6 you play a tie-break. A match is usually best of three sets in club and league tennis. This is also how to read a scoreline like 6–2 6–3: the winner took the first set six games to two and the second six games to three, winning in straight sets. The server's score is always called first.
Serving rules: where to stand and how many attempts
You serve from behind the baseline, starting on the right-hand (deuce) side, and the ball must land in the service box diagonally opposite. After each point you alternate sides until the game ends. You get two attempts: miss the first and it is a fault, miss the second and that is a double fault and you lose the point outright. One player serves a whole game, then the serve passes to the opponent.
A foot fault is the rule most club players break without realising. Your feet must not touch the baseline or inside the court until after you have struck the ball, and you must not walk or run along the baseline as you serve. It is a fault even though nothing about the ball was wrong. The receiver must also let a serve bounce before returning it — once the point is in play, that restriction disappears and you may volley freely.
Faults, lets and when you lose the point
A let means the point is replayed with no penalty. The most common is a serve that clips the net cord and still lands in the correct service box: replay it, and you keep both attempts if it was your first. A stray ball rolling onto your court mid-rally is also a let.
You lose the point if you let the ball bounce twice, hit it into the net or outside the lines, touch the net or a post while the ball is live, hit the ball before it crosses to your side, carry it on the strings, or if the ball touches you or your clothing. And a ball landing on any part of a line is in — that single rule settles more arguments at club level than any other. The line is part of the court.
Tie-breaks and the final-set match tie-break
At 6–6 you play a tie-break to seven points, won by two clear points. So 7–5 wins it, 7–6 does not, and a tight one can run to 12–10 or beyond. The player due to serve serves the first point from the deuce side; after that service changes every two points and you swap ends every six. The winner takes the set 7–6.
UK league and club tennis frequently uses a shortcut television rarely shows: instead of a deciding third set, players contest a 10-point match tie-break, won by two clear points. If your league uses it, check the format before you walk on — it is the single most common source of confusion in local fixtures.
Doubles rules: serving order, receiving order and positioning
The court is wider in doubles — the tramlines are in play for every shot except the serve, which must still land in the singles service box. Before each set, each pair decides its serving order and its receiving order. Serving alternates between the teams: you, an opponent, your partner, the other opponent, and round again.
Your receiving order is then fixed for the whole set — one of you always receives in the deuce court, the other always in the advantage court, and you cannot swap until the next set. Your partner may stand anywhere while you serve, but if your serve hits your own partner before bouncing, your side loses the point. That is why the net player stands to one side rather than in the line of fire.
Playing without an umpire: how calls actually work
Almost every game of tennis in the UK is played with no official present, and the tennis rules handle this in a way that surprises newcomers. You call the lines on your own side of the net only; your opponent calls theirs. You never call a ball out on your opponent's side, however clearly you saw it. And if you are genuinely unsure whether a ball was in or out, the point goes to your opponent — doubt always favours the other player.
Calls must be made immediately and loudly enough to be heard; a late call after you have already played the ball does not stand. The server also calls the score before every point, their own score first. Announcing it is not politeness, it is the mechanism that stops disputes before they start. If you disagree about the score and cannot resolve it, replay from the last point you both agree on.
Top picks from Central Sports
You need remarkably little to start playing properly — a strung racket and a tube of decent balls. These are all in stock at Central Sports today.
- Head Championship Tennis Ball, 4-ball tube — £5.52. The standard club and league ball in the UK, so if you are playing a fixture this is almost certainly what will be used.
- Wilson Triniti 4-Ball Can — £6.49. Holds its pressure far longer than a standard ball, which makes it the sensible choice for practice rather than matches.
- Yonex VCORE Play 08 2026, strung, 265g — £64.00. The cheapest genuinely good starting point here: light, already strung, and forgiving while you are still learning where the lines are.
- Babolat Boost Drive, strung — £76.00, reduced from £95.00. An easy, control-orientated frame for a social player who wants better than a hire racket.
- Babolat Boost Aero 2026, strung — £95.00. More spin-friendly than the Boost Drive, and the only one here available in all four grip sizes, so it is the safest pick if you are unsure what grip you take.
If none of those suits, the full range sits in tennis rackets and tennis balls, and it is worth reading how to choose a tennis racket before spending much above £100.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules in tennis?
Serve diagonally into the opposite service box with two attempts per point. Let the serve bounce before returning it. Keep the ball inside the lines, and do not let it bounce twice on your side. Points run 15, 30, 40, game; six games by two wins a set.
Why is tennis scored 15, 30 and 40?
The scoring almost certainly comes from medieval French court tennis, where a clock face marked the score in quarters — 15, 30, 45. Over time 45 was shortened in speech to 40 and the name stuck. There is no rule-based reason for it; it is simply inherited.
What does 6-2 6-3 mean in tennis?
It is a completed two-set match. The winner took the first set six games to two and the second six games to three. Because they won both sets it was a straight-sets victory, and the winner's score is always written first.
What are the five golden rules of tennis?
There is no official list, but the five that matter most in club play are: a ball on the line is in; you only call your own side; doubt goes to your opponent; the server calls the score before every point; and you change ends after every odd-numbered game.
How many serves do you get in tennis?
Two per point. A missed first serve is a fault and you serve again. Missing both is a double fault and the point goes to your opponent. A serve that clips the net and lands in is a let, and is replayed at no cost to either attempt.
Getting on court
The tennis rules are far shorter than they look. Scoring, two serves, the line is in, and doubt goes to your opponent will carry you through virtually every point you will play in the UK. The rest you absorb by playing. And if you have picked up the rules for one racket sport, the others come quickly — our badminton rules and serving guide and pickleball rules made simple cover the two most common next steps, and both differ from tennis in ways that catch people out. When you are ready to kit up, everything you need is at centralsports.co.uk.