Learning the tennis scoring rules is not as difficult as it seems. Once you learn the terms you'll be able to keep score with ease.
The origins of keeping a tennis score come from when French monks played their early version of tennis, Jeu de Paume, in their monastery courtyards. The scoring system was based on the numbers on a clock. Every quarter hour would count as a point (15, 30, 45), and when one got to 60, that player won the game. The term "love" means zero, coming from the French word "l'oeuf," meaning egg, because an egg looks like a zero.
The Concept of Scoring
The numbers 15, 30 and 40 and the word "game" each constitute a point won. For instance, 15 is the first point, 30 is the second point, 40 is the third and "game" is the fourth and final point. To win a game, a player has to win four points and they must win by at least two points. If the score is 40-30 (three points to two) and you're the one with 40, winning the next point will win you the game. As long as you get four points before your opponent does and you do it with at least two more points than your opponent has, you win that game. When serving, your score is said first, then your opponent's. Always say your score first, even if your opponent has more points.
Advantage Scoring
There are two types of scoring: advantage scoring and no-ad. Advantage scoring is the type used in officiated matches around the globe. If the score reaches 40-40 (three points for each player), the sciore is called a "deuce," from yet another French word, "deux," which means two. It's just a way of saying the score is tied; you don't have to say 40-all, just say deuce.
At this point, a player has to win two points in a row in order to win the game. The point won after deuce is known as the "advantage." The player has the advantage because if they win the next point, they win the game. If they don't win the next point, the score goes back to deuce. The correct way to say the score when you're serving at deuce is to say "ad in" if the first point is won and "ad out" if the first point is lost.
"No ad" scoring is a simpler variation. When two players get to deuce, the next point wins the game. The major rule to remember when playing "no ad" is the person receiving the ball gets to chose which service box they want to return the serve from.
Scoring a Set and the Tie-Breaker
A player must win six games in order to win a set. A set must be won by at least two games. If the score is tied 6-6, a tie-breaker is played. The tie-break made it's debut in 1970 and was invented by James Van Alen as a way to shorten up matches. Until the tie-break, sets were played out to their conclusion, and sometimes a single set could last for hours. The concept of the tie-break is you must win seven points and win by at least two. The person serving first plays one point, then the serve is alternated, each player playing two points until one reaches seven.
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