Tennis Scoring

The tennis scoring system is as follows:

• 4 Points to Win A Game
• 6 Games to Win A Set
• 2 Sets to Win A Match

Because the creators of tennis thought it would be fun to screw with us, the point system in tennis is as follows:

• 0 point (Love)
• 1 point (15)
• 2 points (30)
• 3 points (40)
• 4 points (Game)

Strange, eh?

Let's watch a game between Jack and Ricky to better understand how the tennis point system works.

• Jack starts off with a screamin' hot ace (a serve that cannot be touched): "15 - Love"
• Ricky wins the next point with a crushing backhand: "15-15" or "15 all"
• Jack, still surprised by Ricky's return, double faults ("faults" on both serves): "15-30"
• Jack pulls himself together and delivers a tricky kick serve to Ricky's backhand. Ricky, one 5ft tall, cannot reach the ball: "30-30" or "30 all"
• Ricky dinks Jack's serve barely over the net. Jack is too slow: "30-40"
• Jack, once again, falters and double faults: "Game"

If Jack had won the last point, the score would be "40 all" which is called "deuce." At deuce, one player must win the next two points to win the game. If Jack (the server) wins the point at deuce, the score is Add In. If Ricky (the returner) wins the point at deuce, the score is Add Out. If the player having the advantage wins the following point, he or she wins that game. If the player having the advantage loses the following point, the score goes back to deuce.

Now that the game is over, Ricky becomes the new server and Jack the new returner. Because it is the first game of the match, Ricky and Jack switch sides. In fact, if it is any odd-numbered game of the match (1,3,5,7, etc.), both players switch sides.

Once Jack or Ricky has won six games by a margin of two or more, he has won the set. If the score within a set reaches 6 - 6, they may either continue to try to reach a margin of two (8-6) or they may play a tiebreak to decide the set.

In a tiebreak, one player must win 7 points by a margin or 2 or more. The player who was the returner in the game before the tiebreak serves the 1st point of the tiebreak. The other player then serves the next two points. Each player continues serving two points per turn.

Points are scored with good ol' fashioned counting numbers ("1, 2, 3 . . ."). When the point total reaches six or any multiple of six (2-4, 6-6), Jack and Ricky switch sides.

And... you are now an expert in keeping score in tennis! Congratz!