Thinking of starting to play tennis? Tennis is a great sport that requires mental preparation and physical agility. The first part of being able to play the game properly is understanding the rules, and in this article, we'll be discussing what are commonly agreed upon as the official rules of tennis. The rules that we will discuss are based on the provided courtesy of the International Tennis Federation.



THE COURT - Tennis should be played on a court that is built to certain specifications. The court should be 78 feet long. For a singles match, the court should be 27 feet in width, and for doubles matches, the court's width should be 36 feet. The net should be composed of a net with a cord of metal cable supporting it at a height of 3 and a half feet. Service lines should be placed 21 feet from each side of the net, designating the area in which serving should be performed.

THE RACKET - The rackets used in tennis should only have one pair of crisscrossing strings. Vibration dampening devices are allowed on the rackets, but they can only be placed outside of the strings. No devices that incorporate batteries to help your play are allowed.

THE SCORING - Tennis is a unique game in that it has special names given to the various points awarded. When calling out the score, the person serving the ball should always say their score first. A score of zero is called out by saying 'Love', and from there, the points go to 15, 30, 40, and game. If both players get a score of 40, the game must become a tie-breaker, and a 40-40 score is announced by saying 'Deuce'. In a 'Deuce' situation, if a player gets a point, they are said to have 'Advantage'. If a player with an 'Advantage' gets another point, the game is over. If a player gets a point while the other has 'Advantage', the score is reset to 'Deuce'. When a game is won, another game is begun until someone gets the best of 7 games. One catch is that they must win by two. If, at the end of 7 games, a player is up 4 to 3, another match must be held as winning by two is necessary. If a player takes the best of 7 games, winning by 2, they are said to have won the match.