Key takeaways
- Every point starts with a serve from behind the baseline into the diagonally opposite service box, and you get two attempts before the point is lost.
- A serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct box is a let and is simply replayed, however many times it happens.
- A ball touching any part of a line is in, because the lines belong to the court they enclose.
- Once the ball is in play you lose the point by letting it bounce twice, hitting it out, touching the net or reaching over before the ball crosses, among other ways.
- Learn the rules of play and the scoring separately: the rules decide who wins each point, the scoring decides what a point is worth.
Tennis has one core rule, and almost everything else elaborates on it: hit the ball over the net so that it lands inside your opponent's half of the court, before it bounces twice on your side. You may strike it after one bounce or volley it out of the air. You lose the point by failing to do that, or by breaking one of a short list of other rules while the ball is in play. Every point starts with a serve, struck from behind the baseline into the service box diagonally opposite, and you get two attempts.
How points add up to games and sets is a separate system, covered in tennis scoring for beginners. This page is the other half: the rules of play, taken from the ITF Rules of Tennis, 2026 edition. Rule numbers are given so you can check any of it.
The court, measured
Rule 1 fixes the court's size, and it is the same at every level of full-court tennis.
| Part of the court | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Length, baseline to baseline | 78 ft | 23.77 m |
| Width for singles | 27 ft | 8.23 m |
| Width for doubles | 36 ft | 10.97 m |
| Service line, measured from the net | 21 ft | 6.40 m |
| Net height at the posts | 3 ft 6 in | 1.07 m |
| Net height at the centre | 3 ft | 0.914 m |
The baselines are the end lines and the sidelines run down the sides. The area between each service line and the net is split in two by the centre service line, making the two service boxes on each side. A short centre mark divides each baseline in half, and it matters for the serve.
Two details save arguments. All measurements are taken to the outside of the lines. And Rule 12 says a ball touching a line counts as touching the court that line bounds, so a ball on the line is in, however little of it touches.
Starting the match
A toss before the warm-up decides who chooses first (Rule 9). The winner can choose to serve or receive in the first game, leaving the opponent to pick the end. They can choose the end and let the opponent decide on serving, or they can make the opponent choose first. The warm-up lasts at most five minutes unless the event decides otherwise (Rule 29e).
Serving, step by step
Where to stand
Before starting the motion, the server stands still with both feet behind the baseline, between the imaginary extension of the centre mark and the sideline (Rule 16). In singles that means the singles sideline; the extra strip of the doubles alley is only available in doubles. The server releases the ball by hand and hits it before it touches the ground. A player who can use only one arm may release the ball with the racket.
Which box
In a normal game you serve from behind the right half first, then alternate halves point by point (Rule 17). The serve must clear the net and land in the service box diagonally opposite before the receiver plays it. The receiver may stand anywhere on their own side, inside or outside the lines (Rule 8, Case 1), but may not volley the serve: returning it before it bounces loses the point (Rule 24e).
Faults, and the foot fault
A serve is a fault if it misses the correct box, but Rule 19 lists less obvious causes as well. It is also a fault if the server swings and misses completely, or breaks the standing rules. The same applies if the serve hits a permanent fixture, a singles stick or a net post before landing, or touches the server or their doubles partner.
The foot fault is the one beginners commit without noticing. Under Rule 18, during the motion the server must not walk or run, or touch the baseline or the court with either foot. Nor may they step beyond the imaginary extension of the sideline or the centre mark. Slight foot movements are fine, and Rule 18, Case 2 confirms that having one or both feet off the ground is allowed.
Tossing the ball and deciding not to hit it is not a fault. Rule 19, Case 1 lets the server catch it or let it bounce and start again.
The second serve
After a first-serve fault, Rule 20 sends the server straight back to the same half to try again "without delay". A second fault loses the point (Rule 24a). That is a double fault, and the threat of it is what makes the second serve a different decision from the first. Serve and volley strategy looks at what that trade-off does to tactics.
Lets on the serve
Under Rule 22, a serve is a let if it touches the net, strap or band and otherwise lands in the right box. The same applies if it clips the net and then hits the receiver, or if it is served before the receiver is ready. A let is replayed and does not cancel an earlier fault: let on a second serve, and you still have only the second serve. Rule 22 sets no limit on how many service lets can happen in a row. Some events use the ITF's approved "no-let" alternative instead, where a serve that clips the net and lands in is simply in play (Appendix VI).
How a point is lost
Unless a fault or a let is called, the ball is in play from the moment the server hits it until the point is decided (Rule 11). Rule 24 lists twelve ways to lose the point. Eight of them:
- Serving two faults in a row.
- Letting the ball bounce twice before returning it.
- Hitting the ball so that it lands outside the correct court, or hits a fixture before bouncing.
- Volleying the serve as the receiver.
- Touching the net, the posts or the opponent's court with your body, racket or clothing while the ball is in play.
- Hitting the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
- Being hit by the ball (anywhere but the racket) while it is in play.
- Deliberately carrying the ball on the strings or hitting it twice on purpose.
One that surprises people: catching a ball that was obviously sailing long. The catcher loses the point, even when standing well outside the court (Rule 24, Case 8). A ball is not out until it lands.
Returns that look illegal but are not
Rule 25 lists good returns that beginners often call wrongly:
- The ball clips the top of the net, crosses and lands in. Play on.
- The ball goes around the outside of the net post, above or below net height, and lands in.
- Spin or wind carries the ball back over the net after it bounced in your court, and you reach over to play it. This is legal as long as you do not touch the net.
- Your racket follows through over the net after you hit the ball on your own side.
Replays, hindrance and the time between points
A let called during a rally replays the whole point, including first serve (Rule 23). That covers a ball rolling onto court from next door, for example. Hindrance is judged by intent (Rule 26). If your opponent deliberately distracts you, you win the point. If you are hindered by something accidental or outside your control, such as a ball striking a bird in flight, the point is replayed.
The ITF rules put a ceiling on pauses. A maximum of 25 seconds is allowed between points, 90 seconds when players change ends, and 120 seconds at a set break (Rule 29). No change of ends rest is taken after the first game of a set or during a tiebreak. Players change ends after the first, third and every following odd game of each set (Rule 10). Coaching, where an event allows it at all, is never permitted during a point (Rule 30). Tennis coaching teams explained covers what is allowed and when.
When there are officials
In officiated matches, Appendix VII of the ITF rules makes the chair umpire the final word on questions of fact, such as whether a ball was in. The referee is the final authority on questions of tennis law. On clay, the chair umpire can climb down to inspect a ball mark. Where electronic review is used, each player gets three unsuccessful challenges per set, plus one more in a tiebreak. At the top men's level, the 2026 ATP rulebook requires every ATP Tour tournament, on every surface, to use the ATP-approved live electronic line-calling system on all match courts.
Beginner mistakes, corrected
| What people assume | What the rules say (ITF, 2026) |
|---|---|
| A ball on the line is out. | It is in (Rule 12). |
| A serve that clips the net is a fault. | It is a let if it lands in the correct box (Rule 22). |
| You cannot hit the ball before it bounces. | You can volley anything except the serve (Rule 24e). |
| You may serve from anywhere behind the baseline. | Only between the centre-mark extension and the sideline (Rule 16). In singles that is the singles sideline (Rule 18, Case 1). |
| Touching the net is fine if you did not mean it. | Touching it while the ball is in play loses the point (Rule 24g). |
The same rules apply in wheelchair tennis with a few exceptions, the best known being that the ball may bounce twice, with the second bounce allowed inside or outside the court, before it must be returned.
From the rules to the decisions
Once the rules are second nature, tennis becomes a sequence of choices: where to aim the first serve, how much risk to put on the second, whether to step in on a return. Tennis playing styles shows how different players answer those questions, and the tennis section collects the site's other guides to the sport.
That is also the layer Tennis Career Simulator 2026, Reign Creative's tennis career game, works at. You do not swing a racket. On the points that matter you decide how to serve, return, defend or attack, and the simulation settles the result from your player's attributes, style and preparation. It is fictional, unaffiliated with any real player, tour or governing body, and nothing it produces describes a real match. The studio's other sports titles are listed under sports career and GM games.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many serves do you get in tennis?
What is a let in tennis?
What is a foot fault?
Is a ball that lands on the line in?
How big is a tennis court?
Sources
- ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (opens in a new tab)International Tennis Federation (ITF) — accessed
- The 2026 ATP Official Rulebook (opens in a new tab)ATP Tour — accessed
- Glossary of tennis terms (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
League, team and athlete names appear here only to identify the rules, records and history being discussed. Reign Creative LLC's sports games are not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by any league, team, players' association or athlete, and all names and marks belong to their owners.
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