Tennis can be a confusing sport for beginners. After all, “love” means zero, a concept that’s unique to other sports. In fact, the entire scoring system is different from many other sports with different rules for games, sets, and matches. If you’re just getting started, it can be overwhelming in a hurry. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. This quick guide will give you the basics you need to score your upcoming game now!

The Way It’s Played

As you step onto the court, there are a few things you may want to know. First, the goal in tennis is to win enough points to win a game. Beyond that, the goal is to win enough games to win a set. After that, the goal becomes to win enough sets to win a match. 

Second, each player (or team if you’re playing doubles) gets a single bounce after the ball has been hit over the net. At that point, you need to return the ball over the net, but you have to stay within the court’s boundaries. If you fail to do so, your opponent wins the point.

The next thing you may want to understand is that each the point system is very different. Zero points equals love. One point is fifteen. Two points is thirty. Three points is forty. A tied score is called all. A score of forty to forty, though, is called deuce. If the server wins a deuce point, it’s called “Ad-In.” If the receiver wins it, though, it’s called “Ad-Out.”

To actually win the game, you have to win four points. You don’t win, though, until you win that fifth point. For example, if you’re up 40-15, you need to win the next point to win. If the game is tied, though, you must win two points in a row to win the game. 

After the game is complete, you switch sides. You’ll do the same every two games afterward.