How is a soft tennis game scored?
B · Beginner · Following a match · 2 of 7A pair wins a game by winning four points. At three points each the score is deuce, and a pair must then win two points in a row. When the games are level one short of the end, such as three-all in a seven-game match, a final game to seven points decides it, with deuce at six-all.
How it works
- A game: the first pair to four points wins.
- Deuce: at three points each.
- Advantage: the next point after deuce; winning the following point wins the game.
- Back to deuce: if the other pair wins the point after an advantage.
- The final game: played when the games are level at one game short of a majority.
- When it starts: 1-1 in three games, 2-2 in five, 3-3 in seven, 4-4 in nine.
- Final game target: seven points, with deuce at six-all and two clear points needed.
- Serving in the final game: each player serves two points in turn, and ends change often.
The glossary has the point and game, the final game, the number of games, the winning a match, the change of service and sides and the servers and receivers.
Tricky cases
What is a score of 3-3 called?
Deuce. A pair then needs two points in a row.
In a seven-game match, the score reaches 3-3 in games. What next?
The seventh game is the final game, played to seven points.
The final game reaches 6-6. What happens?
Deuce. Play goes on until one pair leads by two points.
Is there a final game in a five-game match?
Yes, at two games each.
Why the rule exists
Short four-point games keep matches moving. The longer final game gives every player two-point turns at serving, so the decider does not hang on one pair's serve.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Normal game | Four points, deuce at 3-3 | ISTF C 18.1 |
| Final game | Seven points, deuce at 6-6 | ISTF C 18.2 |
| 15-point match | Fifteen points, deuce at 14-14 | ISTF C 18.3 |
From the rule book
International Soft Tennis Federation, Technical Rules (web text, site snapshot of 30 January 2024): Rules for Competitions, articles 18 and 32.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the ISTF Technical Rules, published on the federation's website.