Tennis rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 27 rules
- How does scoring work in a game of tennis?
- How many games win a set in tennis?
- How does a tie-break work in tennis?
- How many sets are in a tennis match?
- What are no-ad scoring and the match tie-break?
- What are the rules for serving in tennis?
- What is a fault in tennis?
- What happens when a serve hits the net?
- Who serves when in tennis, and when do players change ends?
- How do you lose a point in tennis?
- Is the ball in if it touches the line?
- Can the ball touch the net or go round the net post and still be good?
- Can you touch the net in tennis?
- Is a double hit allowed in tennis?
- What happens if a player is distracted during a point?
- When is a point replayed in tennis?
- What happens if the wrong player served, or from the wrong side?
- How long do tennis players get between points?
- Can a tennis player stop for an injury or a toilet break?
- Is coaching allowed during a tennis match?
- Who makes the decisions in a tennis match?
- How do challenges work in tennis?
- How big is a tennis court?
- How high is a tennis net?
- What are the rules for a tennis ball?
- What are the rules for a tennis racket?
- How is wheelchair tennis different?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| L plus number | ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rules 1 to 31, with the "Cases" printed under each rule |
| App plus number | The appendices of the same book: I ball, II racket, III player analysis technology, IV coaching, VI alternative procedures and scoring methods, VII court officials, ball mark inspection and electronic review, VIII 10 and under |
| Wheelchair rules | "Rules of Wheelchair Tennis" in the same book |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 13 October 2026. Not covered: the Grand Slam, ATP and WTA rulebooks and codes of conduct (which set match formats, final-set methods, shot clocks, medical and toilet-break detail and penalties such as warnings, point penalties and defaults); live electronic line calling; the ITF wheelchair tennis regulations and classification; beach tennis.
Not covered: the Grand Slam, ATP and WTA rulebooks and codes of conduct (which set match formats, final-set methods, shot clocks, medical and toilet-break detail and penalties such as warnings, point penalties and defaults); live electronic line calling; the ITF wheelchair tennis regulations and classification; beach tennis.