Tennis scoring for beginners comes down to three layers: points make a game, games make a set, sets make a match. A game goes Love, 15, 30, 40, Game, and you need to win by two points, which is where "deuce" and "advantage" come in. A set is the first to six games, again by two, with a tiebreak at 6-6. A match is usually best of three sets. That's the whole system. This guide walks you through a full game and a full tiebreak point by point, the serving rules that trip up beginners, and the shorter formats you'll meet in Singapore, such as no-ad scoring and Fast4.
I'm Zhanna, co-founder of ContentGenZ, an ITF tennis coach and a tennis content creator. Scoring is the thing my beginners are most embarrassed to ask about, usually in week three, when they realise they've been nodding along. Here's what I tell them.
Tennis scoring for beginners: the three layers
| Layer | How you win it | Win by | If it's tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game | First to 4 points (called 15, 30, 40, Game) | 2 points | At 40-40 it's "deuce"; keep playing until someone is 2 points clear |
| Set | First to 6 games | 2 games | At 6-6 you usually play a tiebreak |
| Match | Best of 3 sets (first to win 2) | n/a | Some formats replace the third set with a 10-point match tiebreak |
These come straight from the International Tennis Federation's Rules of Tennis, which Singapore competitions such as Pesta Sukan follow (ITF Rules of Tennis). One rule that matters before you play a single point: the server's score is always called first. If you're serving and you've won one point and lost two, the score is 15-30, not 30-15.
How a tennis game is scored, point by point
The calls are Love (zero), 15, 30, 40 and Game. If both players reach 40, the score is "deuce". The next point gives one player "advantage". Win the point after that and it's game. Lose it and you're back to deuce. You need two points in a row after deuce to win.
Here's one full game, with you serving. This is the table I draw on the whiteboard in the first week.
| Point | Who wins it | Score you call (server first) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You | 15-Love |
| 2 | Opponent | 15-all |
| 3 | You | 30-15 |
| 4 | Opponent | 30-all |
| 5 | Opponent | 30-40 (your opponent has a "break point") |
| 6 | You | Deuce |
| 7 | You | Advantage you (or "ad-in") |
| 8 | Opponent | Deuce |
| 9 | You | Advantage you |
| 10 | You | Game, you |
Two words beginners hear a lot:
- "All" means the scores are level: 15-all, 30-all. You don't say "40-all"; that's deuce.
- "Ad-in" and "ad-out" are short for advantage to the server (in) or the receiver (out).
Why 15, 30, 40 and not 1, 2, 3? Nobody knows for sure. The clock-face theory (quarters of an hour, with 45 shortened to 40) is the one you'll hear most, but it's a theory. Don't let it stop you. You'll stop noticing the odd numbers after a few sessions.
How a set works, and when a tiebreak starts
A set is the first to six games, with a two-game margin. So 6-4 ends the set, but 6-5 doesn't: you play on to 7-5, or to 6-6. At 6-6 most sets go to a tiebreak game (ITF Rules, rule 6). Some events play "advantage sets" with no tiebreak, where the set continues until someone is two games clear, but you won't meet those in lessons or social play.
How a tiebreak works
A tiebreak is scored in plain numbers (zero, 1, 2, 3). The first to seven points wins, with a two-point margin, so 7-5 wins but 7-6 doesn't. The winner of the tiebreak wins the set 7-6.
The serving order confuses everyone the first time. The player whose turn it is serves one point. Then the opponent serves two. Then you alternate two each until it's over. You change ends after every six points.
| Points | Who serves | Change ends? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Player A (whose turn it was) | |
| 2–3 | Player B | |
| 4–5 | Player A | |
| 6–7 | Player B | Change ends after point 6 |
| 8–9 | Player A | |
| 10–11 | Player B | |
| 12–13 | Player A | Change ends after point 12 |
My trick for remembering it: "one, then two, two, two". After the tiebreak, Player A (who served first) receives in the first game of the next set.
The serving rules that trip beginners up
You'll spend more time worrying about serving than scoring. These rules all come from the ITF Rules of Tennis:
- Start every game from the right. You serve the first point of each game from behind the baseline on the right of the centre mark, then switch sides every point. The ball has to land in the service box diagonally opposite.
- You get two serves. Miss the first (a "fault") and you serve again from the same side. Miss both (a "double fault") and you lose the point.
- A let is a do-over. If the serve touches the net and still lands in the right box, it's a let: replay that serve. A let doesn't wipe out an earlier fault, so if it happens on your second serve, you still only have that one serve left.
- Foot faults. While you're serving, you can't walk or run into the serve, touch the baseline or the court with either foot, or step past the centre mark or sideline extensions. Beginners mostly do the second one: stepping on the line as they swing.
- Line balls are in. If any part of the ball touches the line, it's in.
- The server alternates each game. In singles you take turns serving whole games. You change ends after the first game, the third, and every odd game after that.
What changes in doubles
The scoring is identical. What changes is who serves and who receives:
- Serving order rotates through all four players. If you serve game 1, an opponent serves game 2, your partner serves game 3, and the other opponent serves game 4.
- Receivers alternate points. Each receiver stays on their own side for the whole set: one always takes the right-hand box, the other the left.
- After the return, anyone can hit. Only the serve and return are fixed. Once the ball is returned, either player on a team can take the next shot.
The short formats you'll meet in Singapore
Here's what the top-ranking scoring guides don't cover: most matches beginners play in Singapore aren't full best-of-three advantage matches. They use the shorter formats the ITF approves in Appendix VI of the rules. Pesta Sukan, the national sports festival run on ActiveSG Circle, is a good example. Its 2026 tennis rules (version 4, updated 3 June 2026) use:
- Singles: best of three tiebreak sets, with a 7-point tiebreak at 6-6.
- Doubles: a 10-point "super tiebreak" instead of a third set at one set all.
- Qualifying rounds and youth events: Fast4 scoring.
- No-ad scoring for all events.
- No chair umpire, unless one is provided. Players keep their own score.
That last point is why it's worth learning to call the score clearly (Pesta Sukan 2026 tennis rules, ActiveSG Circle).
| Format | What it changes | Where you'll meet it |
|---|---|---|
| No-ad | At deuce, play one deciding point. The receiver picks which side to receive on | Social doubles, many local competitions |
| Short set / Fast4 | First to 4 games, with a tiebreak at 3-3 or 4-4 depending on the event (Pesta Sukan uses 3-3) | Qualifying rounds, junior events, when court time is short |
| Match tiebreak (super tiebreak) | First to 10 points, win by 2, instead of a third set | Doubles, league nights |
| No-let | A serve that clips the net is just in play | Some events; check before you start |
If you're entering anything, read the event's rules beforehand. The rules ActiveSG Circle publishes contradict themselves in places: the 2026 Pesta Sukan document says no-ad applies to all events, while also setting out standard tiebreak sets for singles. Ask the organiser which applies to your match. Rules can change each year, so check the latest document before you play.
What to say on court: a score-calling script
With no umpire, the server calls the score out loud before each point, server's score first. Say it loudly enough for the other side to hear. Here's what that sounds like through a short no-ad game:
- During the game: "15-love." "15-all." "30-15." "40-15." "40-30." "Deuce. Deciding point, your choice of side."
- After the game, call the games score: "Game. 2-1." The new server calls their own games first in the next game.
- In a tiebreak: "1-0." "1-1." "2-1." Whoever is serving calls their own points first.
If you lose track, stop and agree on the score before playing on. In social tennis in Singapore, that's normal and polite. A wrong score you both agree on is better than a right one you argue about.
Learning the rules faster: three things that help
- Play scored games from week two. Even in a lesson, ask your coach to finish with a few no-ad games. Scoring sticks when you use it, not when you read about it. Our guide on how to learn tennis as a beginner in Singapore has an eight-week plan that adds scoring in the second month.
- Book a court with a friend and only play tiebreaks. Tiebreaks are short, and you'll learn the serving order in one session. Here's how ActiveSG tennis court booking works.
- Film one game and call the score over it. Pause after each point and say the score out loud. It's how I check my own students' score-calling, and you'll catch your foot faults at the same time. Our guide on filming your tennis practice on a phone shows where to put the camera.
Ready to learn with a coach?
If you're a young woman aged 15 to 25 who has never held a racket, ContentGenZ is running a beginner programme with six Saturday sessions with me as your ITF coach. You film your progress as you learn, and scoring is part of it. See the programme and apply.
Sources
- ITF Rules of Tennis (2026 edition PDF), rules 5–24 and Appendix VI, International Tennis Federation (read 13 November 2026)
- Pesta Sukan 2026 tennis rules and regulations, version 4, ActiveSG Circle, updated 3 June 2026 (read 13 November 2026)
- Basic rules of tennis, ActiveSG Circle (read 13 November 2026)
- Tennis scoring rules, USTA (read 13 November 2026)
