Tennis rules for beginners

In tennis you serve diagonally into the opponent's service box, with two attempts. After the serve, each player must return the ball over the net into the court before it bounces twice. A ball that lands on the line is in. You lose the point if the ball bounces twice on your side, you hit it out or into the net, or you touch the net.

Serving

• Stand behind the baseline, between the centre mark and the sideline.
• Serve diagonally into the opponent's service box. Start each game from the right side, then alternate.
• You get two serves. Miss both and it is a double fault: you lose the point.
• Foot fault: touching the baseline or the court inside it during the service motion.
• Let: if the serve clips the net and still lands in the correct box, replay that serve.
• The receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it.

During the rally

• Return the ball over the net into your opponent's court before it bounces twice.
• You can volley (hit before the bounce) except on the return of serve.
• A ball touching any part of a line is in.

You lose the point if you

• serve two faults in a row
• let the ball bounce twice before returning it
• hit the ball into the net or outside the court
• touch the net, net posts or cord with your racquet, body or clothing while the ball is in play
• hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side
• return the serve before it bounces

Etiquette

Call the lines on your side fairly, call the score before you serve, wait until a point ends before walking behind a court, and return balls to the server between points.