tennis scoring
Tennis Scoring Rules Explained
Tennis scoring runs 0 (called "love") → 15 → 30 → 40 → game. At 40-40 the game enters "deuce" and a player must win two consecutive points to take the game. First to 6 games wins the set, win by 2; at 6-6 most matches play a tiebreak. Best of 3 sets wins the match (best of 5 in pro men's grand slams).
Looking for the Volley app for this sport? See the tennis page.
How tennis scoring works
The unusual point names (15, 30, 40) come from tennis's medieval origins — the original scoring used a clock face going around in quarters (15, 30, 45, 60), and 45 got shortened to 40 over time. None of this matters for actual scoring; just remember 0, 15, 30, 40, game.
Standard "advantage" scoring at 40-40 (deuce) requires two consecutive points to win the game. The first point after deuce gives the winner "advantage" (called "ad-in" if the server has it, "ad-out" if the receiver does). Win the next point and you take the game; lose it and you go back to deuce. There is no limit on how long deuce can drag on.
A set is won by the first player to reach 6 games with a 2-game margin. So 6-4 is a set, but 6-5 isn't — you need to play another game and win 7-5. If both players reach 6 games each (6-6), most modern tennis plays a tiebreak game to decide the set.
Edge cases and details
No-ad scoring (used in college tennis and some social leagues) replaces deuce with a single sudden-death point at 40-40. The receiver picks which side to receive the serve from. This speeds up games considerably.
A match tiebreak (also called a "super tiebreak") is sometimes used in place of a third set. Instead of playing a full deciding set, players play a single 10-point tiebreak game with win-by-2.
Fast4 is a shortened format used in some events and social play: sets to 4 games, no-ad scoring, no advantage at deuce, tiebreak at 3-3. A full match takes about half the time of standard tennis.
Volley scores it for you
Volley scores tennis with all of these formats — standard advantage, no-ad, tiebreaks, match tiebreaks, and Fast4. Pick the format at match setup and Volley applies the right rules from there. You just tap the side that won the point.
If you don't want a scoring app and just want to learn the rules, this page is enough — bookmark it.
Frequently asked questions
How does tennis scoring work?
Tennis scoring runs 0 (called "love") → 15 → 30 → 40 → game. At 40-40 the game enters "deuce" and a player must win two consecutive points to take the game. First to 6 games wins the set, win by 2; at 6-6 most matches play a tiebreak. Best of 3 sets wins the match (best of 5 in pro men's grand slams).
How does Volley score Tennis differently from other apps?
Most multi-sport apps treat every sport as a generic counter. Volley uses real sport-specific scoring engines — every rule that Tennis actually has is applied automatically. You don't set up a custom counter; you pick Tennis and play.
Is there a free app that scores Tennis?
Yes — Volley is a free Tennis scoring app on iOS and Android. It applies the right rules automatically (you just tap the side that won the point), tracks ELO across every match you play, and supports tournaments in three formats.
Can I track my Tennis ELO rating?
Yes. Volley tracks your Tennis ELO across every match you score in the app. Each sport has its own rating, so beating someone in Tennis doesn't change your rating in any other sport you play.