How to Keep Score in Tennis

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.

Keeping score during a match

The traditional way to keep score in tennis is to call it out after every point. The server announces their score first, then the receiver's score. This works for casual play but breaks down quickly when matches get long or someone gets distracted.

The better option for any match longer than a few games is to use a scoring app. 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.