How to Play Doubles Tennis? Know Basic Rules and Tips

Doubles Tennis is fun, but before you begin playing, first you need to mug up how to play doubles Tennis and what rules and regulations it entails. You’ll be glad to know that today we’ll be focusing on this very topic.

Thanks to the double Tennis experts who helped us to put forth all the necessary details here in the simplest way possible.

We can tell you, following our instructions will make this game a cinch for you, so what are you waiting for? Scroll down to find everything that you need to know to become a doubles pro in no time! 

Things That You Need to Know Before Dipping Your Toe into the Game

To start mastering anything, learning the contextual factors and the related jargon is the first thing you should do. And for this reason, we’ve equipped such necessary tidings in this section.  So, let’s get started –

Mandatory Double Tennis Equipment

• Tennis Ball – Like most of the other outdoor games, Tennis also revolves around a ball. According to ITF rules, the ball’s dimension should be between 2-1/2 and 2-5/8 inches, and the weight should be between 2 and 2-1/16 ounces. 
• Racket – Perhaps you already know, the racket is the element with which you hit the ball during the game. It is actually made up of two parts: a handle and an oval head that has woven crisscross patterns on the inside.
• Net – A net is another mandatory equipment of Tennis game, it is used to divide the Tennis court into two sides. The net should be woven so subtly that no Tennis ball can pass through.

The Layout of the Court 

• Dimension – For tournaments, the registered doubles tennis court’s dimension is 36 ft. wide by 78 ft. long. But, of course, when you’re playing in your yard or somewhere else just for mere fun, keeping around 10/12 ft. for each person will do. 
• Net Placement – The net must be positioned in the exact center of the court, regardless of its length, so that players on both sides have the same amount of moving space. For double tennis tournaments, the ITF registered net installing point measures sharp 39 ft. from either edge.

Basic Jargon 

• Serve – Serve has to perform to start the game. In serving, a player has to toss the ball into the air and strike it with the racket to pass it over to the opposite service box. 
• Return of Serve – When any player of the opponent team hits back the flying ball of serve with the racket, that is called return of serve. 
• Ace − If both the player of the opponent team fail to strike and return the ball to the server’s area, that is recognized as an ace. 
• Deuce − When both teams manage to win 4 points for each and the score stands at 40-40, this state is called deuce.
• Love – In tennis, the term “love” refers to the score ‘zero’. For instance, the game score is 15-0, then it’ll be referred to as ’15 love’.
• Game Point – The very last point of a tennis match is recognized as the game point.

General Doubles Tennis Rules

In this section, we’ll shed light on the basic rules of how to play doubles Tennis. Although, if you’re familiar with the fundamental rules of Tennis, the rules of doubles won’t be novel to you.

Just in case, if you happen to be completely new to doubles Tennis, we expect you to pay sheer attention to the guideline for better understanding –

• At the beginning of the game, a toss of a coin is made to decide which team will serve and which team will play from which side.
• The first serve is the opening move of the game, and every first serve must be made from the right side of the court.
• Every serves required to bounce diagonally from your side to your opponent’s side.
• The server team gets two chances to volley the ball into the required zone. If they fail in both, then the opponent team wins that particular point.
• Again, when one team fails to return the coming ball in one shot over the net, the opponent team wins a point.
• Players are not allowed to carry or catch the ball with the racket.
• If any player strikes the ball outside of the court boundary, the team loses the point.
• If the team fails to return the opponent’s shot before the second rebound of the ball, the team loses the point.
• When the score hits deuce, then one team needs to win two consecutive points to finally win the game. 
• Compatibility between the teammates is the main mantra of winning this game. 

Double Tennis Scoring

Tennis has a unique point system compared to most sports. Before we get into the details, here’s a quick rundown on how to score a game:

• 0 points= Love
• 1 point = 15
• 2 points= 30
• 3 points= 40
• 40-40 = Deuce
• The server team wins deuce point = Ad-In
• The receiver team wins deuce point = Ad-Out

To win a game, one team must score at least four points. So, if the scoring goes like 40-15, 40-30, or 40-love, your team needs to score one more point to ensure that the squad wins in the end.

When the score turns out to be deuced, then any of the team needs to win two consecutive points to finally win the game. This type of scoring is called “advantage scoring”.  

Final Thoughts

We keenly prepared this article for the reads who are lately planning to learn how to play doubles Tennis. Doubles in Tennis is raved more fun than singles, however, to get the most out of it, you must know the rules and regulations properly.

To help you in this, we have equipped this article with all-in-all insights regarding doubles tennis. So, as you’ve done reading all that you need to know, find a compatible partner and start practicing to ace the game of doubles in no time! 

Read More: How to Play Tennis: The Ultimate Guide for New Players