Serving and receiving rules in tennis

Players will stand at opposite sides of the net. The player who delivers the ball is the server and the other is the receiver.

The choice of ends and the right to serve or receive is determined by a toss of the coin. The winner of the toss chooses to serve or receive but can also require the other player to choose to serve or receive. The winner of the toss can decide the end or require the other player to choose. Should the winner of the toss decide on the serve, the other player decides the end. Should the winner of the toss decide the end, the other player decides to serve or receive.
The serve

You can . The rules are that the server has to project the ball to the correct court with a racquet with one bounce. The server must stand behind the correct court’s baseline.
Foot fault

The server cannot change position by walking or running while serving.

The server cannot touch with either foot any area but behind the baseline of the court the serve is delivered from.
Delivery of serve


The server serves alternatively from the right and left courts. If an error of procedure occurs without detection the points stand, but must immediately revert to the correct procedure once an error has been discovered.


The ball, once served, must pass over the net and land on the court diagonally opposite or on the line of the correct court, before the receiver can hit it.
Service fault

The serve is a fault if it doesn’t meet the rules of what has proceeded, or if the ball is missed while attempting to hit it or if the ball touches a permanent fixture before it hits the ground.

The server can catch the ball before hitting it.
Second serve

The server gets 2 serves if necessary.
When to serve

The server cannot serve until the other player is ready. If the receiver attempts to hit the ball then that player is deemed ready to play.
The let

Should the server serve such that the ball hits the net but falls correctly into play a let shall be called. One service can be played in place of this.

Should the umpire call a let for another reason the point will be replayed.
Order of play

At the end of the first game the receiver becomes the server and so on alternatively.

The players change ends at games 1, 3 and every subsequent alternate game of each set and at the end of the set unless the total number of games in the set is even. If that is the case, the players change ends at the end of the first game of the second set.