The rules in tennis are pretty simple which is one of the chief reasons why it is such a famous sport. The tennis court is rectangular in shape - 78 feet long and 27 feet wide. The court is divided into two equal halves courtesy a net suspended from a cord or metal cable whose diameter shouldn`t exceed 0.8 cm. The ends of the cord are attached to the top of two posts, the diameter of which should not exceed 15 cm. Also, the posts should not be more than 2.5 cm above the top of the net cord. Centers of the post are 3 feet outside the court on both sides while the height of the posts is such that the top of the cord or metal cable is 3 feet 6 inches above the ground. A tennis court has sidelines plus a baseline at the end. A line that is 21ft from the net and parallel to the net decides the service area. As per the rule, if any ball hits the line, it counts as in.

There are two main forms of the tennis: Singles and Doubles. The opposition players stand at the two ends of the net and use a racket to hit the tennis ball. The players have to try and hit the ball back into the opposition`s court before it bounces for a second time. The ball has to be hit above the net but should land inside the opponent`s court. In case none of the above happens, the other player wins a point. The players have to try and win maximum number of points, games and sets so that he or she ends up victorious. In order to win a set, the players need to win six games and lead by two clear games. E.g.: You win a set if you are leading 6-4 or 7-5. In case the score line is 6-6, then a tiebreak is held to decide the result of the set. In women`s tennis, there are best of three sets while in most men`s tournaments, matches are best of five affairs. (In some select tournaments, even men`s games are best of played over three sets.

Singles Tennis: One of the players serves first and the other returns. Opponents swap serve interchange ends after every game. A toss of a coin takes place to decide who serves first and who returns. The player who wins the toss has the following options:
To serve first and let the opponent choose the ends
To receive first and let the opponent choose ends
The winner can decide which half of the court he/she wants to start the match from. In such a scenario, the opponent has a choice to serve or receive
The winner of the toss can also ask the opponent to decide whether he/she wants to serve or receive.

Doubles Tennis: The court for doubles tennis is wider as compared to singles, where any of the two players can hit the ball. The serve is on a rotational basis, which means a player serves every fourth game. The chronology of serving and receiving can be changed after a set comes to an end. The partners of server and receiver have the option to stand at any place on the court during the course of a serve. At the time of the game, it is better though for the four players to stand at each side of the court.

Tennis Officials: Tennis officials have the responsibility of keep a tab on the score line and adjudicating whether a ball is in or out. A senior umpire sitting on a chair adjacent to the net announces the points won. He has the authority to overrule decisions made the other officials. The line judges make a decision whether a ball is in or out. He sits outside the court and keeps a close watch at the court lines. Since the last two decades, an electronic machine has aided the line judge. This is chiefly because players have begun serving at a speed of 100mph. A net-cord judge establishes whether a serve has clipped the net and must be called a let. In case a player picks up a squabble with the officials, he can either be penalized or disqualified depending on the nature of the wrangle. For major disagreements, the match referee can be brought into play. Referee otherwise watches the game from the stands.