Scoring formats
Barclays Local Tennis Leagues allows various scoring formats for your League matches. Barclays Local Tennis Leagues matches are self-umpired so knowing how the scoring works is important. Most of the matches played are best of three tie break sets.
For information on how points are allocated, please view our Rules and Regulations page here.
If Player A wins set 1 and set 2, the match is over. But if Player A wins set 1 and loses set 2, the match would be decided by who wins the 3rd set.
For example:
Rafael Nadal bt Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3
or
Serena Williams bt Simona Halep 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
All sets are 'tie break' sets which simply means if a set reaches 6-6 in games, a tie break is played (see below for more info).
For example:
Andy Murray bt Tim Henman 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
We also accept a match where players have played a 10 point 'match tie break' in lieu of a 3rd set.
For example:
Ash Barty bt Venus Williams 6-4, 3-6, (10-8)
In League matches, when any set reaches 6 games all, a tie break is played.
The player whose turn it would have been to serve in the next game, starts the tie break, serving just ONCE to the deuce court (bottom right to top left, from below). The opponent then serves the next TWO points, starting with a serve to the advantage court (top right to bottom left, from above).
Points are numbered 1, 2, 3 etc. rather than 15, 30, 40, Deuce.
From the 2nd point, each player serves for the next 2 points. The tiebreak is over when one player reaches 7 points, provided they are 2 points clear ahead of their opponent. If the score gets to 6-6 in a tie break, a player must have a two point advantage to win the tie break.
A tie break score could be 7-5, or 8-6, or 9-7.
After every 6 points played, players change ends, i.e. at 3-3. The players also change ends at the end of the tie break to begin the next set.
The player who served first in the tie break, RECEIVES at the beginning of the next set (assuming there is one).
As an alternative to the best of three tie break sets, Barclays Local Tennis Leagues offers the FAST4 format.
- First to 4 games wins the set
It doesn’t matter how you get there, just make sure you do before your opponent does.
2. A tie break is played at 3 games all
At 3 games all a tie break is played to 7 points, two points clear at 6-6 (see above for tie break scoring)
3. Match tie break at 1 set all
If the score reaches 1 set all, a match tie break is played to 10 points, two points clear at 9-9. The player who received serve at the end of the previous set serves first in the tie break.
4. No ad scoring
If the score reaches deuce, it’s a sudden death point. The receiver chooses which side to take the serve on.
Flex scoring allows players to enter any score for their matches. For example, you may have 1 hour to play, so could play as many games as you can within that time frame, ending in a score of 15-9 or 14-14. The winner is determined by total number of games won.