Tennis · Formats
FAST4 tennis rules
FAST4 is Tennis Australia's short format: the first player to 4 games wins a set, a tiebreak is played at 3-3, deuce is settled by one deciding point (no-ad), and a serve that clips the net and lands in is played rather than replayed. The tiebreak is first to 5 points, with a deciding point at 4-4.
What are the FAST4 rules?
| Rule | FAST4 | Standard tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Set | First to 4 games | First to 6 games, 2 clear |
| Tied set | Tiebreak at 3-3; its winner takes the set 4-3 | Tiebreak at 6-6, set ends 7-6 |
| Tiebreak | First to 5 points; at 4-4 the next point wins | First to 7 points, 2 clear |
| Deuce | No-ad: the next point wins, and the receivers choose the side | Advantage: win 2 points in a row |
| Let on serve | Played: a serve that clips the net and lands in is live | Replayed |
Because the tiebreak comes at 3-3, a FAST4 set never needs a 2-game lead: the first player to 4 games wins it. The no-let rule is a playing rule rather than a scoring one: the rally simply carries on, and points are counted as normal.
How does a FAST4 tiebreak work?
At 3-3 the set goes to a tiebreak, counted 1, 2, 3 like a normal one. The first player to 5 points wins, and there is no 2-point margin: at 4-4 one point decides it, the same idea as a no-ad deciding point. The winner takes the set 4-3. Here is one, checked by hand against the FAST4 rules:
| Point | Won by | Tiebreak score | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Us | 1-0 | Set is 3-3, so a tiebreak starts |
| 2 | Them | 1-1 | |
| 3 | Them | 1-2 | |
| 4 | Us | 2-2 | |
| 5 | Us | 3-2 | |
| 6 | Them | 3-3 | |
| 7 | Us | 4-3 | Set point for Us |
| 8 | Them | 4-4 | Next point wins, no 2-point margin |
| 9 | Us | 5-4 | Tiebreak and set to Us, 4-3 |
How is FAST4 different from a short set or a pro set?
The ITF Rules of Tennis have their own short set: first to 4 games with a 2-game lead, and a normal 7-point tiebreak at 4-4. So a short set can finish 5-3 or 5-4, which a FAST4 set cannot. The USTA's 8-game pro set goes the other way: first to 8 games, with a 7-point tiebreak at 8-8.
How the app handles it
You can set two parts of FAST4 scoring: Deuce to No-Ad and Games / set to 4 (Fast4), then choose best of 1, 3 or 5 sets to suit your event. At 40-40 the scoreboard shows a Golden Point chip, and the next point wins the game.
The app's 4-game set follows the ITF short set, not official FAST4: it needs a 2-game lead and plays a 7-point tiebreak at 4-4. A set that would end 4-3 in FAST4 carries on in the app to 5-3, or to 4-4 and a tiebreak. The official FAST4 tiebreak at 3-3 (first to 5, deciding point at 4-4) is not supported. The no-let rule needs no setting, because it decides whether a serve is replayed, not who wins the point: you just tap the winner of each rally.
Questions
What does no-ad mean in FAST4?
There is no advantage at deuce. At 40-40 one deciding point wins the game, and the receivers choose which side to receive it on. No-ad scoring explains the deciding point in full.
Is there a let in FAST4 tennis?
Not on serve. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box is live, so the receiver has to play it.
How many games are in a FAST4 set?
At most 7, counting the tiebreak as a game. The first player to 4 games wins, and at 3-3 a tiebreak decides it, so every set ends 4-0, 4-1, 4-2 or 4-3.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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