Tennis · Rules explained
No-ad scoring in tennis: how the deciding point works
In no-ad scoring there is no advantage: when a game reaches 40-40 (deuce), the next point wins it. The receiver chooses whether to receive that deciding point in the right or the left court.
How does no-ad scoring work?
Everything up to deuce is normal tennis scoring: points go love, 15, 30, 40, and 4 points with a 2-point lead wins the game. The only change comes at 40-40. Instead of needing two points in a row, the players play one deciding point, and whoever wins it wins the game. So a game can never last more than 7 points.
No-ad changes games only. Sets, tiebreaks and match tiebreaks work as normal: a set still goes to the first player to 6 games with a 2-game lead, or to a tiebreak at 6-6, and tiebreaks are still won by 2 points.
How long can a no-ad game last?
Never more than 7 points. The table shows how a game can finish under each system, with the winner's points first:
| Game finishes | Advantage scoring | No-ad scoring |
|---|---|---|
| 4-0, 4-1 or 4-2 | Yes | Yes |
| 4-3 | No: 4-3 is advantage, not game | Yes, on the deciding point |
| 5-3, 6-4, 7-5 and so on | Yes, after one or more deuces | No |
| Longest possible game | No limit | 7 points |
At 40-40 the score is still called deuce. What changes is what deuce means: one point for the game instead of the start of an advantage battle.
Who chooses the side on the deciding point?
The receiving side chooses, never the server. Under the ITF Rules of Tennis:
| Format | Who receives the deciding point |
|---|---|
| Singles | The receiver chooses whether to receive in the right or the left court. |
| Doubles | The receiving pair chooses the court. Partners cannot switch positions, so picking the court also picks which of them returns. |
| Mixed doubles | The player of the same gender as the server receives. |
Advantage vs no-ad: the same game both ways
Here are the same first seven points under each system, with the Us side serving and the Them side receiving. With advantage scoring, the receiver wins the point after 40-40 but only earns advantage, and the server comes back to win the game:
| Point | Won by | Game score | Games (sets) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Us | 15–0 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 2 | Them | 15–15 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 3 | Us | 30–15 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 4 | Them | 30–30 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 5 | Us | 40–30 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 6 | Them | 40–40 | 0–0 | Us | 40-40: deuce. |
| 7 | Them | 40–Ad | 0–0 | Us | Advantage Them. With advantage scoring they still need one more point. |
| 8 | Us | 40–40 | 0–0 | Us | Back to deuce. |
| 9 | Us | Ad–40 | 0–0 | Us | Advantage Us. |
| 10 | Us | Game to Us | 1–0 | Them | Two points in a row from deuce: game to Us. |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
With no-ad scoring, point 7 is the deciding point, so the receiver wins the game there and then:
| Point | Won by | Game score | Games (sets) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Us | 15–0 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 2 | Them | 15–15 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 3 | Us | 30–15 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 4 | Them | 30–30 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 5 | Us | 40–30 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 6 | Them | 40–40 | 0–0 | Us | 40-40: the next point decides the game. The receiver (Them) chooses which court to receive in. |
| 7 | Them | Game to Them | 0–1 | Them | Them win the deciding point, so the game is theirs after 7 points. Them serve next. |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
Where is no-ad scoring used?
- ITF Rules of Tennis: no-ad is one of the approved alternative scoring methods an event can choose.
- ATP Tour doubles: outside the Grand Slams, doubles are played as 2 tiebreak sets with no-ad games and a 10-point match tiebreak at one set all.
- FAST4: Tennis Australia's short format settles deuce with one point, and the receivers choose the side. See FAST4 rules.
Is no-ad the same as golden point?
In effect, yes. Padel calls the same rule the golden point: at 40-40 one point decides the game. The ITF calls it the deciding point. The receiving rules match too: in padel the receiving pair chooses the right or the left, the partners cannot swap positions, and in mixed doubles the point goes to the player of the same sex as the server. Padel also has a Star Point variant, where the single deciding point only comes at the third deuce.
How the app handles it
Set Deuce to No-Ad. At 40-40 the scoreboard shows a Golden Point chip, and the next point wins the game. The default is Advantage, where the game carries on through Ad and back to Deuce until someone wins 2 points in a row.
The app does not show which court to serve or receive from, so the receiver's choice on the deciding point is up to the players.
Questions
Who serves the deciding point in no-ad?
The same player who has served the whole game. No-ad does not change the server; it only lets the receiving side choose whether to receive in the right or the left court.
Does the server get a second serve on the deciding point?
Yes. The deciding point is played like any other point: after a fault the server gets a second serve, and a double fault loses the point, which under no-ad also loses the game.
Why do tournaments use no-ad scoring?
It caps every game at 7 points, so matches are shorter and easier to schedule. There is no run of deuce and advantage that can go on indefinitely.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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