2018 ITF Rules of Tennis - 14 Different Options for a Set of Tennis

The 2018 ITF Rules of Tennis includes a total of 14 different options - 2 using "Traditional Scoring" and 12 using "Alternative Scoring" to produce shorter sets - for playing a set of tennis. The options are detailed below.

Thirty30 Comment

In the recently published 2018 ITF Rules of Tennis there are now a total of 14 different options for playing a single set of tennis.

Sets can be won, for example, by 4 games to 3 (SS3) or 5-3 or 5-4 (both SS4) or 7-6 (TBS) or 6-4 or 7-5 or 8-6 or 9-7.... (all AS).

There are 3 types of Tie-Breaks used to either end a set or end a match, i.e. a Short Set Tie-Break (SSTB) to 5 points with a deciding point at 4-all, a Tie-Break Game (TBG) / Match Tie-Break to 7 points (lead by 2 points) (MTB7) and a Match Tie-Break to 10 points (lead by 2 points) (MTB10).

And in relation to the added complication of the "order and number of serves" statement in the rule for the Short Set Tie-Break, I am lost - If anyone can work this out please let me know.

The "FAST4 format" (no longer referenced in the 2018 Rules of Tennis), used for shortening a set, is only one out of the twelve options detailed above.

This is all very complicated, not only for the players but also the viewing public.

No other sport has so many different scoring options. It is too confusing. The ITF have not thought this through fully and it requires to be simplified.

The Thirty30 scoring method produces set scores that are are identical to the traditional scoring set scores.

Using the traditional scoring method along with Thirty30 scoring method (for producing shorter matches) would be a lot simpler and easier to follow!

Thirty30 tennis - "All games start at 30-30" - Simple!

A seamless and effortless transition.

Thirty30 tennis produces shorter matches that FEEL, LOOK and SOUND like traditional tennis.