How to Play Doubles

What You’ll Need

Doubles doesn’t require any special equipment beyond the basics, but here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re ready to play:

• Racquet 

• Tennis balls 

• Court shoes 

• Water & towel 

Don't forget to layer up as we enter the cold months! If you're looking for any new gear or need to restring your racquet, make sure to head to our league sponsor Everyone's Racquet (130 S 12th Street) with your league membership card for a discount on select items.

How Scoring Works

Doubles follows the same scoring system as singles, with a few twists when it comes to serving and positioning.

• Games and sets are scored as: 15, 30, 40, game.

• You must win by two points in a game (e.g., 40–30).

• A set is usually played to 6 or 8 games (our league uses 8-game pro sets).

• If both teams reach the same number of games at the end (for example, 8–8), a tiebreaker is played — first to 12 points, win by 2.

Each player serves every fourth game, rotating clockwise through the team order.

Court Positioning

Positioning is everything in doubles — it helps you cover the court efficiently and set up strong plays.

• One up, one back: The most common formation — one player at the baseline returning shots, one at the net ready to finish points.

• Both at net: Great for aggressive play when you’re confident in your volleys.

• Both back: Useful when defending against strong servers or overheads.

Always communicate before points about who will take lobs, cross-court shots, or balls down the middle.

Switching Sides

You and your partner switch sides of the court after every odd game (1, 3, 5, etc.). This keeps things fair with sun, wind, and lighting conditions.

During play, stay in your assigned service boxes:

• The player on the right (the deuce court) starts serving first.

• After each point, players alternate sides within their team (deuce/ad court).

When switching ends, just cross over and keep the same serving order.