A serve is made when there has been no fault on the point; a second serve occurs when there has already been one fault on the point. On a second serve, the server is in danger of losing the point if there is another fault. The rules make no distinction between the first and second serve.

Scores v Service Side As the first service is always from the right side of the court, to the opponents right side, knowing where you are serving from can help you remember the score, and vice versa. The Ad Court is the left side for the player, and the Deuce Court is the right side (see more tennis terms).

When serving the first serve, stand behind the baseline between the center mark and the right sideline. The ball is hit diagonally into the service box on the other side of the net, on the opposite side of the center mark from which the server is serving.