When do you switch sides in tennis: the change of ends rule

You switch sides after the first game of each set, then after every odd game — 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 — and at the end of any set whose games total an odd number. In a tiebreak you change ends after every six points.

When do you switch sides in tennis: the odd-game rule

ITF Rule 10: players change ends at the end of the first, third and every subsequent odd game of each set, and again at the end of each set unless that set's total games were even. The first game is what throws people. Because you swap after game 1 and again after game 3, games 2 and 3 are played from the same ends — and so are 4 and 5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, 10 and 11. Only game 1 sits on its own.

Ends have nothing to do with the serve, which alternates every game regardless, and doubles follows the identical pattern. If the game count is the fuzzy part, the tennis scoring rules piece covers it.

Tennis changeover rules at a glance

The score you're calling isn't what triggers the change — the number of completed games is. It's one of the few tennis rules explained entirely by counting.

Games played	Example score	Change ends?	Rest allowed
1	1–0	Yes	No rest — change and play on
2	1–1	No	—
3	2–1	Yes	90 seconds
4	3–1	No	—
5	3–2	Yes	90 seconds
6	4–2	No	—
7	4–3	Yes	90 seconds
8	5–3	No	—
9	5–4	Yes	90 seconds
10	6–4, set over	No (even total)	120-second set break
11	6–5	Yes	90 seconds
12	6–6	No — tiebreak next	—
13	7–6, set over	Yes (odd total)	120-second set break

Holding the game count and 40–30 in your head at once is where recreational pairs desync. Tennis Scoreboard is a tennis scoreboard app for iPhone and Apple Watch that tracks match scores, and it prompts the change of ends on the Watch at exactly the right game, so a pair never spends a whole set on the wrong side.

Changing ends at the end of a set

Add both players' games together. An odd total — 6–3, 6–5, 7–6 — means you change right away, because the last game played was odd-numbered. An even total — 6–4, 7–5, 6–0 — means you stay put, play the first game of the next set from the ends you finished on, and change after that. Either way you get the set break; the rest and the change of ends are separate rules.

The tiebreak changes ends every six points

At 6–6 you've completed 12 games, an even number, so nothing is due before the tiebreak — you go straight in from the ends you're on. Once it's underway you change after every six points played: 3–3, 4–2, 5–1 or 6–0, then again at 12 points, then 18. The same interval covers the 10-point match tiebreak that replaces a deciding set in many formats. A sanctioning body can approve an alternative — change after the first point, then every four — but six is the standard. The tiebreak rules go deeper on serve order inside it.

Tennis time between points, changeovers, and set breaks

Rule 29 puts a clock on all of it. Twenty-five seconds between points, timed from the moment one point finishes to the moment the next first serve is struck — that's the shot clock you see on tour. Ninety seconds at a changeover, 120 seconds at a set break, timed the same way.

Two exceptions matter. After the first game of each set, and at every changeover inside a tiebreak, play is continuous: you change ends and keep going, no chair, no towel, no water. That's why players jog across at 1–0 and at 3–3 in a breaker instead of sitting down.

Tennis warm-up rules before the first point

The same rule caps the warm-up at five minutes unless the event organizers decide otherwise, and leagues often shorten it. Practice serves belong inside that window — once the first serve of the match is struck, the continuous-play clock is running.

If you've been playing from the wrong end

It happens, usually after a long deuce game or a chased ball. Correct it as soon as anyone notices and serve from the correct end for the score. Points already played stand, but a fault served before the mistake was spotted is wiped, so that point restarts with two serves. Then rejoin the pattern the game count dictates. If you're unsure how many games are left, how sets and games fit together covers it.

FAQ

Do you change ends after every game in tennis?

No. You change after game 1, then after every odd game — 3, 5, 7, and so on. Games 2 and 3 are played from the same ends, as are 4 and 5, 6 and 7.

Do you switch sides before a tiebreak?

No. A tiebreak starts at 6–6 — 12 completed games, an even number — so no changeover is due. You change ends after the first six points, then every six after that.

How long do you get on a changeover?

Ninety seconds at a changeover and 120 seconds at a set break. There's no rest after the first game of a set or during a tiebreak — you change ends and play on.

Do you change ends at the end of every set?

Only when the set's total games are odd. A 6–4 set is 10 games, so you stay where you are, play one game of the next set, then change. A 6–3 or 7–6 set is odd, so you change immediately.

How much time do you get between points?

Twenty-five seconds, from the moment the previous point finishes to the moment the next serve is struck. Unofficiated club matches aren't timed, but the same pace is the expectation.