Why are points scored so weird in Tennis?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Why are points scored so weird in Tennis?"

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Host: Adam Tex Davis (Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media)
Date: April 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Who Smarted? tackles the curious scoring system of tennis, mixing humor, trivia, and interactive questions to keep kids—and adults—engaged. The host, with help from over-the-top tennis voices (Jimmy McIntosh and the Electronic Line Judge), explores tennis’s quirky history, its odd scoring, and how the game evolved into the fun, sometimes head-scratching sport it is today.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: The Silliest Match in "Pimpledon"

• The show begins courtside at the "Pimpledon championships," drawing listeners into a dramatic (and hilarious) tennis show-down with a disputed call.
  • [01:45] Jimmy McIntosh: “You cannot be serious. That serve was out by a mile.”
  • [02:10] Jimmy McIntosh: “It's a figure of speech, circuit brain!”

History & Evolution of Tennis

• Tennis traces its roots back over 800 years to France’s Jeu de paume or "game of the palm," where originally, there were no rackets, just hands.
  • [03:26] Adam Tex Davis: “The earliest origins of modern tennis date back to the 12th to 13th century French handball game, Jeu de paume... no tennis rackets were used.”
• Early tennis balls were made not from meatballs (despite Jimmy’s hope!) but from cork wound with fabric and covered in wool.
  • [04:21] Adam Tex Davis: "The earliest tennis balls were often made of cork wound tight with fabric and covered with sewn wool."

The Birth of Modern Tennis Rules

• By the 16th century, rackets emerged. Tennis popularity soared in France, with over a thousand courts in Paris.
• The first comprehensive rule book arrived in 1873, followed by the familiar rubber balls and court setup we know today.
• Royalty loved tennis! Henry VII was even called out for being out—but perhaps not as dramatically as Jimmy Mac.

How Tennis Scoring Works (and Why It’s So Weird!)

• Tennis scores points as 0 (“love”), 15, 30, 40, then game—no, not actual math!
  • [08:03] Adam Tex Davis: “In tennis, players start with 0 points, which is called love… then it goes 15, 30, 40, game.”
• The true origins of how these quirky numbers were chosen remain mysterious. “Love” possibly comes from the French “l’oeuf” for “egg” (shape of zero), or maybe they’re clock-related—but no one really knows.
• Winning requires being ahead by two points. If both players hit 40, it’s called “deuce,” from the French for "two."
  • [08:53] Adam Tex Davis: “If both players get to 40 all, it’s called deuce... you must win two points in a row to win the game.”
• Fun fact: The longest game lasted 37 deuces (78 points!) in 1975.

Sets, Matches, “Bagels” and “Breadsticks”

• To win a set: win 6 games, ahead by two.
• A 6-0 win in a set is called a “bagel”; 6-1 is a “breadstick”—French bread puns abound!
  • [10:17] Jimmy McIntosh: “If you win a set six games to zero, that’s called a bagel... six games to one, that’s a breadstick. What can I say? They got a thing for bread.”

The Nuts and Bolts of Tennis Play

• Winning a match usually means winning two of three sets. Surprisingly, on average, you only need to win 52% of points to win a match.
  • [10:52] Jimmy McIntosh: “That’s all I had to do. Win 4% more points than my opponent.”

“What About the Shots?”

• Five basic shots: serve, forehand, backhand, volley, overhead (smash).
  • [16:00] Adam Tex Davis: "The five basic shots of tennis are the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, and overhead."
• Three main kinds of spin: topspin, slice (underspin), and flat (no spin). Sorry, there's no "corkspin."
• Players can direct shots cross-court, down the line, or hit lobs (high) and drop shots (short).
• When you combine spins, directions, and heights there can be 120 different tennis shots! Even the “tweener” (between-the-leg shot) gets a nod.
  • [18:00] Electronic Line Judge: "You get 120 different tennis shots, including between the leg shots, also known as tweeners."

Lesson in Sportsmanship (with Silliness)

• After (finally) watching the disputed shot in slo-mo replay, Jimmy admits the call was right and apologizes for being a sore loser.
  • [18:09] Jimmy McIntosh: “After watching that last shot in super slow mo, I see it was in. It hit the line. Chalk flew everywhere. I was wrong. I lost. I’m sorry for being such a bad sport.”
• Sadly, there’s no pizza at the concession stand—cue more comic outrage.

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On scoring confusion:
  • [08:02] Jimmy McIntosh: “2?”
  • [08:03] Adam Tex Davis: “…in tennis, 30 all means both players have two points.”
• On tennis’ mysterious scoring origins:
  • [08:03] Adam Tex Davis: “Some think love came from loeff, the French word for egg. And eggs, of course, are ov. What number? Zero. Nice job, smarties.”
  • [08:03] “Others think the points relate to the progression of a clock, but no one is sure why 45 changed to 40.”
• On epic games:
  • [09:36] Adam Tex Davis: “In 1975, Keith Glass won a game against Anthony Fawcett that had 37 deuces—that’s over 78 points played in a single game.”
• On French-inspired nicknames:
  • [10:17] Jimmy McIntosh: "They got a thing for bread."
• On sportsmanship:
  • [18:09] Jimmy McIntosh: "I was wrong. I lost. I’m sorry for being such a bad sport."
• On diversity of tennis shots:
  • [18:00] Electronic Line Judge: "You get 120 different tennis shots, including between the leg shots, also known as tweeners."

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Important Timestamps

• [03:26] – Tennis origins explained (Jeu de paume)
• [04:21] – What were tennis balls made of?
• [08:03] – Breakdown of tennis scoring system and theories
• [09:36] – Longest game and “deuce” explained
• [10:17] – "Bagel" and "breadstick" terminology
• [10:52] – Winning percentage in tennis (52%)
• [16:00] – The five basic tennis shots
• [18:00] – 120 different tennis shots and “tweener” fun fact
• [18:09] – Jimmy admits the line call was right (sportsmanship moment)

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Final Takeaways

• Tennis scoring is quirky, full of French influence and mysterious origins—but it’s part of what makes the game so unique and fun.
• There’s a lot of subtlety and strategy in both the shots and the scoring, requiring both physical skill and sportsmanship.
• Even if you lose, it’s important to accept the outcome graciously—preferably with a slice of pizza (if there’s any left at the stand)!

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Memorable, funny, and jam-packed with wacky trivia, this episode turns tennis trivia into a smart and hilarious adventure for listeners of all ages.

Transcript

[Adam Tex Davis]

Hey, parents trusty here. You know what I hear constantly from homeschool parents in the whosmarted community? Thank you for introducing us to ixl. I get it. My cousin homeschools her kids and raves about how much IXL helps. We're heading into that stretch where families are finishing the year strong and then summer hits with travel camps and shifting routines, and that's where IXL shines. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling with interactive practice across math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. Everything's organized by grade and subject, so you quickly find what each kid needs. Kids get instant explanations. And parents, you get clear Progress reports. Over 15 million students use IXL and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who Smarted? Listeners get an exclusive 20% off when they sign up today at www.ixl.com smartid. That's ixl.com SL smarted. And now it's time for who's Smarted? Hey, smarty pants. We have to be very, very quiet. I'm at the Pimpledon championships and it's add in five, four in the third set. Match point. But before we get into the swing of the action, can you tell me what sport I'm watching? Is it? Oh wait, you already know from the episode title. I'm watching tennis.

[Advertisement Voice]

Sorry.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Here comes the surf. Game, set and match burn Fjord. Wow, an ace. That's game, set and match Burn Fjord has just beaten Jimmy McIntosh to become pimpleton champion.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You cannot be serious. That serve was out by a mile.

[Electronic Line Judge]

I'm sorry, Mr. McIntosh, the serve was in.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Oh yeah?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Says who?

[Electronic Line Judge]

Eagle eye, The Pimpledon electronic line calling system. I have a margin of error of a mere 3 millimeters, which is exactly

[Jimmy McIntosh]

how far out that last serve was.

[Electronic Line Judge]

You said it was out by a mile.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

It's a figure of speech, circuit brain. Hey, you.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Me?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Yeah, guy talking loudly during the match. Did you think that serve was in or out?

[Adam Tex Davis]

I. I think it was in.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You can't be serious.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Well, I do tend to tell a lot of jokes.

[Electronic Line Judge]

Mr. McIntosh, it is proper tennis etiquette to be magnanimous in victory and gracious in defeat.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Listen, you bucket of bolts, I just lost Pimpleton because of the worst call in the history of tennis.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Ah, speaking of tennis history, Smartypants, have you ever wondered who invented tennis or how it became a sport? Or how the game's evolved and what's up with the unique way they keep score? And how many different kinds of tennis shots are there?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

And why can't they see that serve was clearly out?

[Electronic Line Judge]

Because it was in?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You've got to be kidding me.

[Adam Tex Davis]

It's time for another whiff of science and history on who's smarted.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. Who's smarted?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Hey, smarty pants. True or false? The origins of tennis go back over 800 years. If you said true, you're right.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You cannot be serious.

[Adam Tex Davis]

It's true, Jimmy Mac. The earliest origins of modern tennis date back to the 12th to 13th century French handball game, Jeu de paume, or game of the palm, played on an indoor court. And as the name implies, no tennis rackets were used. But it was from this game that real tennis evolved, the true ancestor of the modern game, with rules even weirder than those of tennis. But more on that later. Smarty pants, what do you think the earliest tennis balls were made out of? Were they A, old stale meatballs, B, wood covered with fur, or C, cork covered with wool?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Ooh, ooh, I know. A old meatballs.

[Electronic Line Judge]

He asked the smarty pants.

[Adam Tex Davis]

So, smarty pants, if you said A, old stale meatballs, you're wrong.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

I just can't catch a break today.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Sorry, J. Mac. The answer is actually C. The earliest tennis balls were often made of cork wound tight with fabric and covered with sewn wool. It wasn't until the 16th century that rackets were used, and by then, real tennis had boomed in popularity. There were over 1000 real tennis courts in 16th century Paris, and the game was enjoyed by everyone from commoners to royalty. Henry VII was known to be an avid player.

[Electronic Line Judge]

I am sorry, your majesty, but the shot was out.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You cannot be serious. Off with his head off.

[Adam Tex Davis]

It's unclear when exactly lawn tennis, the modern outdoor variant, was invented, but it's generally accepted that the first book of rules was published in 1873. In 1875, a rubber ball covered with white flannel was introduced. And in 1880, revised rules were put in place, very much like those used today. Rules that continue to confuse the uninitiated.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

I can't believe I double faulted at 30, all four, all in the third set.

[Electronic Line Judge]

I've seen stranger things happen.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Smartypants. What on earth does Jimmy Mac mean when he says he double faulted at 30, all four, all in the third set? Let's unpack it first. What is a double fault?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Two bad calls in a row and the bane of my existence.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Okay, so to start a point in tennis, you serve the ball by hitting it from your side of the court over the center net to a marked area on a diagonal from you. This is called your opponent's service box. If you hit the serve into the net or fail to land the ball inside the service box, the shot was out. That's called a fault. You get two chances to serve the ball into the service box, miss both, and that's a double fault, which results in you losing the point. No. If the serve is in, the returner must hit the ball back over the net inside the lines before it bounces twice. If the serve zips by the returner and they don't touch it, that's called an ace.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Did you have to remind me?

[Adam Tex Davis]

After a successful serve and return, players will then hit the ball back and forth, known as a rally, until one fails to to hit the ball over the net, hits it outside the court, or fails to hit it before it bounces twice on their side. If any one of those things happen, they lose the point or have the

[Jimmy McIntosh]

point stolen from them.

[Electronic Line Judge]

One more outburst and you'll be fined.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Fine.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Okay, so now we know what double fault means. What about 30 all? Smarty pants. What do you think? Does it mean A, each player has two points? B, each player has 30 points. For C, one player has 30 points and the other has all the points. If you said C, One player has 30 points and the other has all the points. That's incorrect.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

I should have all the points.

[Adam Tex Davis]

If you said, B, each player has 30 points. I see your logic, but that's also incorrect. But if you said, A, each player has two points, Funny as it sounds, that's correct. But wait, how does 30 all mean 2?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

2?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Well, in tennis, players start with 0 points, which is called love. Or love all, since all the players have zero. From there it goes 15, 30, 40. Game. The exact origins of this point system are a little unclear, but we know that they were used in real tennis. Some think love came from loeff, the French word for egg. And eggs, of course, are ov. What number? Zero. Nice job, smarties. Others think the points relate to the progression of a clock, but no one is sure why 45 changed to 40. It is a mystery to this day.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You mean like that line call that just lost me, Pembleton.

[Electronic Line Judge]

The serve was in by a mile.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

What? A mile?

[Electronic Line Judge]

It's just an expression.

[Adam Tex Davis]

To win a game, you must win by two points. Which means if both players get to 40 all. It's called deuce. A situation where one player must win two points in a row to win the game. If they get one point, it is called advantage or add. But if they don't get the second point in a row, the score goes back to deuce. Why deuce? It comes from the French word du de jou, meaning two games. Or in this case, two points. Smarty pants, how many deuces do you think the longest game in tennis history had? Was it 25 deuces, 37 deuces, or 53 deuces? If you said 37. Nice. In 1975, Keith Glass won a game against Anthony Fawcett that had 37 deuces. That's over 78 points played in a single game.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Sounds like a nightmare I woke up from once.

[Adam Tex Davis]

In tennis, a player has to win six games to win a set. When Jimmy Mac said it was for all, he meant each player had four games in that set. And then to win the match, you generally have to win two out of three sets. So if it was the third set, that means that each player already won one set.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Yeah, but I bagel them in the first set.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Bageled him.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

I schmeared him. I won six games to zero. In tennis, that's called a bagel. If you win a set six games to one, that's called a breadstick. What can I say? They got a thing for bread.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Again, you can probably blame the baguette loving French for all the bread references, but it doesn't matter by how many games you win a set, only that you win it by two. Or in special circumstances, a tie break. Tennis is a game of narrow, not wide, margins. Studies have shown that to win a match, a player only needs to win 52% of points on average.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

That's all I had to do. Win 4% more points than my opponent

[Electronic Line Judge]

or lose 4% less points than your opponent.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You cannot be serious.

[Adam Tex Davis]

But what kind of shots did Jimmy Mac use to win or lose all those points? How does ball spin and shot direction, height and length come into play? And when you factor in all the variables, exactly how many different tennis shots are there?

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Huh? I'll tell you if you let me do over that point.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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[Adam Tex Davis]

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[Jimmy McIntosh]

That was almost as close as the

[Electronic Line Judge]

ball that was clearly out it was in.

[Adam Tex Davis]

If you said C5, that's correct. The five basic shots of tennis are the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, and overhead,

[Jimmy McIntosh]

otherwise known as a smash.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Like I said, the serve is the first shot of every point. The server must toss the ball in the air, hit it before it bounces, and land it in the opponent's service box. Then the rally begins, which is where the four other shots come into play. A forehand is when you swing your racket with the palm of your dominant hand forward. A backhand is when you swing with the palm of your dominant hand backward. A volley is when you hit the ball out of the air before it bounces.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

These usually come when both players charge the net and are close to one another.

[Adam Tex Davis]

And an overhead is well, when you hit the ball when it's over your head and smash it down.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Smash. The crowd always loves a good overhead.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Many players put spin on the ball to affect its flight and bounce. Smartypants, can you name the spin that is not a type of tennis spin? Is it a cork spin, B topspin or C slice spin? If you said a corkspin, good job. The three types of ball spin are topspin or overspin, slice or underspin, and flat, which is actually no spin at all. In terms of direction, players can hit the ball cross court or diagonally down the middle of the court or down the line, which is straight down the sideline. When it comes to height and length, players can either hit a lob, a high loopy shot meant to go over an opponent's head, or a drop shot, a super short shot meant to bounce twice before the opponent can hit it. Taking all the basic shots, then adding spots, spin direction, height and length, you

[Electronic Line Judge]

get 120 different tennis shots, including between the leg shots, also known as tweeners.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

You know what? After watching that last shot in super Slow mo, I see it was in. It hit the line. Chalk flew everywhere. I was wrong. I lost. I'm sorry for being such a bad sport.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Wow, good for you, Jimmy Mac. Come on, I'll buy you a slice of pizza to cheer you up.

[Electronic Line Judge]

Actually, there's no pizza at the concession stand. They just ran out.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Out.

[Adam Tex Davis]

You cannot be serious. A super shout out to Carson and Hayden in Lacey, Washington. I'm so happy to hear that you love learning about all kinds of different topics and all the silliness that comes along with them. That's exactly how we like to smart on who smarted. Thanks, U2. This episode tennis was written by Dan Grasscourt Gold and voiced by Adam Netz Davis and Max Claycourt Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hardcourt Hahn. Who's Smart? It is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by backhand Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Who Smarted?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Hey, smarty pants. Trusty narrator here. Spring is here. And you know what that means on the farm. Baby chicks hatching inside their eggs. Calves moving into their tiny little houses. Flowers figuring out when it's time to wake up. And yes, that smell. You know the one. If you've ever wondered why any of that happens, I have got the show for you. The Super Smart Farm show podcast. But don't take it from me. Take it from my friend Elmer, who actually lives this stuff and hosts the show. This spring on the Super Smart Farm show, we're hatching chicks, visiting baby calves. And yes, we are going to talk about why farms smell funny in the spring. And trust me, once you know the reason, you'll never look at your garden the same way again.

[Jimmy McIntosh]

Huh?

[Adam Tex Davis]

See what I mean? That's Super Smart Farm Show, a family podcast that answers every question you never knew you had about farms, animals and food. Playful, curious and genuinely smart from the Lancaster Farming Team, who've been covering agriculture since 1955. Find Super Smart Farm show wherever you get your podcasts or at lancasterfarming. Com.