Lenny Rider
Well-known member
- Sep 15, 2010
- 6,015
Can anyone explain why tennis scores 15, 30 but then only goes up another 10 to 40?
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Tennis scoring
- Thread starter Lenny Rider
- Start date
Based on cannon ball weights
nwgull
Well-known member
No, but another question I have is, why call it 30-30; why not go straight to deuce? It's effectively the same thing.
half time scores
Well-known member
The origins of the 15, 30, and 40 scores are believed to be medieval French. It is possible that a clock face was used on court, with a quarter move of the hand to indicate a score of 15, 30, and 45. When the hand moved to 60, the game was over. However, in order to ensure that the game could not be won by a one-point difference in players' scores, the idea of "deuce" was introduced. To make the score stay within the "60" ticks on the clock face, the 45 was changed to 40. Therefore, if both players have 40, the first player to score receives ten and that moves the clock to 50. If the player scores a second time before the opponent is able to score, they are awarded another ten and the clock moves to 60. The 60 signifies the end of the game. However, if a player fails to score twice in a row, then the clock would move back to 40 to establish another "deuce".
Another theory is that the scoring nomenclature came from the French game jeu de paume (a precursor to tennis which initially used the hand instead of a racket). Jeu de paume was very popular before the French revolution, with more than 1,000 courts in Paris alone. The traditional court was 90 ft in total with 45 ft on each side. When the server scored, he moved forward 15 ft. If he scored again, he would move another 15 ft. If he scored a third time, he could only move 10 ft closer.
My mother told me never to marry a tennis player because love means nothing to them.
Another theory is that the scoring nomenclature came from the French game jeu de paume (a precursor to tennis which initially used the hand instead of a racket). Jeu de paume was very popular before the French revolution, with more than 1,000 courts in Paris alone. The traditional court was 90 ft in total with 45 ft on each side. When the server scored, he moved forward 15 ft. If he scored again, he would move another 15 ft. If he scored a third time, he could only move 10 ft closer.
My mother told me never to marry a tennis player because love means nothing to them.
Footsoldier
Banned
- May 26, 2013
- 2,904
Google it.
BensGrandad
New member
Why not 1 2 3 4 like in most sports much more logical.
Mr Smggles
Well-known member
I loathe comments like these. Do you not think other people are interested? I have no idea what the answer is but have never thought about it enough to google it. It creates discussion, the whole point of this board. You've just broken my "ignore list" virginity. Congrats, tosser.
Solid at the back
Well-known member
skipper734
Registered ruffian
The answer is, nobody knows. Clock face sounds plausible until you get to 40. Real Tennis, the original tennis until some King shouted at his offspring who were making a racket in the House, to.............. take it outside onto the lawn.
Then again if the French are involved it's sure to be nonsense, wrapped in never quite getting it right.
Then again if the French are involved it's sure to be nonsense, wrapped in never quite getting it right.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
Like the games and sets scoring? I would consider that very illogical actually.
Socialist Sid
New member
Love comes from the French for egg, oeuf.
The egg looking like a 0 and love sounding like ouef.
Sweeney Todd
New member
Whoever invented the scoring system for tennis must have been drunk at the time, not least because it is possible to win more points and games than your opponent, but lose the match.
the wanderbus
Well-known member
Because 0 resembles an egg. in french an egg is un oeuf, so the zero or l'oeuf has been anglicised to love..... The ONE AND ONLY thing I know about Tennis.
bollocks , must learn to type quicker!
Last edited:
skipper734
Registered ruffian
It isn't fact though, only conjecture. Probably put about by the French to try and fool people into thinking they invented Tennis.
half time scores
Well-known member
I understand it is the same in cricket, the 0 resembling an egg only for some reason a duck egg.
dougdeep
New member
Deuce is 40-40.
You didn't answer the question.
Footsoldier
Banned
- May 26, 2013
- 2,904
Tosser? Lovely. When people choice a holiday don't you think they do research into their destination like 'GOOGLING IT' or people like yourself and Lenny Rider are so uneducated that don't know how to use the search engine.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
You can say the same thing about 4-4 in a penalty shootout. Effectively it is, sure. But tradition states it isn't. It makes no difference at all.
Neither did you.
