No-Ad

“No-ad scoring” is a time saving measure often used in team practices and some tournaments or league play when time is of the essence. 

In a no-ad match, players win a game the same way you would normally, except when the game goes to Deuce. When the game score is Deuce (40-40) in no-ad scoring, the player who wins the next point wins the game.

This is also referred to as a deciding point, or a decider. That’s the short, tweet sized description of the system.

What’s the Big Difference with No-Ad Scoring?

The major difference of no advantage scoring in tennis is that it goes away with the requisite that a player must win by two points. As most players know, this requirement can lead to games going on for much longer than you would hope for.

The no-ad system can put a succinct and abrupt ending to a match, thus ending the time consuming “Deuce to Ad” cycle that can go on for some time.

Why it Happens?

Tennis is an old game. Why tweak the rules? The reason was probably apparent in our description of the no-ad system. It has been done to save time.

And as with most sports, rules are always improved upon over the years. Whether or not people agree with it, the intention is to try and improve the quality of the game.

You’ll see it implemented a lot with tennis teams in high school and college as they have their practices. The team may have twenty players, but what they probably don’t have is enough courts to have all them on court at the same time.

To make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get their game on, no-ad rules will be implemented. Courts free up faster, and everyone is happy.

No-Ad Scoring In USTA And Local Leagues

So what does this have to do with you if you aren’t on a college tennis team? If you’re a weekend warrior that enjoys USTA leagues and tournaments, you may encounter no-ad scoring at some point.

Though this is not the constant scoring rules of the USTA, there are situations in which they might be applied.

Again, it goes back to a matter of saving time. If a tournament is fully booked, or they experience some sort of delay, they may use this system to keep the courts circulating quicker.

Things To Consider With No-Ad Scoring

Since no-ad scoring only comes into effect after the deuce, it doesn’t always make a huge difference in the normal game play. Of course, if a match is very close with a lot of games going to deuce, then no-ad becomes a very decisive factor.

One important thing to note is that on the deciding point, the receiver or receiving team gets to choose which side they want to receive on. In singles, this means you have the option to receive on the deuce or ad side. And in doubles, you can choose your stronger receiver to take the serve.

This means some strategy is involved with no-ad scoring. You should pay attention to your opponents early on in the match to see what their weaker serving side is.

While the rules themselves will be easy to understand, they may not be so easy to thrive under if you don’t have any experience with them. This “sudden death” format (so to speak) puts a much bigger premium on every point.

If you want to compete at your highest level, you will need to be able to rise to those occasions. The nice thing is that preparing for a no advantage scenario is really pretty easy. The next time you go out to play with a buddy, you can just float the idea of giving that system a spin.

Should you dedicate a ton of time to the system? Probably not. However, the occasional no-ad game will keep you sharp for any situation in when it comes about.

How No Ad Can Help Your Game

So, besides saving time, is there a benefit to the no-ad system? If you embrace the right way, there definitely can be. No-ad tennis means you that you need to keep your game tight right up until the end. The consequences of a bad tactic or shot will probably be game ending.

When it comes to securing that final point, you need to make sure that your focus is as sharp as possible.

That level of intensity is, of course, not only useful for closing a match, but simply for playing it. If you can scale the level of focus required to win a no-ad match to the rest of your game, you are probably going to start seeing better results across the boards.

And of course, the simple fact that you might find yourself in a no-advantage match means that being well-versed in the format will have an impact on your game. Knowing how to close out in any circumstance will always translate to more wins.

Why Some Don’t Like No-Ad

While there is an element of theatre to the no ad-system — a next point wins scenario does make for more drama — there are also reasons that highly skilled players are often not so keen on the system.

This is where athleticism and consistency really enter the game. Conditioning and agility can be beneficial throughout the course of an entire match, but they can truly decide a game when it comes down to the final two points.

Some players don’t like the format because there is an element of chance that comes into play. Did the better player win the day? Or did they just get a few good breaks?

There is certainly an undeniable level of truth to this, but controversy does remain. This is, perhaps, a large part of why the pro tours have taken such a long time to come around to this system.

When you get right down to it, no-ad will always be a little bit controversial. Perhaps with good reason.

But you can’t argue with the results. A no ad match can be up to fifteen minutes shorter on average, which is a stat that tournaments aren’t always in a position to ignore.