Deuce
In tennis, the score when both players reach 40, from which one must win two points in a row to take the game.
Definition
Deuce is the term used in tennis for a tied score of 40-40 within a game. From deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game: the first point gives that player the advantage, and winning the next point ends the game, while losing it returns the score to deuce.
Similar "win by two" tie situations appear in other racquet sports, where play continues from a level score until one side leads by two points. This rule keeps games competitive by preventing a win on a single decisive point when the scores are level.
Where you’ll hear “deuce”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Table Tennis
A fast, low-impact indoor racquet sport that sharpens reflexes and is easy to start.
Badminton
A fast indoor racquet sport played with a shuttlecock that rewards agility and touch.
Padel
A sociable, doubles-first racquet sport played in an enclosed court where the walls stay in play.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Deuce in the wider knowledge graph.
Commonly confused with
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Deuce to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Scoring systems
- Tennis scoringTennis is scored in points, games and sets, using the distinctive 15–30–40 point sequence and a win-by-two margin at every level.
- Padel scoringPadel borrows tennis scoring, counting points as 15–30–40 within games and playing sets to six games decided by a tiebreak.
- Tiebreak scoringA tiebreak is a short deciding game used in racket sports to settle a set that has reached an even number of games, scored in simple numbers to a fixed target.
- Table tennis scoringTable tennis is scored on every rally to 11 points per game, won by two clear points, over a best-of odd number of games.
- Football (soccer) scoringFootball is scored by goals, with each goal worth one point and the team scoring the most goals winning the match.
Disciplines
- ScullingSculling is the discipline in which each rower uses two oars, one in each hand, propelling the boat symmetrically from both sides.
- Sweep RowingSweep rowing is the discipline in which each rower handles a single oar with both hands, driving one side of the boat as part of a crew.
- Sparring (Kyorugi)Kyorugi is taekwondo's competitive sparring discipline, where two athletes score points by landing controlled kicks and punches on legal target areas within timed rounds.
- SnatchThe snatch is one of the two Olympic weightlifting lifts, taking the barbell from the platform to overhead in one continuous movement.
Positions
- Goal shooterThe goal shooter is a netball attacker who scores goals and is one of only two players allowed to shoot, working within the attacking goal third and circle.
- Point guardThe point guard is basketball’s primary ball-handler and playmaker, running the offence and setting up teammates to score.
- CenterThe center is usually the tallest player on a basketball team, playing near the basket to score inside, rebound, and protect the rim.
- HookerThe hooker is a front-row forward in rugby who wins the ball in the scrum and typically throws the ball into the line-out.
- Shooting guardThe shooting guard is a perimeter player whose main role is to score, especially from mid-range and beyond the three-point line.
Player roles
- Utility playerA dependable, versatile player who can competently fill several different positions as the team needs, rather than specialising in just one.
- PlaymakerThe playmaker is a team's creative hub — the player who orchestrates attacks, controls the tempo and distributes the ball so teammates can score.
Movement comparisons
- Catch vs ReachCatch vs Reach: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Lunge vs ReachLunge vs Reach: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Acceleration vs DecelerationAcceleration vs Deceleration: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Acceleration vs JumpAcceleration vs Jump: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.
- Backpedal vs GaitBackpedal vs Gait: how these two movements differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart — from mechanics to the sports that use them.