Published on
October 9, 2025
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed.
Revised on
October 23, 2025
Basketball terms describe everything that happens on the court, from how players move and score to the rules and names of positions. Whether you’re watching a high school game, streaming March Madness, or playing NBA 2K, basketball terms like “free throw” and “rebound” help you follow the action.
Basketball vocabulary also comes up in headlines and sports commentary, especially during major events like the NBA Finals, Summer Olympics, or March Madness.
In this beginner-friendly guide, you’ll learn the essential basketball terms, how the game works, and what to expect during a typical match. QuillBot’s free AI Chat can also help you learn fun and interesting facts about basketball.
Tennis, like all sports, has its own unique vocabulary to describe its rules, scoring system, and shots. The game is thought to have originated in 12th-century France, which explains why some English tennis terms are particularly unusual, as they come from Old French. If you’re new to tennis, the table below contains a list of 20 essential terms to help you follow TV commentaries and join in conversations about the sport.
TipIf you’re confused about the meaning of a tennis term, why not ask QuillBot’s free AI chat for a definition?
List of 20 essential tennis terms
Tennis term
Definition
Game
In tennis, you play points to win games; you need at least four points to win a game.
Set
You have to win at least six games to win a set. The first player to win an agreed number of sets is the winner of the whole match; in professional tennis, this is usually two or three sets (i.e., “best of three sets” or “best of five sets”).
Love, 15, 30, and 40
You don’t count points in the usual way in tennis: Zero points is called “love,” one point is 15, two points is 30, and three points is 40.
All
You can say that the score in a game is equal by saying “15 all,” “30 all,” etc.
Deuce
When both players reach 40, the score is “deuce.” From deuce, a player must win one point to gain the “advantage” and then win the next point to take the game.
Advantage
At deuce, the player who wins the next point has the advantage. If they win the following point (a game point), they take the game. If they lose it, the score returns to deuce. Play continues until one player wins a game point.
Tiebreak
If the score in a set reaches “six all” (6-6), you play a special game called a “tiebreak” (or “tiebreaker”). The winner of the tiebreak game wins the set. The points are counted normally in a tiebreak. You win the tiebreak if you have at least seven points and two more than the other player (e.g., 7-3, 7-5, 8-6, or 13-11). In some tennis tournaments, if there is a tiebreak in the final set—which therefore decides the whole match—you have to win at least 10 points.
Serve (service)
The player with the “serve” (or “service”) starts all the points in a game. The serve then switches to the other player for the next game and continues to alternate like this.
Break serve
If you “break serve,” you win a game when the other player has the serve.
First serve (first service), second serve (second service)
The player with the serve has two chances to start the point by hitting it into the correct box on the other side of the net. These chances are called “first serve” (or “first service”) and “second serve” (or “second service”). If the server misses a second serve, they lose the point.
Double fault
It’s a “double fault” when you lose the point because you make mistakes on both your first and second serves (e.g., hit the serves “out” or into the net).
Ace
An “ace” is a serve that the other player is not able to hit (e.g., because the serve is very fast and difficult to reach).
Rally
A “rally” is a series of shots. For instance, if each player hits the ball two or three times during a point, this is considered a “short rally.” If they each hit it ten times, then it’s considered a “long rally.”
Forehand
A “forehand” is a shot hit with the front of the racket, where the ball is to the right of a right-handed player or to the left of a left-handed player.
Backhand
A “backhand” is a shot hit with the back of the racket, where the ball is to the left of a right-handed player or to the right of a left-handed player.
Volley
A shot where the player hits the ball before it bounces, typically played when a player is near to the net.
Topspin
If you hit a “topspin” shot, then the top of the ball is spinning in the same direction as the shot. Topspin lets you hit the ball hard while keeping control because the spin makes the ball dip quickly after it goes high over the net.
Backspin (slice)
If you hit a “backspin” (or “slice”) shot, then the ball is spinning in the opposite direction to the shot. Backspin shots are typically slow and low and don’t bounce as high as topspin shots.
Baseline
The “baselines” are the two lines at either end of the court.
Smash
A “smash” is a powerful shot where a player hits the ball when it is high in the air above their head.
Published on
September 25, 2025
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed.
Revised on
October 23, 2025
Golf has a rich vocabulary full of unique and quirky terms for everything from equipment and scoring to the layout of a golf course. Some of the most important golf termsinclude “fairway,” “hole,” “cup,” “par,” and “birdie.”
Golf terms are essential for anyone who wants to watch or play golf (even if it’s just Nintendo Switch Sports or Happy Gilmore 2). They also pop up in conversations, workplaces, and media coverage, especially during golf season or major tournaments like the PGA Championship.
The glossary below breaks down essential golf terms and definitions to help you understand how the game works and what you’ll find on a golf course.
bunker, caddie, chip-in, course, driver, fringe, tee box
TipQuillBot’s AI Chat can give you instant answers about sports terminology. Give it a try the next time you have a quick question about a golf term you haven’t seen before!
