In Tennis What Is the Term Used When a Player Serves the Ball and It Hits the Net but Still Goes Over into the Correct Service Box: The Let Serve, Explained with Rule 22 Facts

The term is a let serve. Under Rule 22 of the ITF Rules of Tennis, a serve that touches the net and then lands in the correct service box is not a fault — it is replayed, with no penalty. The 2013 rule change ended first serves being wiped out by net cord. Officials say "let, first serve" (or "let, second serve") and the point restarts.

So the short answer to your question is "let." But that undersells it, because the word "let" covers a lot of ground in tennis: a let due to a net cord, a let due to a distraction, a let due to a ball rolling onto the court from a neighbouring match. There's one specific term players most often want, though, and it's the one governing the serve that clips the tape and still drops in — so let's pin it down properly.

Rule 22 Defines the Net-Cord Serve as a Let — and It Is Not a Fault

The governing text is Rule 22 of the ITF Rules of Tennis, which the USTA, LTA, and every professional tour adopt. It states a serve is a let if the ball touches the net, strap, or band and is otherwise good — meaning it lands in the correct service box — or if it touches the net and then the receiver's partner. The point is replayed. No fault is recorded, and the server keeps the same serve number they were on.

Here's the part the casual fan misses: before 2013, this rule did not exist at professional level in the same form. A serve that clipped the net cord and landed in was simply a fault, even though the receiver had almost no chance to return it. The ITF changed the rule so that a net-cord serve goes down as a let, just as it does at club level. That change applies to all ITF-sanctioned events, though the ATP, WTA, and ITF each codify it in their own tournament regulations.

A let serve is not counted in the score. The umpire calls "let, first serve" and the server starts again from the same position with the same ball count. If the same server clips the net twice in a row on the same point, the score still hasn't moved — two lets, two replays, and the server is still serving the first serve. That is the direct answer to your question, so you can stop reading here if you just needed the word. If you want to know how it's called, what differs at club level, and how the rules interact, read on.

How Umpires and Line Judges Call a Let Serve in Practice

On the professional tour, the chair umpire makes the let call, and they do not wait for the ball to land to do it in most cases. The umpire watches the net cord and calls "let" immediately when the ball touches it — but the call is only confirmed if the ball then lands in the correct service box. If it lands out, the let call is overridden and the serve is a fault.

There are three practical sequences. First, serve hits net, lands in the box, and the umpire has called a let — the point is replayed. Second, serve hits net, lands out of the box, and the umpire has held the let call — the serve is a fault, and the second serve follows. Third, serve hits net and the receiver returns it — in that case, the rule in most codes is that the receiver may choose to play the let, though the tour standard is that the umpire's let call stands and the point is replayed regardless.

Line judges are trained to watch the net cord as well as the service line on a serve. If the serve hits the net and a line judge calls the ball out, the fault call stands — the umpire will not overrule a let in favor of a fault unless the ball genuinely landed out. If there's disagreement between the net cord call and the line call, the umpire resolves it. This is one of the more technical parts of chair umpiring, and it's covered in ITF officiating courses.

A Let Serve Is a Let, Not a "Net" or a "Net Ball" — the Common Misconceptions

The most common mistake is calling a net-cord serve a "net." "Net" is not a recognised term in the ITF rules. It's a shorthand you'll hear players use ("that's a net"), but officially the call is "let." The other common mistake is calling it a "net ball" or a "net serve" — again, not official terms.

The genuine confusion is with the word "let" itself, because there are multiple lets in tennis: a let on a serve, a let on a point when a ball from an adjacent court rolls onto your court, a let when a distraction interrupts play, a let when the receiver is not ready. All are called "let," and all result in the point being replayed. The net-cord serve is just one type of let, and it's the type that applies specifically to the serve.

There's also a rule that isn't a let: if the ball hits the net and then the receiver's partner, that is a let — but if the ball hits the net and lands on the server's side of the court, it's a fault, because the serve never cleared the net into the proper service box. The distinction is always where the ball ends up, not where it touched the net.

The Pre-2013 Rule and Why the Let Serve Change Matters

From 1961 until 2013, the rule was different. A serve that touched the net and then landed in the correct service box was a fault, not a let. That was the standard at every level, from club tennis to Grand Slams. The ITF changed the rule at its 2012 Annual General Meeting, and the change took effect in 2013.

Why the change? The stated reason from the ITF was that a serve clipping the net cord and falling in creates an unfair advantage for the server and an almost unreturnable ball for the receiver. Making it a let restored the receiver's fair chance. The change also aligned the professional game with how the rule already worked at most recreational levels, where net-cord serves had long been played as lets.

There's a subtle regional element worth knowing: in some national federations the net-cord rule at club level still differs in how it's applied in informal or social matches. The ITF rule applies to sanctioned play, and most club leagues follow it, but if you're playing a casual match, the local convention decides. The default is the ITF rule.

Let Serve vs Fault vs Double Fault vs Ace — Where Each Lands

The cleanest way to understand a let serve is to compare it to its neighbours. Here's how the four outcomes of a serve break down, using the ITF rule as the standard.

Note the row for a let serve: the serve is replayed, so the server does not use up a serve. This is the difference from a fault, which uses up the first serve. The let is effectively a free retry, and the ball that touched the net doesn't count for anything.

There is one edge case in this table people ask about: if the serve touches the net and lands in the box, but the receiver hits a return that lands out, what happens? Under the standard let rule, the point is replayed — the receiver's shot doesn't matter because the let was called first. If the umpire did not call a let and the receiver returns and wins the rally, the point stands unless the umpire's let call is made before the return.

How Let Serves Are Called at Club, College, and Junior Level

At club level, the let serve rule applies as it does on tour, but the mechanics differ. Most club players call their own lets — if their serve clips the net and goes in, they say "let" and replay it. There's no chair umpire, so the server self-calls. That's the standard under the ITF's rules for play without officials, and most clubs follow it.

In college tennis (NCAA), the let serve is standard, and the conference or NCAA rulebook defers to the ITF rule. Junior events follow the ITF's junior regulations, which apply the same let rule. The practical difference is officiating: college matches often have a chair umpire for the top singles, while junior and club matches rely on self-calling.

The interesting edge is doubles. In doubles, the let rule applies to the serve hitting the net and landing in the box, but there's an added wrinkle: the serve is a let if it hits the net and then the receiver's partner, as Rule 22 states. That can produce a let even when the ball technically landed on the wrong side, because the net contact with the receiver's partner takes precedence.

The Let Serve in the Professional Rulebooks — ATP, WTA, and ITF Differences

All three major professional rulebooks — the ITF Rules of Tennis, the ATP Tour rulebook, and the WTA Tour rulebook — apply the let serve. The ITF is the governing body for the rules themselves, and the ATP and WTA adopt the ITF rule for their events. The practical difference is that the ATP and WTA add officiating regulations: replay protocols, video review, and how the let call interacts with electronic line calling.

Electronic line calling (the Hawk-Eye system) does not call lets. It calls lines. The let call remains a human call from the chair umpire, because the net cord is not tracked by the electronic system. That's a detail fans don't usually realise: the technology that overturns line calls has no role in the let call.

For the four Grand Slams, the ITF rules apply, and the tournaments have their own officiating teams. The let rule is the same at all four. There is no variation between Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open on the let serve — the rule is uniform.

Common Player Errors and How to Handle a Contested Let

The most common player error is assuming the let rule doesn't apply because they're mid-rally. If the receiver hit a return on a net-cord serve and the let wasn't called, the point stands as played. You can't retroactively call a let after the point has developed — the let must be called before the point is decided, which in practice means before or as the ball lands out or is returned.

The second common error is the "call and play" trap. A receiver who sees the ball clip the net and still plays the return can't then claim a let if they lose the rally. The receiver must call the let, and the call is made before playing the ball. In umpired play, the umpire's call stands; in self-called play, the receiver needs to call immediately.

A contested let in self-called play is a mini-dispute by nature: the server says "let," the receiver disagrees, and there's no umpire. The convention is that the player closest to the net cord makes the call, and if there's genuine doubt, the point is replayed. The safest habit is to replay on a contested let serve rather than let a disagreement cost a game. For anyone running a club league, writing "net-cord serves are lets, replay the point" into the league rules prevents most disputes.

What the Let Serve Rule Doesn't Cover — Other Types of Let

The net-cord serve is only one type of let. There are other lets you'll hear called in the same match, and the term "let" applies to all of them. A let on a point due to a ball rolling onto the court, a let due to a distraction from an adjacent court, a let due to a lack of readiness by the receiver, and a let if play is interrupted for safety or equipment — all use the word "let."

The distinguishing feature in the rules is where the let originates. A serve let is specifically about the ball touching the net and landing in the correct box. A point let is about anything that interrupted the point. Both are called "let," and both replay the point, but the serve let doesn't use a serve, while a point let restarts the point with the same score. That's a small but real distinction players should know, because if you call a let for a distraction, the serve can be retaken, not marked as a first serve used.

There's also the rare case of a let on a serve that hits the receiver. If the serve hits the receiver before it bounces — which can happen if the receiver moves into the service box — the rule in some codes treats it as a let or a point depending on whether the receiver was hit by a ball that would have landed in. Check the specific tournament rulebook for the event you're playing, because that edge case has regional variation.

FAQ

Does a let serve count as a fault?

No. A let serve is not a fault and does not use up the server's serve. The score is unchanged and the server replays the same serve. Rule 22 of the ITF Rules of Tennis states the point is replayed. This is the single most important distinction from a fault, which does count against the server.

What if the serve hits the net and lands in the box but the receiver already returned it?

Under the ITF let rule, the point is replayed regardless of what happened after the net contact, provided the let was called before the point was decided. If the umpire called a let, the return doesn't matter. If no let was called and the receiver played a return, the point stands as played.

Can a let serve be called on a second serve?

Yes. The let rule applies to both first and second serves. If a second serve clips the net and lands in, it's replayed as a second serve. The score doesn't change. A server can have two lets on a second serve and still get to replay the same second serve.

Why did the let serve rule change in 2013?

The ITF changed the rule at its 2012 Annual General Meeting, effective 2013, because the old rule — net-cord serve as a fault — gave the receiver an almost impossible ball to return. Making it a let restored fairness. The change aligned pro tennis with recreational rules already used at most clubs.

Is a serve that touches the net and lands in called "a net" or "a let"?

Officially it's a let. "Net" and "net ball" are informal terms, not in the ITF rulebooks. The correct call from the chair umpire is "let, first serve" or "let, second serve." Using "net" is common among players but isn't the recognised rule term.

Does a let serve apply in doubles the same way?

Yes. The same Rule 22 applies in doubles. There's an added provision: a serve is a let if it touches the net and then the receiver's partner, even if the ball's later trajectory would otherwise have made it a fault. That means a let can be called on a serve that would have landed out, if it touched the receiver's partner.

How does a contested let get resolved without an umpire?

In self-called play, the player nearest the net cord calls the let, and if there's genuine doubt between the players, the point is replayed. Most club leagues write the net-cord let rule into their league rules to head off disputes. In umpired play, the chair umpire's call is final.

Does electronic line calling overturn a let call?

No. Electronic line calling systems like Hawk-Eye track the lines, not the net cord, so they do not and cannot call a let. The let call remains a human call by the chair umpire. Video review may show the net contact in slow motion, but the official let call is still made by the umpire.

Rule and officiating information reflects the ITF Rules of Tennis (Rule 22) as adopted by the ATP, WTA, ITF, and Grand Slam tournaments. Local and league rules can vary, so check with your club or governing body for the exact let convention in your competition.