Check out a simple standard tennis rules’ guide about tennis ball hitting the net, what happens? Lets get into details now.
Can the ball hit the net in tennis? Yes. A ball can hit the net in tennis but it can either result in a fault or not faulty. In most cases, a ball touching a net during a serve and fails to cross over it’s a fault. A ball touching the net and still crosses over to opponents’ service court is known as a let serve.
A ball can also touch the net during the return and can result in a good return or a fault. So, it depends with the ball’s behavior after touching the net if rallying can continue, or a fault is penalized where one player loses a point while the other player gains a point.
Official rules of tennis as stipulated by International Tennis Federation has clear guidelines on the do’s and don’ts when playing tennis game. Some of the rules include tennis rules serving, tennis rules scoring, and rules of tennis doubles among others. The following guide is an overview of a few of the tennis rules you should know.
Tennis Ball Hitting The Net In Tennis During Return
When an opponent is returning the ball back, it is common to see once in a while the tennis ball touching the net. Touching the net can mean the ball touching:
- Net posts
- Net strap
- Net cord
- Net band
A tennis ball return is only good, should not be penalized, and tennis rallying can continue only when:
1 The tennis ball hits the net, successfully crosses over the net, and the tennis ball bounces on the correct service court of the opponent.
2. The tennis ball after making a first bounce in the opponent correct service court, the ball is blown or spun to touch the net.
3. The returning player reaches over the net to return the ball without touching the net and the ball lands in the correct service court of the opponent.
4. Tennis ball is hit from below or above after touching the net post then bounces correctly to the opponent’s service court.
5. The tennis ball on return passes between adjacent net posts and the singles sticks and correctly enters the opponent service box.
6. After the player hits the tennis ball correctly on return, the racket follows suit and crosses over the net to land in the correct service box of the opponent.
7. The tennis player correctly returns a ball that then bounces in the opponent’s service box and hits another ball inside the court.
Tennis Ball Hit The Net During A Tennis Serve
Although in most cases a tennis ball serve often goes over the net, a few times the ball may fail to cross the net or even end up touching the net before it enters the opponent’s service court. Generally, a tennis player has two chances to serve a ball.
In case the first serve ends up faulty, it is not penalized. The server repeats the tennis serve. If the second serve becomes faulty again that is a double fault and the player loses a point.
Can the ball hit the net on a serve in tennis? Yes. The ball can hit the net on a serve in tennis resulting in the following scenarios. If
1.The tennis ball serve touches the net and returns back to the person who served the ball during first serve, it is a fault a second serve is done.
2. The tennis ball serve touches the net during the second consecutive fault and returns back to the side of the person who served, it becomes a double fault. The server loses a point.
3. A player cannot repeat to hit a ball after serving even when the ball has touched the net and returned back to the person who hit the ball, a point is lost if the ball is hit twice.
4. The ball served touches the net but successfully crosses over to the opponents correct service court, the ball is in play.
5. The player’s racket, attire, or perhaps anything on the tennis player’s body touches the net whether knowingly or unknowingly, that tennis player loses a point.
Tennis Ball Hit The Net And Enters A Tennis Court
A tennis ball can directly enter a tennis court, or touch the lines of the court, or completely goes outside the court without coming in contact with any part of the court. For instance:
A tennis ball can touch the net and correctly enters the service court of opponent, the ball is in play. Tennis rallying can continue.
A tennis ball touches the net but it bounces outside the service court of the opponent. A fault has occurred and the person who played the ball loses a point.
A tennis ball touches the net then lands in the service court of the opponent by touching a line, the ball is in play and rallying can continue.
Can You Hit The Ball Around The Net In Tennis?
Yes. You can hit the ball around the net in tennis. However, you cannot hit the ball through the net. Hitting the ball over and around the net is legal but be sure not to touch the net. The ball can be hit below or above the net.
In less professional tennis game, the net could have a hole through it. Under no circumstance should you hit the tennis ball to go through the net. Any player who hits the ball to pass through the net loose a point to the opponent. Opponent is the one responsible to make a call if the ball goes through the net to be awarded a point.
Can The Ball Hit The Net And Go Over In Tennis?
Yes. The ball can hit then net and go over in tennis during a serve or on return. As discussed above, if tennis ball hits the net and go over during a serve then lands in the correct opponent service court or even touches the line, the ball is in play. The serve becomes fault if the ball bounces outside the service court of the opponent and the player who served loose a point.
Similarly, during a return if the ball hits the net and go over in tennis then lands in the correct service court of the opponent the ball is in play, tennis rallying can continue.
However, in the instance the ball hit the net and go over but does not land in the correct service court of the opponent the player who hit the return ball loose a point.
When the ball goes over the net, does the ball have to bounce in tennis? Besides, how many times can the ball bounce in tennis? Once, in most cases. The tennis should be returned before the ball makes the second bounce.
Can the ball bounce twice in tennis? The ball can bounce twice but the player who should have returned the ball before the second bounce loose a point. The player who hit the ball to the opponent’s side wins a point if the ball bounces twice in the correct opponent service court.
Can You Reach Over The Net In Tennis?
Yes. There are few scenarios that you can legally reach over the net in tennis to your advantage. In the instance the wind causes the ball to spin backwards to the tennis player’s side who hit the ball, the opponent can legally reach over the net and hit the ball into the correct service court.
However, whenever you are reaching over the ball caution must be practices since you can be penalized a point for touching the net by hand, racket, or any item on your body.
However, when done correctly reaching over the net easily result in you winning a point since you can easily aim the correct spot to hit the ball in an opponent’s service court.
Can You Touch The Net In Tennis?
No. You cannot touch the net in tennis whether intentionally or unintentionally. Touching the net with hand, racket, or anything on a players body is a fault that is penalized by losing a point in tennis.
Even in the instance you are trying to reach over the net or perhaps conduct a tennis volley, you should not touch the net.
Conclusion
It is evident that the ball can hit the net in tennis resulting in a fault where the player loses a point, or the ball can still continue without having triggered a fault as discussed. However, tennis players should not touch the net even when attempting to reach over the net.
