How Tennis Let Serves Work Explainer
A service let occurs when a tennis serve touches the net, strap, or band and still lands in the correct service court, or touches the receiver before hitting the ground. The serve does not count and is replayed without changing whether it was the first or second serve.
If the serve clips the net and lands outside the correct box, it is a fault rather than a let. A second-serve fault loses the point. By contrast, a legitimate let simply resets that particular service attempt, and there is no fixed limit on how many lets can occur in succession.
The chair umpire can also call a let when an unexpected disturbance interrupts play, but that is a broader match procedure. Electronic net devices or officials may detect service-net touches at events using the traditional let rule.
Some competitions adopt a no-let variation, especially in certain developmental or team formats. There, a serve that touches the net and lands in the proper box remains in play. Players should follow the event regulations, but in standard ITF rules, a legal net-cord serve is replayed.
No. A let serve is replayed, and the server keeps the same first-serve or second-serve status.
That is a fault, not a let.
Under the standard rule there is no numerical limit, though some competitions use a no-let format.
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