Tennis Serve Rules Explained: Faults, Lets, Service Boxes and More

A tennis point can be won or lost before the rally begins. The server must stand in the correct place, send the ball into the diagonally opposite service box and complete a legal motion without stepping on the baseline. Small details, such as a ball touching the line or a receiver moving early, can change the ruling.

These tennis serve rules apply across singles and doubles, with a few differences in court dimensions and serving order. The basic principles are governed by the Laws of Tennis used in sanctioned competition.

Where the server must stand

The server begins behind the baseline, between the imaginary extensions of the centre mark and the singles sideline in singles play. In doubles, the server may use the full area between the centre mark and the doubles sideline. The server must start on the correct side of the court based on the score.

At the beginning of each game, the first serve is made from the right-hand side of the court. After every point, the server alternates sides: right, left, right, left. A point played from the wrong side is a serving-position error, but points already completed normally remain valid under the rules. The correction is made as soon as the mistake is discovered, subject to the applicable score and changeover provisions.

How a legal tennis serve is made

The server must release the ball by hand and hit it before it touches the ground. A player who uses both hands to release the ball may do so, provided the ball is released before the racket strikes it. The server may serve overarm, underarm or with another legal motion; the rules do not require a particular technique.

The racket must contact the ball before the server touches the baseline, the court inside the baseline or the area outside the correct sideline. The server may jump during the motion, but landing inside the court does not create a foot fault if the ball was struck legally before the landing.

The serve must travel diagonally across the net and land in the service box opposite the server. The correct service box is bounded by the centre service line, the singles sideline and the service line. A ball landing on any of these lines is in, because the lines form part of the service box.

First serve, second serve and service faults

A player normally has two attempts to start each point. Missing the first attempt produces a service fault, and the server receives one more opportunity. Missing both attempts is a double fault, which immediately awards the point to the receiver.

A service fault occurs when the ball misses the correct service box, lands out, hits a permanent fixture before bouncing in the box or the server commits a foot fault. A serve that touches the net and then lands outside the correct box is still a fault. The receiver does not need to hit the ball for a service fault to be called.

In many matches, the server’s first serve is struck with more pace or spin, while the second serve prioritises height, margin and placement. That tactical difference does not change the legal requirements: both attempts must clear the net and land in the correct diagonal service box.

Foot faults and common serving violations

A foot fault is called if the server, during the serving motion, touches the baseline, the court inside it, the imaginary extension of the centre mark or the area outside the relevant sideline. The player may move along the baseline area before beginning the motion, but must not touch a restricted boundary or surface at the wrong time.

Typical causes include standing too far forward, dragging a toe over the baseline, starting outside the permitted sideline area or moving across the centre-mark extension. A foot fault counts as a service fault. If it occurs on the second attempt, the result is a double fault.

What happens when the serve touches the net?

A let serve occurs when a served ball touches the net, strap or band and then lands in the correct service box. The serve is replayed, and the let does not count as one of the two serving attempts. If the ball touches the net and lands outside the correct box, it is a fault rather than a let.

A let can also be called if the server delivers the ball before the receiver is ready, although the receiver must make a reasonable effort to be ready. In standard tennis, there is no limit to the number of consecutive service lets.

Serving order, receiving position and unusual situations

The server and receiver must be ready before the point begins, and the receiver must return the serve after it bounces in the correct service box. In doubles, the serving team determines the order of its servers at the start of a set, while the receiving team determines which partner receives from each side. Those orders generally remain fixed for the set.

If a receiver catches or returns a serve before it bounces, the receiver normally loses the point unless the serve was a fault or a let. A server can also lose the point if the served ball hits the server or the server’s partner before bouncing in the proper box.

Players should stop play and seek an official ruling if a ball from another court enters the playing area, a permanent fixture interferes with the point or a line call is disputed under the competition’s procedures. Local recreational matches may use different arrangements, but the published tournament rules take priority in organised play.

A quick check before serving

• Stand behind the baseline and inside the permitted sideline area.
• Serve from the correct side according to the score.
• Release and strike the ball before it touches the ground.
• Send it diagonally into the opposite service box.
• Remember that the lines count as in.
• After a first-serve fault, use the second attempt without delay.
• Replay a legal let serve rather than counting it as a fault.

Once these details are familiar, most serving decisions become straightforward. The central test is simple: was the ball struck legally, from the correct position, and did it land in the diagonally opposite service box?