In tennis, the server starts behind the baseline, serves into the diagonally opposite service court and gets a second attempt if the first serve is a fault. A foot fault counts as a service fault. A serve that clips the net and otherwise meets the requirements is normally replayed as a let. The important distinction is whether the player repeats that serve or loses the point.
| Situation | Standard ruling |
|---|---|
| First serve misses the service court | Second serve from the same half |
| Second serve is also a fault | Server loses the point |
| Otherwise good serve touches the net | Service let, repeat that serve |
| Server catches a toss without attempting a hit | No service fault |
| Receiver volleys the serve before its bounce | Receiver loses the point |
These are lawn tennis rules, rather than table tennis or padel rules. The detailed authority is the 2026 Rules of Tennis, particularly Rules 16 to 24. The federation's official rules page, now presented under World Tennis, links the rule book and approved amendments.
Where do you stand to serve in tennis?
Immediately before the service motion, the server must be at rest with both feet behind the baseline. The player must also be inside the imaginary extensions of the centre mark and the relevant sideline. This defines a serving area behind each half of the court, rather than permission to serve from anywhere behind the baseline.
Every standard game begins with a serve from the right half. The server then alternates halves for successive points. The ball must travel over the net and bounce in the diagonally opposite service court before the receiver returns it. The second serve follows the first from the same half, unless the initial serve came from the wrong half.
The server releases the ball by hand in any direction and strikes it before it reaches the ground. Rule 16 makes an exception for a player able to use only one arm, who may use the racket to release it. The motion ends when the racket hits or misses the ball.
What is a foot fault in tennis?
During the service motion, neither foot may touch the baseline or the court. Neither may touch the area outside the imaginary extension of the sideline, or the imaginary extension of the centre mark. Walking or running to change position is also prohibited, although slight foot movements are allowed.
Jumping to serve is legal: the rule expressly allows one or both feet to leave the ground. The question is whether the feet comply with the restrictions during the service motion. Watching only where a player stands before beginning the action can therefore miss an infringement that occurs as the serve develops.
Singles and doubles have a useful distinction. In singles, a player cannot serve from behind the strip between the singles and doubles sidelines. In doubles, that position is permitted. The official 2026 amendments explicitly clarify the doubles permission in the foot fault rule. The receiving target remains the diagonal service court.
Is a missed toss a fault, and what is a double fault?
Missing the ball while trying to hit the serve is a fault. Deciding against the shot is different. Rule 19 allows a player who tosses the ball and chooses not to hit it to catch it with the hand or racket, or let it bounce. An abandoned toss without a hitting attempt does not automatically use up the first serve.
A serve can also be a fault if it touches a permanent fixture, a singles stick or a net post before landing. Touching the server, the server's doubles partner, or something either is wearing or carrying also makes it a fault. Even a ball that subsequently reaches the correct box does not erase such an infringement.
After a first service fault, Rule 20 allows another serve without delay. Two consecutive service faults lose the point under Rule 24. The same consequence applies when the second fault is a foot fault. The second attempt is not protected simply because the racket made a clean contact and the ball landed in the box.
Does a service let give you two new serves?
A service let repeats the particular serve and does not cancel an earlier fault. For example, if the first serve goes long and the second serve clips the net before landing legally, the player repeats the second serve. They do not recover a first serve. Standard service let rules also cover a serve delivered before the receiver is ready.
Rule 21 balances readiness with reasonable pace: the server waits for the receiver, while the receiver must prepare within a reasonable time. A receiver attempting a return is treated as ready. Separately, a general let during a rally can replay the whole point. The rule book's example of another ball rolling onto court gives the server a first serve again, even after an earlier fault.
These are the standard procedures; the rule book also permits approved alternatives, so an event's published format matters. Continue with our tennis tie break guide. For another racket sport, compare badminton service rules and the scheduled badminton scoring change.
