What Is a Let in Tennis?

A let in tennis is a call that stops play and has the point, or the serve, replayed with no penalty to either player. No point is awarded and no fault is charged. The two most common situations are a serve that clips the net and still lands in, and interference that disrupts a point. In every case, the fix is the same: play it again.

The serve let (net-cord let)

The classic let is on the serve. Under the rules of tennis, a let is called when the served ball touches the net cord, strap, or band and then goes over and lands in the correct service box. Because the ball touched the net on the way, the serve does not count, even though it landed in. The server simply takes the serve again. This is the only kind of let that specifically preserves the serve.

The logic is that touching the net can alter the ball’s speed and bounce in ways neither player caused, so replaying the serve keeps things fair. On many courts the call is made by an electronic net sensor or by an official watching the cord, rather than being left to the players to notice a faint touch.

First serve vs. second serve

Which serve gets replayed depends on when the let happens. If a net-cord let occurs on the first serve, the entire serve is replayed, so the server still has two serves available. If it happens on the second serve, only the second serve is replayed; the first serve is not restored. Either way, the let itself is never counted as a fault, so a net-cord let on a second serve does not risk a double fault.

There is also no cap on how many lets can happen in a row. If a serve keeps grazing the net and dropping in, the server simply keeps re-serving until a clean point begins. Knowing how serves and faults work fits into the wider picture of tennis scoring.

Let vs. a serve that hits the net and lands out

An important distinction: a let only applies when the served ball touches the net and still lands in the correct box. If the ball hits the net and lands outside the service box, it is a fault, not a let. So the net contact alone does not save the serve; the ball must still land in for the point to be replayed. This is a common point of confusion for newer players and fans.

Lets during a rally

Beyond the serve, a let can be called during a point when something outside the players’ control interferes. A ball rolling onto the court from an adjacent court, a sudden distraction, or a hindrance that was not caused by either player can all lead to a let, meaning the point is replayed from scratch. This use of the let protects fairness when an outside factor spoils an otherwise legitimate point. The key test is that the interference must be unintentional and beyond a player’s control; a distraction a player creates deliberately is treated as a hindrance and can cost them the point instead of earning a replay.

How a let differs from an ace or a fault

It helps to line the three up. A fault is an illegal serve that costs the server that serve. An ace is a legal, untouched serve that wins the point outright. A let is neutral: nobody wins or loses the point, and the serve or rally is replayed. The let is the tennis equivalent of a do-over, built into the rules so that a lucky net clip or an outside distraction does not unfairly decide a point.

The “no-let” experiment

Some formats have tested playing serves off the net cord as live, known as a “no-let” rule, to speed up matches and remove judgment calls. Traditional professional and recreational play still replays net-cord serves, so the safest habit is to confirm which rule your competition uses before you step on court.

In everyday play, the let is one of the simplest rules to apply once you remember the core idea: a let is not a point and not a fault, just a clean restart. If the ball clips the net on the serve and still lands in, take it again. If an outside distraction ruins a rally, replay the point. Because it never rewards or punishes either player, the let quietly keeps tennis fair without changing the score, which is exactly why it has been part of the game for so long.