The word, "let" applies to a stopping of play during a tennis match or a replay of a point for a particular reason. Any player can call most lets during a point, based on situations such as the player not being ready or a hindrance on the court. Depending on what league governs your match, some lets differ based on the situation.
Service Let
The most common let call occurs when a ball hits the net during a serve and lands in the correct service box. When this happens, the server receives another serve. If he serves a let on the first serve, he starts the point over with two serves. If the let occurs on the second serve, the server only gets one more serve, unless he hits a let again. There is no limit to the number of lets a server can hit. Theoretically, a point could continue forever if the server continues to hit the net and the ball goes into the service box.
If the ball hits the net and the receiver touches the ball before it lands, the receiver loses the point. In doubles, if the ball touches the net and the receiver's partner touches the ball before it lands, players play a let. In TeamTennis matches, there are no service lets, and players must play serves that hit the net and land in the service box. In doubles TeamTennis matches, the receiver's partner may return a serve that hits the net and lands in the proper service box.
Player Not Ready
Players have 20 seconds to start play after the previous point ends, according to the rules of tennis issued by the International Tennis Federation, the international governing body of the sport. The receiver must play to the reasonable pace of the server, who can start the next point in less than 20 seconds. However, she must wait until the receiver is ready. If the receiver is not ready, the receiver can call a let if the ball is served. The receiver may not attempt to return the ball in this situation. If the receiver attempts to hit the ball and then claims she was not ready to play the point, she may not call a let. If a player calls a let during the server's motion, the server gets two more serves, regardless of whether she was serving a first or second serve.
Hindrance
Players may call a let during a point if they experience an interference. For example, if a ball rolls on the court or a player from another court enters the playing area, a player may call a let. A player may not call a let for an occurrence happening off the court, such as unruly spectators or an injury or argument on the adjacent court.
Making the Call
Any player may call a let during a point, except a service let. Only the receiver or receiving team can call a let, because they must make the call that the serve landed in the proper service box after it hit the net. The serving team may call a "net," meaning the ball hit the net. In that case, the receiving team must call a let if they saw the ball land in the correct box.
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