When the ball hits the net in tennis, the ruling depends solely on where the ball lands on the court. If a player hits the ball into the net and it bounces back toward him on his side of the court, the point is awarded to his opponent. However, if the ball clips the tape on the top of the net and goes over to his opponent's side of the court, the ball must be played if it lands inbounds.
Hitting the Net and Going Over
When the ball hits the net and goes over the net but lands out of bounds, the point is considered over and the player who last hit the ball loses the point. However, if the ball lands anywhere in bounds on the court, the opponent of the player who hit the shot must play the ball as if it did not hit the net. In addition, if the ball hits a line, it should be played as if the ball hit on the court surface that the line bounds.
Hitting the Net on Serve
Much like in the midst of a point, if the ball hits the net on a serve, it depends on where the ball lands to determines what happens next. According to the International Tennis Federation, a service is considered a let if the ball served touches the net, strap or band, and is otherwise good or, after touching the net, strap or band, touches the receiver or the receiver's partner or anything they wear or carry before hitting the ground. If either of these scenarios occurs, the point is replayed.
Lets and Service Strategy
If the ball does not land in the service box after hitting the net, the serve is considered a fault and the player either must play his second serve or he double faults and the point goes to his opponent. However, if the ball is called a let on a player's first serve, the server gets another chance at his first service because the entire point is replayed. This is crucial because most players take more chances and try to hit serves harder on the first serve because of the lack of repercussions.
Movement to Electronic Net Monitoring
Traditionally, tournaments would have an extra line judge monitor the net to see if the ball struck it or not. In the 2000s, tournaments began moving to electronic net monitors that sense whether the ball touched the net or not. In addition, tennis has also instituted instant replay, making human error of whether balls hit the net or went out of bounds virtually nonexistent.
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