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Your shot clips the net and drops over. What happens?
A net cord during a rally is just a lucky bounce. Only the serve gets replayed.
You drive the ball during a rally, it clips the top of the net and drops over into their court. What is the situation?
A net cord during a rally is just a lucky bounce. Only the serve gets replayed.
Why
The ball can touch the net at any point in a rally and remain in play, exactly as in tennis. What loses you the point is you touching the net, with your racket, your body or your clothing, while the ball is live, or reaching over it to play a ball that has not crossed. The serve is the one exception on the ball side: a serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct box is a let, and is replayed with no penalty.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Never stop playing because of a net cord. Half the points lost to them are lost by the player who assumed the point was over.
Intermediate
Expect a short bounce and step in as you see the ball clip. The reward for reacting is usually a very easy ball.
Advanced
Because these balls sit up short, the pair with the better forward reactions gains a real edge over a match. Treat the net cord as a cue to move in, not as luck.
Common questions
You drive the ball during a rally, it clips the top of the net and drops over into their court. What is the situation?
Play on: a net cord in a rally is normal. A net cord during a rally is just a lucky bounce. Only the serve gets replayed. The ball can touch the net at any point in a rally and remain in play, exactly as in tennis. What loses you the point is you touching the net, with your racket, your body or your clothing, while the ball is live, or reaching over it to play a ball that has not crossed. The serve is the one exception on the ball side: a serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct box is a let, and is replayed with no penalty.
Why not let. The point is replayed?
Lets exist only on the serve. Applying that to rallies would mean replaying half the points in a match.
What should a beginner do here?
Never stop playing because of a net cord. Half the points lost to them are lost by the player who assumed the point was over.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Because these balls sit up short, the pair with the better forward reactions gains a real edge over a match. Treat the net cord as a cue to move in, not as luck.
What do the rules say?
A ball touching the net during a rally stays in play. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box is a let and is replayed.
Puzzles like this one
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beginnerThe ball bounced then hit your own back glass. Still in play?
One bounce on the floor, then any number of walls. Only a second floor bounce ends the point.
advancedThe smash sent the ball out through the side opening. Chase it?
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