Home › Puzzle › Your serve clips the net and lands in the box. What now?
Your serve clips the net and lands in the box. What now?
A net-cord serve that lands in the box is a let: replay it, no fault counted.
Your first serve touches the top of the net, drops over and bounces inside the correct service box. What happens?
A net-cord serve that lands in the box is a let: replay it, no fault counted.
Why
The serve is the one shot in padel where touching the net matters. If it clips the net and drops into the correct box, it is a let: replayed as if it never happened, with your first serve still intact. If it clips the net and lands outside the box, or touches the metal mesh after bouncing, it is a fault. Once the point is under way, none of this applies: a rally ball can touch the net and play continues.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Do not stop after a net cord until somebody calls it. If it landed in, expect to serve again.
Intermediate
A serve that keeps catching the tape is being hit too flat. Add a little height and slice rather than more pace.
Advanced
Use the let to reset. It is a free second look at the returner's position, and they have to set up all over again.
Common questions
Your first serve touches the top of the net, drops over and bounces inside the correct service box. What happens?
Let. You replay that serve. A net-cord serve that lands in the box is a let: replay it, no fault counted. The serve is the one shot in padel where touching the net matters. If it clips the net and drops into the correct box, it is a let: replayed as if it never happened, with your first serve still intact. If it clips the net and lands outside the box, or touches the metal mesh after bouncing, it is a fault. Once the point is under way, none of this applies: a rally ball can touch the net and play continues.
Why not fault. The serve cannot touch the net?
It can. The net cord is only a fault when the ball then fails to land in the box or hits the mesh.
What should a beginner do here?
Do not stop after a net cord until somebody calls it. If it landed in, expect to serve again.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Use the let to reset. It is a free second look at the returner's position, and they have to set up all over again.
What do the rules say?
A serve that touches the net and lands in the correct service box is a let and is replayed. If it touches the net and then the mesh, or lands outside the box, it is a fault.
Puzzles like this one
You have served. Where do you go?
In padel you serve in order to get to the net. Serve, then go.
intermediateThey cannot play the side glass. Where do you serve?
Serve at the weakness you have found, not at the space you can see.
beginnerCan you volley the return of serve?
The return of serve must bounce. It is the one ball in padel you are not allowed to volley.