net touchfollow-throughrules
When May Your Racquet Cross Over the Net?
Ordinarily you must strike the ball on your side, but after it bounces in your court and spins or blows back, you may reach over the net to hit it.
Start with this check
Looking only at racquet position fails to distinguish a legal follow-through from the exception for a ball that bounces in your court and then spins or blows back over the net.
Try these steps in order
- In an ordinary situation, wait until the ball crosses the net and strike it on your side of the court.
- If the ball bounces in your court and then spins or blows back, you may reach over the net to strike it, but the bounce in your court must occur first.
- Also distinguish a follow-through that crosses over after contact on your side, and while the ball is in play keep your racquet, body, and anything you wear or carry from touching the net or the opponent's court.
Bottom line
The key questions are not simply whether the racquet crossed the net, but where the ball was struck and whether the net was touched.
Reviewed sources
Technical evidence is shown separately from community topic signals.
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