Can the server call a let?

I called a let on my own serve yesterday without any protest from my opponent. He might have heard it as well. We never spent a word on it. But it was one of those matches without a single disputed call.
 

McLovin

Legend
But it was one of those matches without a single disputed call.
inconceivable.jpg
 

TennisCJC

Legend
yea, my captain looked up this rule a couple of seasons ago. Any player in singles or doubles can call a let but you obviously cannot call your own serve in.
 

PMChambers

Hall of Fame
You can call whatever you want, just you don't have jurisdiction over it. I call my service fault for center line it's hard one to see for a returner. It's a game not an occupation for most of us. I also inquire about dodgy fault calls, but don't do anything other than inquire. You should call any out ball and let and play any uncertain ball as in.
 

beernutz

Hall of Fame
Calling lets on aces is why lets are now played in U.S. collegiate tennis. Maybe if we start doing the same in USTA we can get the rule changed to play service lets?
 

PMChambers

Hall of Fame
Really? I just get a good amount of aces called fault instead. What's strange is it's not losing the point that causes people to miss call, it the ace part. I don't get nonreturnable serves called faults, just aces. There's this belief by people if they can't touch it, it's got to be out. What's worse is most my aces tend to be slow breakers wide so moderately easy to call. It's life you really can't do anything about it, I'm positive I make bad calls as well. It's such a fast game.
 

blakesq

Hall of Fame
This is wrong. Anyone on the court has "jurisdiction" to call a let when the serve hits the net cord and goes over. However, only the receiver has "jurisdiction" to call it in or out.

You can call whatever you want, just you don't have jurisdiction over it. I call my service fault for center line it's hard one to see for a returner. It's a game not an occupation for most of us. I also inquire about dodgy fault calls, but don't do anything other than inquire. You should call any out ball and let and play any uncertain ball as in.
 

beernutz

Hall of Fame
You can call whatever you want, just you don't have jurisdiction over it. I call my service fault for center line it's hard one to see for a returner. It's a game not an occupation for most of us. I also inquire about dodgy fault calls, but don't do anything other than inquire. You should call any out ball and let and play any uncertain ball as in.

Not on first serves I hope.
 

PMChambers

Hall of Fame
This is wrong.
Not according to the rule books I've read. A server can't over rule a fault call by the receiver. He can argue but the receiver has the call. The side playing the ball always has the justification over the ball they're playing. A net is on no side and can be called by either.

Not on first serves I hope.
Absolutely, the returners really struggle with the center line. If I miraculously get my first serve going the return ends up further back than me from the service line as well. I don't play clear faults just because the opposition somehow arsed a return and decided to play it as a result. Most players are happy to have unreturned big serves called as fault.

Any ball I see out is called out, any ball I can't see gets played in. That's my rules and I live by them and I rarely have arguments as a result. But I'd win more often if I didn't and effectively cheated, I'd also make 100x more cash as a result, which is about $0.
 

pinky42

New User
Absolutely, the returners really struggle with the center line. If I miraculously get my first serve going the return ends up further back than me from the service line as well. I don't play clear faults just because the opposition somehow arsed a return and decided to play it as a result. Most players are happy to have unreturned big serves called as fault.

Any ball I see out is called out, any ball I can't see gets played in. That's my rules and I live by them and I rarely have arguments as a result. But I'd win more often if I didn't and effectively cheated, I'd also make 100x more cash as a result, which is about $0.

While it appears that your intentions are good, you should not always do that. The rule of thumb I use is to only call a first serve out if it will benefit my opponent.

1. You hit an ace or your opponent hits a bad return. Go ahead and call it out. A look at a second serve is better than them losing the point outright.
2. Your opponent hit the return for a winner. Don't call the serve out.
3. Your opponent hits a weak reply. Don't call the serve out. This may seem odd, but if you call it out you give yourself another chance at an ace and your opponent has a chance of hitting a bad return.
 

PMChambers

Hall of Fame
2. Your opponent hit the return for a winner. Don't call the serve out.

I don't play obvious out balls just to make my opponent feel superior. I've played player in the lower div when I was a junior many years ago who waited to see the return before calling the serve. It's called cheating, I don't care for it. If they want the point and game that much they can have it, technically they can call any ball out or in on their side when ever they want . The games about playing a fair game not about stretching the rules.
 
Every call is made by the person on the side of the net where the ball is bouncing. I agree that playing an obvious out ball is as bad as calling an in ball "out". But, sometimes people don't mean to play the obvious out ball, they are just trying to not call an "in" ball "out". The service line can be hard to judge. Always play "till the whistle". I have seen some instances where the returner plays an obvious out ball, the server knows it was out, and the returner will then "confirm" with the server. In practice matches, line calls are totally different. I play with pretty honest people, and we will make calls on ourselves if they don't have a good view of it, and the scenario with the serves, we will play a let or something fair.
 
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