Let on toss

[tykrum]

I'm having kind of a heated argument with a friend about an incident that happened the other night while playing. I was serving, hit my first serve out, then got ready to hit my second serve and tossed the ball up to serve. The ball from my first serve rolled into the court, and during my toss the returner's partner yelled stop to move the ball.

I had thought the other team was ready to return (I'm fairly sure that the returner was in a ready position) when I tossed the ball. I said it should be a let and I get two serves, but my friend (the returner's partner) says that the toss isn't part of the point, and also that I didn't give them time to move the ball. I guess you can't really help me figure out whether they looked ready to play or not, but I am pretty certain that the toss is the start of a point. I believe it was in tennis mag's rules section a while back. Any help would be great.

 

[ucd_ace]

The ball has to be in play in order for you to get two serves. Since you hadn't served the ball yet, you should have just taken a second serve. Just think about it... you don't have to hit the ball when you toss it, so how can you say that the point has started?

 

[tykrum]

Okay sorry, I guess when I said any help would be great, I didn't mean guesses or rationalizations. I want to know facts, especially if someone else remembers the Tennis mag section. My rationalization is that if the reciever stopping you during the toss isn't a let, whats stopping them from yelling out stop during every toss on a big point? It would be akin to in basketball, where a player is at the free throw line with the ball doing their dribbling routine, and the other team calls time out. You can only call a TO before the player gets the ball from the ref. Also, I'd say when that ball leaves your hand, its in play.

 

[Tennis Ball Hitter]

11. Ball in play (old 17)
Unless a fault or a let is called, the ball is in play from the moment the server hits the ball, and remains in play until the point is decided.

 

[shindemac]

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how this should be handled. The rules say that if a ball rolls on the court between 1st and 2nd serve, you only get a second serve unless it takes "too long" to get the ball. But another rule states that if you are interrupted during the second serve, then you get 2 serves. Generally, you should look at the returner and make eye contact to make sure they are ready. You can check the rules on the usta site. They have fairly good examples like this.

 

[papa]

Yeah, generally you aren't awarded two balls because a ball from your own court created the delay - if a ball comes onto your court from an adjacent (another) court than you would get two serves. During the "normal" play of a point (between first and second serve) its assumed someone has to fetch a ball so its no big deal. A serve starts, as Tennis Ball Hitter has said, when you strike the ball - you can toss it up and catch it without a problem.

 

[kevhen]

It was your own ball that caused the delay so you shouldn't recieve two serves. If a neighboring ball comes in then your opponents should tell you to take two, but aren't obliged to if it's because you failed to get your own first serve in. It's a tricky situation where your opponents could allow you to take two because they failed to pick up the ball but I don't think they are obligated to giving you 2 serves as you could have waited for them to pick up the ball. There are no ball boys in recreational tennis.

 

[tennis-n-sc]

If a let is called after the service motion is begun, a first serve is awarded. This includes the toss. I am curious why someone didn't remove the stray ball prior to the second serve beginning.

 

[papa]

If a let is called after the service motion is begun, a first serve is awarded. This includes the toss. I am curious why someone didn't remove the stray ball prior to the second serve beginning.

Well sometimes a ball seems temporarly secure along a fence or at net but suddenly a gust of wind dislodges the ball and it rolls out. Always better to stop play than run the risk of having somebody fall. If you haven't fallen, as a result of stepping on a ball, during play and gone down your lucky. You hit like a ton of bricks. Last time it happened to me, I thought I got hit by lightning - not a lot of fun.