What Is A Let In Tennis?

Tennis is a popular game with various strange rules and regulations. However, you may don’t know all the rules if you are a beginner, where a professional player abides by all the rules of this game. As there are many rules in tennis you may ask what is a Let in Tennis. However, in a word it is the rule of tennis, and you should know about it.

In this content, I will cover up the rule known as LET in tennis and share some interesting facts about this rule with you. Again, you will know about the history of LET in Tennis and the no-let rule also. Some FAQs will help you to clear all doubts about the rules of Let. So, without further, let’s get started. 

Who Says Let In Tennis?

In the game of Tennis, the professional players say let in tennis. Again, the match umpire also says LET for better understanding the situation of the game. The umpire can call for a Let in the tournament where the players can ask for it to be reviewed. Once you know about the let in tennis then you will understand about this rule.

There is an electric sensor available in this modern time to set it up on both sides of the net, and it can detect the let easily. You will know about a device which is called Trinity on latter part. However, with the help of this device, now umpire can call a let in tennis. 

What Is A Let In Tennis?

In tennis, when a server serves the ball towards the opponent, it will be called a let if the ball touches the net. The most common LET is  Service Let in tennis, and the service let may occur for three different reasons. 

● If the ball comes minimal contact with the net and goes to opponent side court.

● The ball touches the net and also touches the opponent player’s body or garments. 

● Hit the ball before the opponent isn’t ready

The first one is very common in every tennis game you play and face it. When the ball touches the net, it changes the trajectory after hitting the net cord. 

If there is no umpire and you are playing tennis with your friend, a service can lead the ball to touch the net and  go to the other side. You will hear a sound or net shaking, and you both should call it a let and continue the game by re-serving. No point will count, and no services will cancel for this LET. 

Though this is confusing from both sides, you need to come to a mutual understanding for deciding the let. In professional games, the umpire calls the let, and there is a device installed in the net to make it clearer about the call. 

According to Wikipedia – “If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper service box, it is called a let” So, if you fail to place the ball on the other side, then you serve will cancel, and the opponent will get the point and serve. 

Accuracy of Calling a Let in Tennis

The accuracy of calling a let in tennis depends on the umpire experience, and in modern times, this depends on a modern device. When the tennis ball touches the net in minimal contact, it will also be called a let by the umpire. 

The device is called TRINITY, and it was invented in German by DietmarBrauer. This device needs to be set up on both sides of the net, and it can sense the net’s vibration and let you know about the ball’s contact to the net.

Like every device/machine, this device also has drawbacks, and it can show false indications sometimes. It happens when the air pressure causes the net to vibrate, and then it senses the vibration and provides a false call. Nothing is accurate, and you should check the replay with a video replay system so that you can decide the LET as an umpire. 

 The History of Let in Tennis

There is no perfect explanation for being called the let in tennis, but there is a widely accepted explanation. From the old Saxon word ‘LETTIAN’ the word ‘let’ came, which means ‘To hinder’. Some of the people explain that the word ‘let’ came from the French word ‘Filet’ and that means ‘NET’. 

Perhaps when tennis was first played in ENGLAND, they borrowed this word from the French dictionary, and to shorten this, they called it LET. 

There is one more possibility to call it to let in tennis. The simple way to replay the server to service and letting them serve in short ‘LET’.  
The Rules of “No-Let”

You may ask that if there is any limit for a let in tennis or not. The answer is  there is no limit for the LET in Tennis. So, it can kill lots of time if the let happens consecutively again and again. You will find a world record in Tennis for the most consecutive LETs, and you will know about it in the latter part.

However, there is a ‘No-Let’ rule, and this is for speeding up the game as there is no limit for the LET SERVICE. But this rule is rarely used in tennis, and it was first implanted in an experimental game in 2018. Fortunately, in that game, the ball didn’t stick to the net, and the rule was scrapped in 2019.

The Most Consecutive LETS Record in Tennis

In 2013 Serena William was playing against Ayumi Morita, and in that game, she built a new world record of let serve. Serena repeatedly served four times in a row for the LET. Though it was surprising, there is also the same record in camera in 2017 in China. The Chinese player Di Wu achieved the record holder fame at that time.

The Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do you know about ace in tennis?

According to Wikipedia – “In tennis, an ace is a legal serve that is not touched by the receiver, winning the point. In professional tennis, aces are generally seen on a player’s first serve, where the server can strike the ball with maximum force and take more chances with ball placement, such as the far corners of the service box.”

2. What is a let in badminton?

– A let in badminton is meant to be served to the same person from the same server, and no point will count when ‘let’ happens.  When a server serves to the opponent and reaches the opponent’s court by touching the net, it is called a let in badminton. Though this rule is not suitable in all the places around the globe, it is found in professional matches.

3. Is let ball and net ball in tennis are the same?

– If you want to differentiate the netball and the let ball, you should know what a let ball and net ball in tennis is. As you know what is a let ball and now you should know about netball. When a player serves to the opponent in tennis, and the ball is blocked by the net and comes back to the server court is known as a netball. If you make a LET ball, you will get a chance to re-serve the ball, but if you make a netball, you won’t get any chance to replay the serve. 

4. What is a deuce in tennis?

– When you are playing with your opponent and have won 4 points both. In the next round, you and your opponent score 40-40, and this situation is called duce. To win this match, one should score at least 2 points in a row.

Final Note

Hopefully, you have understood what is a let in tennis and how it is decided. There are many other rules in tennis which you may not know. As you are a beginner and you should know the rules first and work on them by practicing regularly. The let in tennis takes place for the beginner so much as they are new in this sport. When you play with your friend, make sure you both know the rule of letting in and have a mutual understanding. That’s how a nice gaming environment will create, and you can enjoy the game. 

When you are in a professional match, you should abide by the umpire calls, and you can call for a let if it happens and the umpire doesn’t notice.

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