Tennis · Laws of Tennis
Law 13: Ball Touches a Permanent Fixture
1 parts · 1 tests · 10 facts · updated 30 October 2026 · markdown
Tennis is often played close to things that are not part of the court: the roof above it, officials in their positions, spectators, and in singles even the net posts. Law 13 treats these as permanent fixtures and says what happens when a ball in play touches one.
Everything turns on the order of events. If the ball has already made a good bounce in the correct court and then touches a fixture, the hitter wins the point. If it touches a fixture on the full, before reaching the ground, the hitter loses the point, wherever the ball was heading. A ball that strikes the roof before the ground is therefore a lost point, and so is one that hits a spectator first. An official in position also counts as a fixture, and when the ball had already landed in before touching them, the point goes to the hitter. When singles sticks are used, the net posts standing outside them count as permanent fixtures too.
The facts below cover what counts as a permanent fixture and how a touch before or after the bounce decides the point.
13.131Ball Touches a Permanent Fixture
Fixtures touched after a good bounce, fixtures touched on the full, and which objects count.
Test 1Fixtures and the pointTake a test
Touching a fixture after a good bounce wins the point for the hitter.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · applied
Touching a fixture on the full loses the point for the hitter.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · applied
The roof is a fixture above the court; hitting it before the ground loses the point.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 with Rule 2 · applied
An official in position is a fixture, and the ball had already landed in.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 with Rule 2 · applied
Spectators are fixtures; touching one before the ground loses the point, wherever it was heading.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 with Rule 2 · applied
With singles sticks, the net posts outside them count as permanent fixtures.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 with Rule 2 · applied
After a good bounce the hitter wins; before any bounce the hitter loses.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · recall
A ball that lands in and then strikes a fixture has won the point; one the opponent returns before that keeps the point going; one that hits a fixture before the ground loses it.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · applied
The good bounce comes first, so touching the fixture afterwards wins it.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · applied
Ball A had already landed in the correct court before touching the fixture.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 · applied
Questions people ask
- What is a permanent fixture in tennis?
- Permanent fixtures include the roof above the court, officials in their positions and spectators. With singles sticks in use, the net posts outside them are fixtures as well.
- What happens if the ball hits a fixture after bouncing in?
- The hitter wins the point. The good bounce came first, so touching the fixture afterwards does not change that.
- Who wins the point if the ball hits the roof before landing?
- The hitter loses it. The roof is a fixture above the court, and touching it before the ground loses the point.
- What if the ball hits a spectator on the full?
- The hitter loses the point. Spectators are fixtures, and a ball touching one before the ground loses the point wherever it was heading.
- Are the net posts fixtures in singles?
- When singles sticks are used, the net posts standing outside them count as permanent fixtures.
Sources
ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)
- ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 136
- ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 13 with Rule 24