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Tennis · Laws of Tennis

Law 19: Service Fault

1 parts · 2 tests · 20 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

When a serve is a fault: breaking the service, serving or foot-fault rules, missing the ball, or the serve touching a fixture, a singles stick, a net post, the server or the partner before it lands.

19.191Service Fault

Broken service rules, misses and caught tosses, and serves that touch something before landing.

Test 1Misses, tosses and broken rulesTake a test

  1. Missing the ball when trying to hit it is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  2. A player who chooses not to hit may catch the ball.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 1 · applied

  3. The Rules allow the toss to bounce when the server decides not to hit.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 1 · applied

  4. The toss may be caught with the hand or the racket.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 1 · applied

  5. A serve that does not land in the correct box breaks the serving rule.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 with Rule 17 · recall

  6. Laws 16, 17 and 18 all lead to a fault when broken.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · recall

  7. Serving from in front of the baseline breaks the service rule, so it is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  8. A miss counts as a fault, just as a ball into the net would.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  9. Catching an unwanted toss costs nothing.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 1 · applied

  10. From the right, the serve must land in the diagonal box; lines count as in.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 with Rule 17 · applied

Test 2Serves that touch something firstTake a test

  1. A served ball that touches a permanent fixture before the ground is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  2. Touching a singles stick before the ground makes the serve a fault, wherever it lands.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 2 · applied

  3. A serve that touches a net post before the ground is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  4. A serve touching the server's partner, or anything they wear or carry, is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · recall

  5. The ball may not touch the server or anything the server wears or carries.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  6. Fixtures above the court count; touching one before the ground is a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  7. Posts, sticks and stands are all treated the same way for a serve.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · recall

  8. Landing in afterwards does not save it.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 2 · applied

  9. A good serve, a let to be replayed, and a fault.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 · applied

  10. Landing in the box afterwards cannot rescue it.

    Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 2 · applied

Sources

ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

  • ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 1911
  • ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 14
  • ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19, Case 23
  • ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 19 with Rule 172