# Law 24: Player Loses Point (ITF Rules of Tennis)

Tennis · Law 24: Player Loses Point · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/tennis/laws/law-24-player-loses-point/)

The ways a player loses a point: two faults, a double bounce, a ball out or into a fixture, volleying the serve, carrying or double-hitting, touching the net or the other court, hitting before the ball crosses, being hit by the ball, an unheld racket, reshaping the racket, and both doubles partners touching the ball.

## 24.241 Player Loses Point

Serving, bounces and landings; touching the ball; and the net and the opponent's court, with the Rule's eight cases.

### Test 1: Serving, bounces and landings

- Two consecutive faults lose the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24a)
- The ball must be returned before it bounces twice in a row. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24b)
- A return landing outside the correct court loses the point for the hitter. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24c)
- Hitting an object outside the correct court before the bounce loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24c)
- The serve must bounce before the receiver returns it. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24e)
- A serve that strikes the receiving pair on the full wins the point for the server. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 7)
- In singles the alley is outside the correct court. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24c)
- Two faults in a row cost the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24a)
- The second bounce ends the point against the player who did not reach it. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24b)
- Catching or hitting the ball before it bounces loses the point unless it is a good return. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 8)

### Test 2: Touching the ball

- Deliberately carrying, catching or double-hitting the ball loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24f)
- The ball may not touch the player or anything they wear or carry, except the racket. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24i)
- Only the held racket may touch the ball. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24i)
- The ball touching a racket the player is not holding loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24j)
- Only one partner may touch the ball in a return. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24l)
- Throwing the racket at the ball loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 6)
- Deliberately and materially changing the racket's shape during play loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24k)
- A thrown racket can never win the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 6)
- Two touches by a doubles pair on one return lose the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24l)
- A player may not hit the ball before it has passed the net. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24h)

### Test 3: The net and the opponent's court

- The net is off limits to player and racket alike during a rally. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24g)
- The net, its posts and sticks and the opponent's court are all off limits while the ball is in play. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24g)
- The ball was still in play when the racket touched the net. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 1)
- Once the serve has landed out, the ball is no longer in play. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 2)
- A serve is live until it lands, so the partner's net touch counts. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 3)
- Landing in the opponent's court during play loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 5)
- Anything the player wears touching the opponent's court loses the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24g)
- Contact with the net while the ball is in play costs the point. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 1)
- The net touch came after the ball was out of play. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 2)
- Crossing the imaginary extension of the net is allowed as long as the opponent's court is not touched. (Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24, Case 4)

Sources: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 24 with Cases 1-8 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

Take the tests: https://insporta.app/try?utm_source=book&utm_medium=referral