Okay, so the other day I was playing a friendly tennis match with my buddy, Mark. We’re both pretty average players, you know, weekend warriors type. Anyway, there was this one point where I rushed the net, trying to be all aggressive and stuff.
I hit a volley, and my momentum carried me forward. I thought I was gonna stop in time, but nope. My racquet totally bumped the net. It wasn’t a huge smash or anything, just a little tap.
What I Thought Would Happen
Honestly, before this, I wasn’t 100% sure on the rule. I kind of figured that as long as the ball was already past the net and bounced on Mark’s side, it wouldn’t matter. Like, “no harm, no foul,” right?
What Actually Happened
- Mark immediately called a fault. He’s a stickler for the rules, that one.
- I argued a bit, saying the ball was already gone, but he pointed to the net.
- I double check from tennis rules.
Turns out, he was totally right. I learned that it does not matter after you hit the ball. Any tiny bit of touching net is a fault. My point before that tiny touch is lost.
My Takeaway
You cannot touch the net at all. Period. It doesn’t matter if the ball is long gone, or if you barely graze the net, or even if you’re about to fall on your face trying not to touch it. Net touch = fault. No ifs, ands, or buts.
So, yeah, lesson learned. My aggressive net rush cost me a point. Next time, I’ll be extra careful to slam on the brakes before I get anywhere near that net. I might even practice my stopping technique. Better safe than sorry, and all that.
