No-Let serve started – two year trial period to assess player reaction

After a lengthy discussion and extensive presentation by Bob Brown at the Annual Meeting on May 11, 1996, the APTA Board voted to modify Rule 13, which called for the replaying of a point when the service touched the net cord, center strap or band, and landed in the proper service court. The rule was modified to eliminate the replaying of the point when this happens, thus putting the ball in play.

Several other rules where this situation could be described were also reworded to conform to the new decision.

Before the change, a portion of Rule 13 stated:

“In all cases where a let is called, the point is to be replayed. The service is a let if:
(a) It touches the net cord, center strap or band and then lands in the proper
service court;
(b) After touching the net, band or center strap, it touches either member of
the receiving team or anything they are wearing or carrying before
hitting the deck, regardless of where they might be standing, on or off the
court;
(c) It is delivered when the receiving team is not ready (see Rule 12).”

Under the modification, paragraphs (a) and (b) were deleted and only (c) remained in force. Thus, if the service touched the net cord, center strap or band and landed in the proper service court, play continued. Also, if the service, after touching the net, center strap or band, touched either member of the receiving team or anything they are wearing or carrying before hitting the deck, regardless of where they might be standing, on or off the court, the server won the point.

This decision in 1996 was enacted as a two-year trial period, after which player reactions would be surveyed, and permanency considered by the Board.

Source: Platform Tennis News, Summer 1996