Is the ball in if it touches the line?
B · Beginner · How is a point won or lost? · 8 of 8Checked 13 October 2026
Yes.
A ball that touches any part of a line counts as landing in the court that line marks, so it is in. In singles
the inner sidelines are the edge of the court; in doubles the outer ones are, which adds the two side strips. The
serve must land in the service box in both.
How it works
- A ball touching a line is treated as touching the court inside that line.
- Singles court: 8.23 metres wide. Doubles court: 10.97 metres wide. Both are 23.77 metres long.
- The service boxes are the same for singles and doubles.
- A ball that lands in and then hits a permanent fixture (the back fence, the umpire's chair, a ball person): the hitter wins the point.
- A ball that hits a permanent fixture before bouncing: the hitter loses the point.
Tricky cases
In doubles, is a serve into the side strip in?
No. The service boxes do not include the side strips. The strips are in only once the rally has started.
The ball landed in and then hit the roof. Whose point?
The hitter's. It hit a permanent fixture after landing in the correct court.
Why the rule exists
Treating the whole line as in gives one clear test. The wider doubles court gives four players room.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ITF rules | As above | L1, 12, 13 |
| Events with electronic review or live line calling | Calls can be reviewed or made by a system | App VII |
From the rule book
ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rules 1, 2, 12 and 13. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: ITF Rules of Tennis (PDF).