Pickleball Hits Net on Serve – Play it? Or Serve it Again?

This post has been updated in 2026 according to the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (2026).

The Pickleball Let Serve Was Abolished in 2021

Pickleball officially changed the “let” rule to eliminate re-serves when it published the 2021 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook. Prior to 2021, if a served ball clipped the net but landed in the correct service box, it was considered a let and the serve was attempted again.

According to USA Pickleball, the change was made, in part, to minimize “cheating” – for example, calling “let” (regardless if it was or was not) if your opponent hit a serve that could not be returned.

With the 2021 rule change – which impacted play in 2021 and beyond – if a served ball touches the net and lands in the correct service box, the serve is considered “good” and play continues.

Obviously, the ball that clips the net still must land in the correct service box. It is a fault, therefore, if the ball lands in the Non-Volley Zone (or on the non-volley line), on the wrong side of the middle line, or beyond the sideline or baseline after clipping the net.

Shown below is the official ruling from USA Pickleball.

USA Pickleball Official Rulebook

The key phrase is “with or without touching the net.”

What Does Tennis Do? What About Padel?

Both tennis and padel differ from pickleball in how they handle the serve that clips the net. In tennis, a ball that is served that clips the top of the net and lands in the correct service box is played as a let — and served again. Same thing in the sport of padel — a ball that clips the net on the serve results in a let if the ball lands cleanly in the diagonal service box without touching the wire fence.

Related Articles

For more information on Serving Rules, check out the articles below:

• Initial Service and Side
• Legal or Illegal Serve
• Pickleball Serve Rules
• Pre-Serve Routine
• Serve Hits Receiver’s Partner
• Service Foot Fault
• Swing and Miss on Serve
• Two Bounce Rule

For information on all of the Pickleball Rules, check out our complete guide.

Final Thoughts

While this ruling had an intended consequence to minimize cheating – and it undoubtedly has – this is a rule that my Saturday morning crew does not enforce. We still play lets – like is done in tennis and padel. It’s rec play, after all. Let us know what you do in the comments below.

See you on the courts!

Todd Jungling (5.0 Player, Certified Instructor, Tourney Director)

Todd is the talent behind PickleballMAX. He knows pickleball and demonstrates it on the court as a 4.5 – 5.0 player. In addition to creating content and running the PickleballMAX business, Todd is IPTPA Level II certified. As an instructor at the Ohio Pickleball Academy, he instructs students and runs adult and youth clinics. He also manages tournament desks throughout the Midwest for tournaments ranging from 100-500 participants.