Receiver Ready Rule (Quick Serve)
Also known as: quick serve, quick serving, quick-serving, serving before I'm ready, served before I was ready, receiver not ready, receiver readiness, serving too fast
The server must wait until the receiver is ready, and the receiver must play to the server's reasonable pace. If you are not ready, make no attempt to return the serve. It is then replayed as a let. If you try to return it, you count as ready, even on a quick serve.
ITF Rule 21 sets the balance. The server shall not serve until the receiver is ready. The receiver shall play to the server's reasonable pace and be ready within a reasonable time. A receiver who attempts to return the serve is considered ready. If the receiver shows they were not ready, the serve cannot be called a fault. Under Rule 22(b), a serve hit before the receiver is ready is a let and is served again.
The Code adds practical rules. The receiver should make no effort to return a serve when not ready. Swinging at a quick serve means you were ready. Once ready, a receiver cannot become unready unless something outside the match interferes. If the server's second-serve motion is interrupted by a ball coming onto the court, the server gets two serves. After a delay between serves, the server gets one serve if they caused it. They get two if the receiver caused it.
Good habits prevent most disputes. As receiver, settle into your ready position and look at the server. As server, glance at the receiver before you toss. Deliberately slow receiving, or excessive bouncing before every serve, is stalling under The Code. Where a shot clock is used, the 25-second limit between points applies to both players.
Tips by skill level
If you are not ready, do not swing. Hold up a hand, let the ball go past, and the serve is replayed.
Build a quick visual check into your serve routine. Look at the receiver after your bounces and before your toss.
Example
The receiver is still fixing her strings when the server hits a quick first serve. She lets it go by without swinging and raises a hand. The serve is replayed as a let, and the server still has two serves.
Why it matters
Quick serving is a common source of tension in club matches. The rule protects both players: the receiver gets time to be ready, and the server is not kept waiting.
Common mistakes
- Swinging at a quick serve and then claiming you were not ready
- Serving while the receiver is looking down or walking back
- Receivers taking far too long between points to break the server's rhythm
- Thinking a serve hit before you were ready can be a fault
Frequently asked questions
Can my opponent serve before I'm ready?
No. Under ITF Rule 21, the server must wait until the receiver is ready. If you are not ready, do not try to return it, and the serve is replayed as a let. You must still play to the server's reasonable pace.
Is it a let if I wasn't ready for the serve?
Yes, if you made no attempt to return it. ITF Rule 22(b) makes a serve hit before the receiver is ready a let. If you swing at it, you are treated as ready.
What is a quick serve in tennis?
A serve hit before the receiver has settled and is ready. It is not allowed under ITF Rule 21. If the receiver tries to return it anyway, they count as ready and the point stands.
Sources
Related terms
- Time ViolationA time violation is a penalty for taking too long between points or at a changeover. Under USTA rules the first one is a warning and each one after that costs a point. Pro tours set their own shot-clock penalties.
- Let (Serve Rule)A let is called when a serve clips the net cord and still lands in the correct service box. The point is then replayed with no penalty to the server.
- Service FaultA serve is a fault if it misses the correct service box or if you swing and miss the toss. It is also a fault if the serve hits the net post, a singles stick, you or your partner before landing. A foot fault is a fault too. Catching a bad toss is not a fault.
- Return of ServeTo return serve well, split step as the server hits, turn your shoulders early and use a short, compact backswing. Against a fast serve, block or chip the ball deep and use the server's pace. Against a kick serve, step in and take it before it climbs, or move back and let it drop.
- Serve RoutineA serve routine is the consistent pre-serve sequence — bouncing the ball, breathing, positioning the feet — that helps players enter a calm, focused state before every delivery.
Related guides & benchmarks
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