The ball is struck before it bounces
USTA’s service explanation confirms that the ball can be released upward or downward, provided the racket strikes it before it hits the ground. An underarm action can meet that requirement. A drop that bounces before the racket strike is a different situation.
Imagine a fictional server releases the ball downward and strikes it in the air with an underarm swing into the correct service court. The downward release does not alone invalidate the serve. The same motion still needs to meet the other applicable service conditions.
Underarm does not mean anywhere on the court
The server’s legal position, foot-fault requirements, correct half of the court and proper service target remain relevant. A clever underarm attempt that lands in the wrong service court is not rescued by the motion being allowed.
Likewise, the receiver must return a serve after its bounce rather than volleying it. A short underarm serve can draw the receiver forward, but the ordinary service-return requirement still applies. A tactical surprise and a legal exemption are different concepts.
Watch the complete service sequence
A replay starting at the racket contact can omit a foot fault or the release. A replay ending before the bounce can omit whether the ball reached the correct service court. Use enough of the sequence to answer the actual disputed condition.
Crowd reaction is not a rule decision. An underarm serve can be discussed as a tactical choice without assuming it is prohibited or diagnosing the server’s physical condition. USTA’s published example involves a sore shoulder, but that example does not make injury a prerequisite for the action.
For a viewing note, record the server’s position, release, pre-bounce strike, landing and official outcome. Then identify whether any fault concerned the motion itself or another requirement. This keeps a legal but unusual technique from being mislabeled and prevents the opposite error of treating every underarm attempt as automatically valid regardless of where the ball lands.
The usual first-serve and second-serve distinction still applies to that attempt.
Related questions
Does an underarm serve have to bounce before contact?
No. The racket must strike the released ball before it hits the ground.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- USTA underhand service ruling — Underarm motion allowed with racket strike before ground contact
- USTA 2025 Friend at Court — Normal service position, service court and receiving requirements
