What happens if the ball hits the antenna during play?

When a ball hits the antenna during play, it is considered out of bounds. The antenna serves as the vertical boundary for the court area over the net, and if the ball strikes it, the ball is deemed to have not passed within the legal boundaries of play. As such, any play that results in contact with the antenna is automatically ruled as out, which means the opposing team earns a point. This rule is essential to maintaining the integrity of court boundaries and ensures that plays are contested within the defined parameters of the game.