PROPOSED ALTERATION OF RULES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9393, 15 December 1920, Page 6

PROPOSED ALTERATION OF RULES.

': (iFer Press Association Copyrights LOISTDON, December 13.',. : There is great' perturbationf\iri the 'tennis world at a so-called reyolution'ary proposal to alter the service rule.; lAt to-day's annual meeting;-', of tlie j association it was proposed tor require .the server to have both -feet "behind •the line, or if one was raised it must 'be grounded before either foot entered ,tlie court. Critics said the alteration ,would favour a tame service atHherexipense of the modern' Australian andf ;Ameriean service, therefore'condemned las; unsportsmanlike any attempt, to make- a change. It was known, beforehand that America was hostile, but ..the attitude of the Dominion delegates was 'not disclosed. The meeting eventually ; decided to postpone a decision untu 'other nations had been consulted. The meeting resolved' that if.. the> servei imissed the ball while attempting to serve it should count as a. fault. : The association considered an important motion to empower the International Federation to modify/the laws ■of. the game, on condition that the I official decisive text of the laws should he in the English language and alterations be made unanimously at.a genciral meeting of the federation. The motion was referred back.to the council after a lengthy. discussion. It iwas pointed out that. America had '.already altered the laws, and chaos .would ensue unless uniformity; was l made possible.'." I Opponents of the motion' claimed ■ that the s privilege to make. laws, was ■the English- Association's birthright: |iThe American precedent! was valueless, !|as America had, not joined: the?federation.