FOOT-FAULT IN TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 November 1930, Page 10

FOOT-FAULT IN TENNIS

RULE OFTEN BROKEN ENGLISH SERVICE CRITICISED BYWORD FOR tn deficiency. I’layers oi lawn tennis who have ■llinein abiding uy roe loot-uuiu rale, and moso wiw tniiiK toey a men ov it out wiio are often penalised Uj mu pi res—r-tor, just as in cricket tJit.e nit! uatsraen who are “never out 1.0. w mere are in lawn tennis players who “slioukl never nave neen loov-iaulteu —siiouid pay ispeciai attention to tne following article, written by su. •) tvnmpsoii lor tne ’ ‘Manoiiestei vi uardian. ” tne loot-fault rule, reads:—tne server shall stand with both feet at rest behind tne baseline The server snail throughout the delivery of service (ai iNot change his position by walking or running; \[>) Maintain contact with the ground ; pc; iveep both teet behind. . the baseline. „

the above rules for delivery of the service are very explicit, and any infraction or them is a tanlt —in theory, in practice —well, nowadays the fooxrault rule has proved so dulicult in application as to be a more or less recognised failure. One sees players go on foot-faulting their way to the semi-final or final oj an open event (in handicap it is usually ignored), and then wnen it is an important round linesmen are impressed and it is possible that some stickler w ill be on the look-out lor the fcot-faulter. Thanks to its stack application, thougii the rule is there, it is with some feeling of compunction that a linesman will calL “Foot-fault!” The announcement comes as a distinct shock to the gallery; it is felt by many to be perhaps rather mean.

DILEMMA OF UMPIRES. Does one umpire take upon himself the iopt-iault decision lie generally will give the offender warning. Why one does not- quite- know, unless it be that this rule lias been found to be a. failure in operation, and the umpire is unwillinp- for the one to suffer where there are so many similar offenders who get elf spot-free. (Far some umpires have hearts). The application of the rule 'depends largely upon the linesman’s ability to interpret it, and a’jso upon the amount of courage he possesses in order to challenge the, delivery of some, famous player. * Lt further depends upon the ability to get linesmen at all; for it is questionable if an umpire, from. his seat can detect such a fault as jumping, and thus not- maintaining contact with the ground, (contact with one foot only will suffice), and many umpires will not assume responsibility for foot-fault decisions.

It is extraordinary to note, how many well-known players are offenders in the matter of service. There are countless cases of women who foot-fault over a second service which is iso feeble and futile a thing that a little ball-boy could have done better in just tossing it over the net. An exaggeration P Note your club members, and look around at your next tournament. An argument. of course, in favour of the underhand service!

JUMP DURING SERVICE.

The conduct or some great playera and acknowledged foot-faultexs upon being pulled up for their failing is often instructive . Take the case of one well-known woman who is generally well on the way to her post of advantage( at the net) in the course, of her service delivery. This year at AYimbledon her response to “Foot-fault!” was a naive inquiry as to just how and why, and was it a leg that was too eager to reach the, net? Then which leg? “Oh! that one !” And then before the next service she would execute a preliminary powing movement with one foot to ascertain just how much margin for such movement there was without crossing the line. Or a great foreign player who in his service delivery both jumps and has one leg over the line only too often. With What pained expression does he regard 1 the linesman, and how his service then suffers for a point or two, and then he’s off again, and it is odds that the linesman won’t again interfere, doubtless because he is conscious of spoiling the player’s best game. Or the linesman on one base-line may have different views from him on the other.

There, are ultra-sticklers, of course, who will foot-fault Tilden because his toe touched the line, or Rogers because a portion of his vast foot Iras thus offended. A very frequent cause of jumping is that of “pressing.’’ Lack of proper weight transference will lead to the player staggering into the court. Your golfer who is not happy with his stance is at vast pains to improve matters. Yet in lawn tennis the motto would appear to be “once a fcot-faulter always a foot-faulter.”

FAULTY EXECUTION. Originally t-Pe rme was designed to frustrate the “net-rusher,” the man with a good service and volley who, after serving, would bound for the net, there to deal out death and destruction. To-day the great majority of offending is not for this object at all. it is just badly conceived and! badly executed service with consequent loss of balance and a, forward lurch to recover it, or just jumping through “pressing.”

The prevalence of the complaint and the present- low standard of British serving are significant concomitants, for a good service is not a foot-fault; it were a contradiction in terms otherwise. Tilden, Lott, Mangin, Co diet, Airs. Wills Moody, andi Miss Betty Nuthall do not make foot-fau’lts, for their services are based upon sound principles and are good samples of the stroke. To-day the English service is a byword for inefficiency. What should be done alwmt it? The rule should remain and its observance be strictly enforced if for no other reason than that this might lead to an improvement in the English service. Surely one might imagine that, faced with “Foot-fault” the servers would take the trouble to practice, practice, and acquire a sound service. Let the offenders give up so. much tournament play and always trying to win. and- let them improve their game in an important department and not handicap themselves, as ;sq often at present, by surrendering the initiative to the enemy. To-day the rule is sound, but its application is a failure.