The Foot Fault rule in tennis is somewhat unique in the USTA Friend at Court/ITF Rules of Tennis. It is the first section that consists exclusively as a litany of things that the server is prohibited from doing.
During the service motion, the server shall not:
a. Change position by walking or running, although slight movements of the feet are permitted; or
b. Touch the baseline or the court with either foot; or
c. Touch the area outside the imaginary extension of the sideline with either foot; or
d. Touch the imaginary extension of the centre mark with either foot.
USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, Section 18
The first prohibition of the rule, changing position by walking or running, is essentially in place to prohibit the running jump serve. A good example of what this violation would look like in practice is available on YouTube by Trick Shot Tennis. The speed at which the server reaches the net and subsequent put away volley in that clip illustrates why a running start to the serve is prohibited.
The rule begs the questions as to what the difference is between “walking” and “slight movements of the feet.” I am not a certified official, but I do intend to go through the process at some point in conjunction with this project. That being said, I think I would base a judgement call on the presence or absence of momentum.
In the context of a foot fault, there are two types of lines. This is a subtlety that had previously escaped my attention. The baseline and the centre mark cannot be touched by either foot. The imaginary extension of the sidelines can be touched with the foot, but no part of the foot can extend beyond the sidelines.
I will close today with a clip of a Nick Kyrgios foot fault that illustrates a breach of the center line as well as illustrating that the official has to wait until the ball is struck to make the call.
In related news, I can now spell Kyrgios without looking it up every time. In this clip the service motion is started with the back foot across the imaginary extension of the centre mark and is correctly called as a foot fault. It is a somewhat costly one as it comes on a second serve which results in a double fault. Krygios exhibits a fairly good natured response after receiving the explanation from the chair umpire.
Unfortunately, good natured responses are not always the case. Tomorrow I will delve into one of the most famous foot fault melt-downs of all time.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
