Calling footfaults is important

[sureshs]

I noticed that a 4.5-ish guy had a nice serve. Then I noticed he used a pinpoint stance. When I started focusing on that, I noticed that he had a complicated footwork pattern and his right foot was smack on the baseline and even perpendicular to it, as he served. Once when he served into the net, he said that he lost his footwork rhythm. That told me that he would have trouble if asked not to footfault.

Then I had a revelation. It is not about whether a few more inches forward makes any difference on the serve. It is really about whether the server can cope with the additional pressure of having a footfault called on him.

The best analogy I can give is say, you are allowed to serve long, but you will be highly appreciated if you serve within the service line. Most players would be very relaxed and actually get their serves in. Then tell them that the rule is now being enforced, and they will start faulting.

Footfaulting is cheating. I have sometimes watched doubles and jokingly threatened that I would act like an umpire and call footfaults. Usually, the serves went south after that, and I had to move on before my "friends" became hostile.

Please ensure that footfaulters are not allowed to get away with what they are doing. Watch their serves breakdown when the rule is enforced and have a good laugh. Watch 4.5s end up with worse serves than a 3.5, and get mighty angry in the process.

[OrangePower]

1. The type of footfaults you describe (and most footfaults in fact) can be easily avoided by starting the service motion with the feet a few inches behind the line. So I don't think your strategy is going to work.

2. If you can consistently spot that kind of footfault from across the court, then your eyes are much better than mine.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

1. The type of footfaults you describe (and most footfaults in fact) can be easily avoided by starting the service motion with the feet a few inches behind the line. So I don't think your strategy is going to work.

2. If you can consistently spot that kind of footfault from across the court, then your eyes are much better than mine.

(1) is what I do.

It is not a matter of easy or hard. It is a matter of their state of mind when the fear of footfaulting creeps in. When I have called FF (as a spectator of social matches), I have seen the server throw in fault after fault, even as he tried to keep his feet more back. The rhythm is destroyed, and the mind has been messed with.

(2) I agree. I was talking more about getting a spectator (like me) on the sidelines and put fear into the server's mind, not the opponents calling it.

[dlam]

I really dont think its possible to call a foot fault from the other side of the net unless it was a very obvious foot fault.

In a match where we have to regulate each other without a referee, I have never seen it called.

Anyone have a story of one that was called by the opponent?

[cll30]

Originally Posted by dlam

I really dont think its possible to call a foot fault from the other side of the net unless it was a very obvious foot fault.

That would seem true for singles, but in doubles it is very easy for the net person to see most foot faults if you look for them. The secret is to just not look.

[Plestor]

Originally Posted by cll30

That would seem true for singles, but in doubles it is very easy for the net person to see most foot faults if you look for them. The secret is to just not look.

Yep its really really easy to call from the net. I find it much eaiser than line calls as their feet move much slower than the ball and you're not focusing on your return, just your movement.

Outside of casual matches (in which I will mention it and not much more...), don't most matches have some provision for an umpire / referee?

[mmk]

Originally Posted by dlam

I really dont think its possible to call a foot fault from the other side of the net unless it was a very obvious foot fault.

In a match where we have to regulate each other without a referee, I have never seen it called.

Anyone have a story of one that was called by the opponent?

No, but I play regularly against a guy who, if he isn't standing well back from the center line, steps across the center line (not the baseline) by a foot or more when serving to the ad court. That is fairly obvious no matter where you are standing. I don't bother calling it since I usually win handily.

[tennis_ocd]

Originally Posted by sureshs

When I have called FF (as a spectator of social matches),

What a joy you must be

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by tennis_ocd

What a joy you must be

That is why they chase me away these days

[r2473]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Then I had a revelation. It is not about whether a few more inches forward makes any difference on the serve. It is really about whether the server can cope with the additional pressure of having a footfault called on him.

Originally Posted by OrangePower

1. The type of footfaults you describe (and most footfaults in fact) can be easily avoided by starting the service motion with the feet a few inches behind the line. So I don't think your strategy is going to work.

I freely footfault in social matches. In the few tournaments I play, I footfault until the roaming ump calls it, then I step back a few inches as Orange says and everything is fine.

Last time I was call for a footfault in a tournament (on an ace), it actually affected my opponent. He seemed to feel "guilty". The ref kept watching me obviously expecting me to start complaining or something. When I didn't say anything, she came up to me on the changeover and explained to me how I was footfaulting, etc, to which I responded that I knew I was footfaulting and I wasn't bothered at all with her call.

I really can't tell you why I don't just always start a few more inches behind the service line and stop footfaulting altogether. Just habit I guess. But stepping back those few inches doesn't bother me at all.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by r2473

I freely footfault in social matches. In the few tournaments I play, I footfault until the roaming ump calls it, then I step back a few inches as Orange says and everything is fine.

Last time I was call for a footfault in a tournament (on an ace), it actually affected my opponent. He seemed to feel "guilty". The ref kept watching me obviously expecting me to start complaining or something. When I didn't say anything, she came up to me on the changeover and explained to me how I was footfaulting, etc, to which I responded that I knew I was footfaulting and I wasn't bothered at all with her call.

I really can't tell you why I don't just always start a few more inches behind the service line and stop footfaulting altogether. Just habit I guess. But stepping back those few inches doesn't bother me at all.

Your serves are so slow that nobody cares

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by r2473

I freely footfault in social matches. In the few tournaments I play, I footfault until the roaming ump calls it, then I step back a few inches as Orange says and everything is fine.

I don't think I would buy a used car from you, and if I bought your house, I would make sure the property lines were surveyed properly.

[woodrow1029]

I played in a tournament this weekend in NorCal, and there was a guy on the court next to me that would start with his front foot about an inch behind the baseline. He would take one decent sized step with his front foot and slide his back foot in so that before he hit the ball, he was actually foot faulting with BOTH feet (front foot about4-6 inches inside the baseline).

[North]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

I played in a tournament this weekend in NorCal, and there was a guy on the court next to me that would start with his front foot about an inch behind the baseline. He would take one decent sized step with his front foot and slide his back foot in so that before he hit the ball, he was actually foot faulting with BOTH feet (front foot about4-6 inches inside the baseline).

Once someone is that far inside the baseline, it is pretty noticeable when receiving serve. I usually notice it first as the server somehow being in a different serve position, and then it is clear that they look different across the net because they are a half foot (or nearly so) inside the baseline.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

I played in a tournament this weekend in NorCal,...

Just curious Woodrow, I assume you weren't working it, and was watching as a spectator, what can one do in such a situation to remedy the injustice?

Thanks

[woodrow1029]

Originally Posted by tennis tom

Just curious Woodrow, I assume you weren't working it, and was watching as a spectator, what can one do in such a situation to remedy the injustice?

Thanks

I wasn't working or a spectator, I was playing.

If his opponent had noticed and/or cared, he could have warned him that he was blatantly foot faulting. THen he could have gone and gotten an official (of course he can go get the official before he says anything too). Then, if the official can't be found, or if the official is on another court that had problems and can't leave the court he's on, he can call foot faults on the opponent.

As a player, I don't ever feel that it is going to make me lose the match just because the opponent is foot faulting. One guy I played last weekend foot faulted a lot on the deuce side by clearly going over the center service line with his back foot. They were blatant, but I didn't say anything, and I won the match anyway.

[Joeyg]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

I played in a tournament this weekend in NorCal, and there was a guy on the court next to me that would start with his front foot about an inch behind the baseline. He would take one decent sized step with his front foot and slide his back foot in so that before he hit the ball, he was actually foot faulting with BOTH feet (front foot about4-6 inches inside the baseline).

This sounds like an old doubles partner of mine. He was called for multiple footfaults (much to my chagrin) at the grand prix in NorCal circa '99 or '00. I also regularly play rec dubs with a two foot faulter that almost gets a running start into the net.

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by Sumo

A line is a line regardless of the courts dimensions, definitely have to go after the official (eye sight, court positioning, experience, sexual history, political beliefs, etc).

I like the way you're thinking... let's put the official on trial and drag him/her through the dirt! That will teach him/her to volunteer!!

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

...there was a guy on the court next to me that would start with his front foot about an inch behind the baseline. He would take one decent sized step with his front foot and slide his back foot in so that before he hit the ball, he was actually foot faulting with BOTH feet (front foot about4-6 inches inside the baseline).

A guy at my club, who I sometimes play against in doubles mainly, does the exact same thing - first and second serves.

He's been called on it during interclub many times but just adopts the "I don't know what you're talking about" look - and then continues doing it as normal. His serve isn't really a big weapon so it's no major but it is funny it wont enter his head that all these people calling him on it might have be right.

[h2os]

I played a match on Sunday. I normally have a reliable serve. I noticed the singles match taking place next to me and saw a guy consistantly foot faulting. He was our teams opponent and I thought about telling my teammate about it. I decided to let it go. Instead, I became concerned about my own footwork and began to double fault badly. I mean I was hitting a spin serve that was hitting before the net. I could not shake it. I agree with the original poster that once you call someone on foot faulting, you will destroy their service rhythm. Beware though that you could end up ruining your own!

Jim