Join PUT-OFF!!??? (Merged Foot Fault Threads)

[Taxvictim]

I was watching a couple of mature 4.0-4.5 men playing singles at a public court last week. One guy's foot fault was so blatant, I moved around to get a better view. He was a right-hander. He would start with his left foot parallel to the base line (legal), but would turn the foot at right angle toward the net immediately when he began his toss, so half of his foot was over the line as the ball was going up. Half the time, he would drag his right foot over the line before he hit the ball, so both feet were over the line at contact.

He noticed my interest in his feet, and the foot-faulting diminished greatly.

Based on other observations, I agree with the comment made three years ago in this thread that better players tend to FF more often.

[Schmerl]

I Hate the blatant repeaters. I never call minor stuff, tell opponents nicely between games. Has never been a competitive problem for me. When I was 3.0 I noticed it all the time. Now 4.0 10 years later and I look at the ball. Its faster and I'm older (49), so I never notice. Teammates ask me after. Didn't you notice your opponent foot faulting every serve? My feet are still so I never FF. MY dbls partner does and I try to correct it but it lasts maybe 3 serves until he lapses back. And he won a sportsmanship award so he is not intentionally cheating but it is still cheating. In practice I often just start a foot inside the baseline to serve just so he'll notice, tell him that's where he serves from.

Unofficiated: Ask nicely once, remind a 2nd time, start calling. If opponent can't handle it he's a cheater anyway. case closed.

I was watching a pair on my mixed team finish a match. The opponent man was FF by 12 inches every serve. He is 6'3" and serve & volley. He got in 8 of 9 first serves. I watched with his captain, pointed it out. He said, Oh, Ed (the offending player) knows about it, we tell him all the time.

Thus Ed knows he is cheating. By the code in my mind, Ed loses or defaults the match. Any agreement? I did not pursue with coordinator. We are out of playoff picture and everyone so nice but I feel it should be my team's point. Fact is though, my players on court did not notice and this was as bad as it gets. No outside help allowed during a match.

[David_Is_Right]

Excellent thread! I think I'll actually have the cahones to call this next time I play (it invariably will.)

I was playing doubles last week, and I brought it up in the weakest way possible by mentioning it loudly to my own partner about the opponent. I received a tut from the opponent net player, as if I was wrong to even mention it... It matters, damn it!

Next week I'm going to stand up to these cheaters. There's a few middle-aged guys that come along to my club's group coaching sessions that seem to revel in trying to subvert every drill in some way, and then go on to foot fault like crazy.

[Kaptain Karl]

Wow! A "blast from the past" thread....

After he could no longer play my 79 year old grandfather used to sit in the stands and loudly call, "Foot-fault!" whenever his neighbors did so. They were amazingly persistent. He'd go hoarse before they'd change their behavior.

- KK

[HipHerring]

I thought I was all alone in calling footfaults. Certainly feels that way in high school tennis. I called a foot fault in one of my doubles matches and the other guys looked shocked as hell. I just said, "You don't feel both your feet moving into the court?"

[David_Is_Right]

Originally Posted by Kaptain Karl

Wow! A "blast from the past" thread....

Indeed - I looked up your signature!

[David_Is_Right]

Originally Posted by HipHerring

I called a foot fault in one of my doubles matches and the other guys looked shocked as hell.

Yep, shock seems to be the usual response. Incredulity to almost the same extent as if you'd called a fault because your opponents racquet was "too blue".