Dealing with a foot faulter in your league

[Govnor]

Originally Posted by Roforot

I thought I saw a lady with a joke t-shirt that read "Ask me if you're foot faultin'"

There was some pun or joke. Anyway, I'd bring that shirt with me and change into it if I see a lot of foot faults.

Nice. You could probably get a whole load of passive aggressive custom shirts printed for each occasion that your opponent pisses you off! Just put it on at the changeover.

"don't ask me if I thought it was in"

"don't call it out if you don't really know"

etc etc

[r2473]

^^Talk to the hand.

That's my favorite.

[NTRPolice]

I dont know. I've never seen anything good come out of calling a foot faulter. To me, that probably has the least impact on the game, especially in 4.0 or lower. I just dont see how someone, even being 1 ft. inside the line at the time of contact can be much of any use unless the person is serving big. Really big.

Reaching over the net, hindering, or hooking have a much greater impact.

Dealing with it? I just "do". I'm not saying you're wrong for calling it, I just dont think its worth it to "up the ante" over something that will give barely any advantage at most levels of tennis.

[Fusker]

I called my first ever foot fault a few weeks ago. Guy was serving from the deuce court, inches from the center line and proceeded to throw a poor toss about three feet behind him. The toss carried him well past the center line causing him to hit the ball from the ad side, and he managed to hit it down the tee, which from the angle he hit actually caused it to move away from me.

I managed to get a racquet on it (left a sitter), but called the foot fault. Guy seemed to have no idea that he hit it from where he did. I only called it because A) it was so bad and most certainly allowed him to hit an angle that was physically impossible for him (or me to return from). And B) he called a volley winner of mine out from 40 feet away that was inside the line and didn't even touch it, two points earlier. So I wasn't feeling especially generous about letting that kind of fault go uncalled.

[InspectorRacquet]

Originally Posted by Fusker

I called my first ever foot fault a few weeks ago. Guy was serving from the deuce court, inches from the center line and proceeded to throw a poor toss about three feet behind him. The toss carried him well past the center line causing him to hit the ball from the ad side, and he managed to hit it down the tee, which from the angle he hit actually caused it to move away from me.

I managed to get a racquet on it (left a sitter), but called the foot fault. Guy seemed to have no idea that he hit it from where he did. I only called it because A) it was so bad and most certainly allowed him to hit an angle that was physically impossible for him (or me to return from). And B) he called a volley winner of mine out from 40 feet away that was inside the line and didn't even touch it, two points earlier. So I wasn't feeling especially generous about letting that kind of fault go uncalled.

I've always promoted calling foot-faults if you can clearly see it from the other side of the net. If you can see it from the other side of the net, it's too big of a foot-fault to not call.

My reason for calling them at all is this: if you ever see a serve from a foot faulter just barely skim above the net, and he foot-faults by that same margin, the ball would have hit the net if he was standing back those couple inches.

I've personally never called a foot-fault. I thought I saw it, but because I wasn't 100% sure, I just backed off.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by Fusker

I called my first ever foot fault a few weeks ago. Guy was serving from the deuce court, inches from the center line and proceeded to throw a poor toss about three feet behind him. The toss carried him well past the center line causing him to hit the ball from the ad side, and he managed to hit it down the tee, which from the angle he hit actually caused it to move away from me.

I managed to get a racquet on it (left a sitter), but called the foot fault. Guy seemed to have no idea that he hit it from where he did. I only called it because A) it was so bad and most certainly allowed him to hit an angle that was physically impossible for him (or me to return from). And B) he called a volley winner of mine out from 40 feet away that was inside the line and didn't even touch it, two points earlier. So I wasn't feeling especially generous about letting that kind of fault go uncalled.

A) You cant call it after you have hit a return sitter
B) You cant call it on the first offense ... you need to give a warning first

[Squidward]

In League, If he does it during warm-up, just give him a heads ups that he's doing it and its against the rules. AND, you'll call it. (Fair Warning)

If he continues once the match starts, I'd give him "One" warning, then I'd call it everytime.

We had one in our league that was known for foot faulting. When it came my turn to play him, I followed the above.

Even poached in to the service line just to watch him do it. That rattled him ALOT!

Eventually, he became so frustrated that he walked off and forfitted all the games.

One of the more seasoned league players Thanked Me after the match. Said he wished someone would have done that years ago....

[dizzlmcwizzl]

I always thought foot faulting was kind of like snoring ....

A lot of folks if you point it out to them they have the attitude that "I don't foot fault" or they simply don't care.

I find it rare when someone knows they do it, have not already fixed it, yet will make a correction once it is pointed out to them.

[hrstrat57]

Good thread, can't believe I missed it first time around.

I serve and volley a lot and I actually call foot faults on myself quite a bit, maybe once every couple of matches. It's pretty clear if I have done it and when I am coming in I have an unfair advantage by gaining the extra step.....I have never had a foot fault called against me I have only called it on myself.

Regarding calling it on others I suspect unless it was blatant I wouldn't notice it unless the opponent was also serve and volleying. If an advantage was being gained I would call it every time, just as I call it on myself. I would not expect it would be a problem against anyone I have played against.

If no advantage is being gained in a recreational match, well I probably wouldn't notice it or would simply let it go. In a league match I agree it is a tough call.

Very interesting to hear other folks take on this difficult situation we all face from time to time.

[Fusker]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

A) You cant call it after you have hit a return sitter
B) You cant call it on the first offense ... you need to give a warning first

A) Wasn't two bites at the apple. Called it while in the process of returning the ball. Had I waited until after I saw it was a sitter, I'd agree.

B) Code seems less than definitive on this to me... it seems more geared to addressing people whose feet cross the baseline. This guy literally served from the wrong court while chasing an errant toss. The guy was not a habitual foot faulter, but in this case he committed a blatant and egregious fault. Maybe I didn't handle it exactly per the Code... If so I made a mistake. Curious what others would have done - both feet were literally on the wrong side of the center line by a couple feet.

24. Foot Faults. A player may warn an opponent that the opponent has committed a flagrant foot fault. If the foot faulting continues, the player may attempt to locate an official. If no official is available, the player may call fla- grant foot faults. Compliance with the foot fault rule is very much a function of a player’s personal honor system. The plea that a Server should not be penalized because the server only just touched the line and did not rush the net is not acceptable. Habitual foot faulting, whether intentional or careless, is just as surely cheating as is making a deliberate bad line call.

[mrsandoo]

Originally Posted by NTRPolice

I dont know. I've never seen anything good come out of calling a foot faulter. To me, that probably has the least impact on the game, especially in 4.0 or lower. I just dont see how someone, even being 1 ft. inside the line at the time of contact can be much of any use unless the person is serving big. Really big.

Eh, in singles I don't mind, because as someone said, the foot faulter will have trouble with a deep return, but when I come across people serving 2 feet in (no joke, there are some 4.0s that just start 2-3 feet behind the baseline and do a running serve) and volleys in doubles, that's a serious advantage. Because that player's entire strategy is built around serving 2 feet in and rushing the net.

Of course I rarely call it in rec play. Besides if I ever play these foot faulters in tournaments, I have a free win, because USTA does enforce foot faults in tournaments, at sectionals and beyond.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by mrsandoo

Besides if I ever play these foot faulters in tournaments, I have a free win, because USTA does enforce foot faults in tournaments, at sectionals and beyond.

You would think so but over the last three years in districts, and sectionals there has only been 1 ref that called foot faults. I find it disgraceful when a referee watches a dude foot fault by 6 to 8 inches, give the guy a warning and allow him to do that same thing for the rest of the day without a single penalty. It was almost like they were afraid of confrontation.

[tennis tom]

[quote=dizzlmcwizzl;6940400 It was almost like they were afraid of confrontation.[/QUOTE]


I think they are afraid, they should be issued guns, they don't get paid enough to take some of the abuse heaped on them. Just part of the general break-down of law and order on the planet.

[North]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

It was almost like they were afraid of confrontation.

They probably are and I don't blame them, given the often nasty responses (and occasional outright verbal abuse) they get from players when they call foot faults, correct line calls, or otherwise simply try to enforce the rules of play.

I play a lot of tournaments and, whenever I see an official firmly doing the job, I make sure to give good feedback to the TD & League to let them know that official helped the tourney run a LOT better.

[Rjtennis]

I used to foot fault quite a bit and didn't even notice until people started bringing it up. If a person isn't aware they can't change.

[spot]

I don't think that I would ever call a footfault in a match. We play rec tennis- we don't have tennis pros watching our feet while working on our serves to inform us about footfaulting.

That said- I will NEVER understand someone who is called for a footfault and they throw a huge fit and deny that it is happening. When you are serving you are looking up at the ball- if the other team is looking at your feet then you just need to trust them that it is happening. I've only seen 3 people call footfaults in a league match. Every time it was a contentious match where the person calling it was likely just doing it to be a D-bag. Every time the person who was footfaulting denied it and it caused a massive fight.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by spot

I don't think that I would ever call a footfault in a match. We play rec tennis- we don't have tennis pros watching our feet while working on our serves to inform us about footfaulting.

That said- I will NEVER understand someone who is called for a footfault and they throw a huge fit and deny that it is happening. When you are serving you are looking up at the ball- if the other team is looking at your feet then you just need to trust them that it is happening. I've only seen 3 people call footfaults in a league match. Every time it was a contentious match where the person calling it was likely just doing it to be a D-bag. Every time the person who was footfaulting denied it and it caused a massive fight.

Yeah. Like the server should trust the people who can see a footfault from 80 feet away but who can't call a line right when they are three feet away from it.

[spot]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

Yeah. Like the server should trust the people who can see a footfault from 80 feet away but who can't call a line right when they are three feet away from it.

The only times I have seen a footfault called the server was easily footfaulting enough that it could be clearly seen from the other side of the court with 100% confidence.

I don't know what else could be done other than to believe them and move back.

I also agree that the code would completely break if someone is incorrectly calling footfaults out of lack of knowledge of the rules. Just because someone is 100% sure doesn't mean they are correct. If I ever saw this then maybe I would feel differently. For me everytime a footfault has been called the server was convinced they weren't doing it even though it was obvious that they were.

[SoBad]

Footfaulting is a sign to be aware of the person's character off the court.

[jk175d]

Originally Posted by NTRPolice

I dont know. I've never seen anything good come out of calling a foot faulter. To me, that probably has the least impact on the game, especially in 4.0 or lower. I just dont see how someone, even being 1 ft. inside the line at the time of contact can be much of any use unless the person is serving big. Really big.

Reaching over the net, hindering, or hooking have a much greater impact.

Dealing with it? I just "do". I'm not saying you're wrong for calling it, I just dont think its worth it to "up the ante" over something that will give barely any advantage at most levels of tennis.

I've only called a foot fault in a leauge match once. It was a doubles match, we were down but I felt like we should have be able to handle these guys so I was irritated. One of the opponants was a pretty flagarant foot faulter (as are nearly 50% of players you see in usta leagues it seems). So during a changeover after one of his service games I said something like "by the way you may not know but you pretty much foot fault on every serve". He seemed in disbelief and looked at his partner who said "yeah actually you do". His next service game he of course foot faulted so I called it. After that I guess it got in his head, we broke him and it turned the match around and we won.

So there you go. positve impact from calling a foot faulter.