The sun., 1907-12-01
UNIFORM LAWN TENNIS LAWS
MOVE TO JOIN BRITISH PLAYERS
~ APPROVED HERE.
Change Needed In Our system Of play and
Management Ol Tournaments, Espe'
clally sAnCe Britlsh Players Are Coming
Feet Ranla Rule Co re UniileSl.


Z The prospect is for a livelier season in
lawn tennis the coming year. The British
players will be over here to play the pre-
iminary matches for the Davis interna-
tional trophy, and that means too. accord
ing To- announcement. that they Will take
part in our championships. Further than
that. before they do get here an effort is
to be made TO make uniform the playing
rules of both countries, and at least on inn
portant points 10 eliminate possibilities Of
conflict or dispute.
One of the most important points that
any joint rules commi, ,ee can decide upon
is the rule regarding foot faults. IL is very
clear to those who ~ - watched lawn ten
his matches that it is unfair that a player
at the moment Of striking the ball should
be well on his way up to the net to get the
return of service. In the fiist place the
closer he is 10 the net the better chance
he has of making an unplayable service and
the more direct force from above he can
bring to bear on the ball. Again, heis right
up where he can take tho return of service
and he in command Of the play from that
on. These are OF course fundamentals of
fair play, and it stands TO reason that no
player should enjoy such advantages.
E The truth of the matter il that the rules
of the two countries mean to prevent any
such unfair service, and it also is a matter
Of fact that the English referees do take
measures to see that no player gets or takes
an advantage of this kind. Over here the
system of conducting tournaments, even
the national tournament. which should be a
model is SO lax that whether by accident
a. L..
and without incurring penalties.
If we were TO meet a team of British play
ers here naturally all our best men would
be engaged. and our best men luckily know
enough not to foot fault, and furthermore
do not do it,. If they should do 80 in their
eagerness they might foot fault at n time
when the loss of the service would lose
them point. a game. a set and perhaps an
important match
There has been not little complaint
against our players who go abroad that
they are careless about their footwOrk
The British rule is explicit that no player
shall be in motion toward the net from
point behind the base line before the ball
IL struck by the racket He must have
both feet squareiy on the ground. Our
rule does not ~ reKlilate the feet, but the
sense is the s8nIe. The facts are that in
England most tournaments are models
they have to he 10 attract the good players
and there il generally an effective corps of
referees. Referees in tournaments outside
OF the national championship here are rare
and thers IL too much slipshod and care
less work in the conduct of matches.
In some cases the managers make an
honest effort 70 have good man for every
match, not just the one where two good
men happen 10 be engaged The New York
State tournament. the East New Jersey
tournament and q couple % others that
might I've mentioned were well managed in
this regard. The Middle States tournament
conspicuOusIy was not, and that may eN-
plain 10 tho E'ruager- of it why the cham
pionship that should he next 10 the national
has fallen On until it is very poor and draws
fewcr men than the Long Island tourna-
mant. Too much is lett to chance.
II two players ask for referee the chair
man OF The tennis committee calls out to
some friend; "Rill. will you referee"
Sorry, Jack. I'm just going
Jack appeals 10 as many men as he can
gel sight of and eventually one is caught
He is not a referee. perhaps a player with
insufficient knowledge Of the rules H,
chances to one. II we IN America are to
have a tournament with any visiting players
in conducted on lines that will appeal to
them as spOrtsmanhke and fair we will
nave lO IPlbIn our IltlpS ana also our CON
duct Of our tournaments.
There was some discussion last wear
when an American player. ID. =. Rhoades
won several matches in the covered court
Championships in London Rhoades foot
faulted several times. In the case Of Miss
Sutton no mention ever was made of her
foot faulang. hut IL she served as she did
in America hast season She foot faulted
The movement to codify and TO unity
the tennis rules of the two countries is
approved by the best men ON both sides
and there can be small doubt that much
profit and benefit will he derived ,herefrom.
The visiting players can give VA much
valuable instruction aS To managing tournH-
ments II they choose, although the men
who have gone over to England already
have good idea of what they do there.
The wonderful feats Of handling iUU or
more players on four or five courts in six
events in a week and bringing them all
ont to the end within the slN DAYS, even in
case of bad weather. are something that
We would do well Ia initiate here. the tennis
players think. In regard TO the rules il is
"A question of educating many of our
players. in the other regard, that Of manag-
ing tournaments. il is question Of teaching
the tennis committees.