New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-22
WANT UNIFORM RULES
English Lawn Tennis Players
Seek a Definite Standard.
SERVICE POINT AT ISSUE
Britons to Give Foot Faults
Special Consideration in
New Regulations.

England's lawn tennis players are NOV
ing along parallel with the Americans in
the effort TO establish an international
standard of rules and conditions sur
rounding the game The annual meeting
of the English Lawn Tennis Association
was recently held In London. Its find
ings in some respects are particularly In
teresting 10 the players OF this country
because OF the fact that the meeting OF
the United States National Lawn Tennis
Association will be held in this city at
the Waldorf Astoria the first week OF
February. The Britons have taken a leaf
from the Americans by providing that
lat all open tournaments sanctioned by
the Lawn Tennis Association the holder
shall play through"
1t will be remembered that year ago
the great Anthony +. Wilding came out
in no uncertain terms and declared that
the challenge match for the championship
was not only an antiquated system, but
! one calculated TO make any second rate
player perpetuate himself 90 Z holder OF
a title. The standardiZing OF this one
/ feature Of the game is generally re-
garded as being one OF the momentous
progressive steps that lawn tennis has
taken in recent years. II is the opinion
Of those who have studied the matter
most carefully. and who believe that they
have lifted the curtain az TO the future
that this one piece OF legislation is GER
tain to bring a wonderful line OF young
players to the fore and establish tonrna-
ment playing upon higher plane than II
has heretofore enjoyed.
Another matter which the Englishmen
have taken a shy at and which probably
will find it's place in this country, Is the
vexatious one regarding prizes. The Eng
lishmen have returned to an old rule
which states: mo checks. orders for
money or cash payments in any form
shall be given as prizes. and the amount
actually paid for each prize shall In no
case be below the advertised value OF the
same" 1t had been the custom In many
Of the English tournaments 10 issue
checks or money orders against silver
smiths and jewelry firms. Players who
were uniformly successful often kept
these orders and there were instances
where they were even traded in for con-
sideraton. AS a result a consistent WIN
ner has been known TO accumulate the
equivalent Of 500 to 1000 payable at
jewellers. He would then cash I'm for an
elaborate silver tea service or piece or
jewelry, which would represent his win
nings perhaps, in twenty tournaments,
1-I,o cot q
as deprecating this trafflcking In prize
orders, and hereafter the regulation
trophies will prevail.
The one thing over which the Britons
stumbled was the effort to arrive at an
adequate service or foot fault rule. Moth
ing in lawn tennis has caused such acri-
monious discussions and so many heated
controversies in every quarter OF the
globe as the rule which governs the
service Americans. Germans, French
men and the Englishmen are all prone
under the heat of conflict to take run
ming Jump into court when making the
service. 1t is as natural to do so as to
breathe. With all the umpires the pres
ent rule. which was made uniform both in
this country and in England several
years ago. is interpreted in various ways.
After considerable argument around the
case the Britons have decided To leave
the matter TO the findings Of a commit
tee. They declared THAT this meeting
instruct the council to appoint a sub
committee TO consider the service law,
with special reference TO that part Of 1t
relating TO foot-faults, with view TO
ascertaining the feeling of other nations
as TO the notifications 10 be made in the
existing law" It is the opinion of many
OF the leading players that the rule will
never be made perfect until the server is
Obliged TO make the stroke with both
feet upon the ground and back OF the
service line of the court.