Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-08

Foot fault is particularly sore point
to many people and one which has caused
| more unprlntable remarks than any other
| point I'm tennis The following is the
| rule of the National Association;
Foot Fault Rule
sixth. The server shall before com
! mencing to serve stand with both feet AT
rest behind q. e.. further from the net
than, the base line and within the limits
OF the imaginary continuation of the half
court and side lines, and thereafter the
server shall not run, walk, hop or jump
before the service has been delivered. but
the server may raise one foot from land,
II desired, replace II on) the ground pro-
vided that both feet are kept behind the
base line until the service has been de-
llvered.
Official Interpretation of Law 6:
II foot be lifted and replaced. there
must be no change Of position that can
possibly be considered n step.
Let us quote from the July issue of
American Lawn Tennis, edited by Mr.. S.
w. Merrihew
ut Is obvious that the foot fault rule
should be enforced everywhere and at all
times. It will be said that this Is inn
possible Perhaps it is. The difficulty of
securing efficient and vertebrate foot fault
judges is so great that many clubs give
up the task In despair. Then abolish
the rule cry some. This drastic pro-
posal goes much too far.
tournament play is not abandoned
merely because II is impossible to obtain
scorers and linesmen for every match
No more should the foot fault rule be
wiped or the books because of its i'm
perfect enforcement, Were this done
chaos would reign In the matter OF
services.
Manifestly Unfair
yet 1t is manfestly unfair to permit
some players to foot fault and penaliZe
others for doing so. And the players who
serve properly are entitled to protection"
In the foregoing Mr.. Mcrrihew sounds
reasonable, and all tennis players agree
with the views expressed as regards abol-
iShing the Illegal service, which really
aids a man and gives him an undue ad-
vantage. But let us remember that there
are two kinds of foot faults: Q The fla
grant violation of the rule, which gives
marked advantage and should unques-
tionably be stopped. and (2) the technical
foot fault. a mere involuntary movement,
which is of no assistance or advantage
to the server and of no consequence.
Those of us who have had the misfor-
tune to acquire this latter and all of us
have in some form, and also have had the
equal misfortune to have Mr.. Merrihew
on the foot fault line, know how utterly
ridiculous 1t is to carry the ruling to it's
fullest extent, Mr.. Merrihew believes in
calling every near technical foot fault
he either sees or thinks he sees. In fact
he gives the decision against the server
every time instead of allowing him the
benefit of the doubt on technical foot
faults. And the still more peculiar part
Is that he let's the most glaring of all
N fYin t1a Ii,,n I,,,
unnoticed.
AS an example of this attitude of Mr.
Merrihew's take the finals at Wilmington
last year between Sdne Thayer and Jo-
scph j. Armstrong. Armstrong Is known
to be n foot-faulter of the worst type in
swinging over the line. Thaycr, on the
other hand, seldom goes over the line,
but he has n wiggle to one foot and a
rocking from heel TO toe, which Mr.. ATeri-
hew construes as Il step or Flying start"
Result: He let Armstrong severely alone
although every one on the side lines was
asking why and called foot fault after
foot fault on Thayer on this mere tech
nicality, with the result that il broke
Sid's game to pieces. That kind of an
Interpretation of the rule is unfair, unjust
and inexcusabe Mr. Merrhew should
look out more for the glaring error and
less for the technicality.
All Players Are Guilty
Unquestionably every tennis player foot
faults at times, but why heckle him to
death over it?
Mr.. Merrihew rules the words 'if de-
sired to mean that the foot raised
must mot 'if desred'D be replaced in
the same spot before the server can !
move, We used TO believe that "if de-
sired meant voluntary thing and not |
but 1t seems we are wrong.
However. with the average foot-fault |
Judge "if desired" allows you to raise the |
foot without replacing it in the same spot,
provided you don't swing 1t over the line |
before you hit the ball
There are great examples of foot fault |
Ing around Philadelphia. Stanley Pearson |
and L. c. Wister both crowd the line and !
cross 1t before serving. A. L. Kennedy, |
Jr. had n remarkable HOP" which was |
a terrible foot fault. Williams is accused |
Of foot fauting, but unless occasionally, |
and II is very occasionally, he swings his |
foot over the line, we have not seen it,
Wallace Johnson never foot faults, since
he serves from a stand on both feet and
never raises even one. The worst foot
raulter seen last season around here was