Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-28

DEFENDS PROPOSED.
CHANGES IN TENNIS
Rules Committee Defines It's:
Stand on Foot-FauIting.
Scoring, Handicapping.

Declaring that in presenting a re
VISION OF the code TO be acted on at
the annual meeting of the UnitAf-
States Lawn Tennis Association. rep.
ruary s. the rules committee is carry- -,
ing out the specific instructions of the
meeting of 1919. and that these reyi"-s
sions, with few exceptions. tend ts--9-
ward agreement rather than disa gree.
ment with the rules of other tennrs
playing nations. the committee has IS.
sued. through :. Wallis Merrihew~
chairman. reply to recent critici-i~-
the statement. in part. says: NcsNNs
After three months of delibera ios,-N'
the committee presented repoN' "
which was unanimously approved. : :. s.
the last meeting OF the executive coms-
mittec. That report has been gem -.
ally approved. except in three parties.
uiars. some objection has been ra isesi.,,
to % the foot-fault rule. t2) the nr-w''-
scoring system and 80 the handicap.
ping system. -
As to FOOt-FauIt Rule. 80
The only objection to the new foot -
fault rule is that il might permit
man TO serve on the run. Players~of
the experience of Beals Wright snd
Dick Williams think this is doubrrUr-
advantage. even in the remote contin-
gency that man might make use Of
IT. To meet every possible objection.
however a revision of its propose HIS
been made by the committee which
L.
text or the proposed rule is:
The server shall. Immediately be
fore commencing to serve, stand with
both feet a rest behind the base linz
ana within the limits of the center
mark and the side line. Both feet
shall be kept behind the base line
until the racket strikes The ball"
Scoring; and Hnndicapptns.
AS to tn" new methods of scorinv
ana handspring. the commtSr,r .
recognizes. first of all that these are
debatabie. SO far as these matters are
concerned. I takes the position that
II WIS told % do certain things. and - ..
mas carried out its instructions. Ius is.
judgment. the suggested systems .;
scoring and handicapping are simple.
sensible and fair. Because a change
discards tradition does not nee~ss
sarily prove that the tradition is right
III tradition were to be followed blind.
ly We would still be batting the ball
over mound of earth in the middle
of the court instead of using a net
Scoring on the suggested consecu-
tive point basis involves no knowledge
of archaic terms and becomes simple
matter of one-two-three. while the
designation of in and out for the
server and receiver permits of no mis-
understanding. The new scheme of
handicaps IS offered in the belief that
this branch of the game will never be
understood in the United States until
IL Ia IcuuCGu " d pain,
basis. 49, g..
The present involved system which
awards such odds as one-half or nj
teen is SO difficult that hardly a player d
in a hundred comprehends IL. Aiia .
such system in force handicap ten
mis- hardly exists in this country. The
success attained by handicaps in other
lines of sport is the only indication
needed 10 show how popular soch
events might he in tennis.
pnh al a &
the suggested changes has been based
largely on the argument that the United
States ought not to alter the rules OF
the game except in conjunction with the
other tennis play ing nations. In thiSI-
belief the committee concurs. -
No such Thing ms Uniform Code
The facts are, however. that the ruleT
are not uniform the United States, foEs
instance, has a different ot-fault rules
from that prevailing in the other coun--r
tries, and the size and weight of the
balls vary from the standards pre-
vailng abroad.
1T is also true that the difficulties of
changing the rules simultaneously are
almost insurinountahc AT present. Even
that consideration. however. would not .
deter the committee from making :tu ,
effort to harmonic its report with i'll =
rules prevailing clscwher". Copies of-f- :
bodies abroad. with 4 reques: that they 3
forward amy suggestions they may have
to offer.
Furthermore, the tennis public in the .
United States should remember that =
even now other nat lions are preparing
4 revision of their rules and this coun- 7
try has no means of knowing whether Q
or not those changes will he submitted ?
to it. The last annual meeting of the =
English association authorized of the In =
ternational Federation to make the :
rules for the game, andNt is reasonably .
probable that the United States may :
find itself playing international matches :.
under rules which it had no voice i'm /,
making. We believe the United States +,
may rightfully exercise it, prerogative
in making its own rules That is NOT
to say. however. that it will ignore sug-
gestions from abroad"