Foot Faults

During a match play session, I served an aced a girl on my first serve and she immediately called a foot fault. I served again and aced her and she said it didn't count because I foot faulted on that serve as well. Rather than argue with her, I proceeded to the deuce court, backed twelve inches behind the baseline but she continued to call foot faults on me and take away points. I told her I wasn't committing foot faults, but it proceeded to be an issue the entire round I had to play her. Is she allowed to call foot faults on me and deduct points?

-Phantom Foot Faulter

Dear Phantom,

According to USTA Comment 18.6, "The receiver or the receiver's partner may call foot faults only when all reasonable efforts such as warming the server and attempting to get an official to the court have failed and the foot faulting is so flagrant as to be clearly perceptible from the receiver's side." Of course, this is in USTA-sanctioned matches and events. Still, your opponent should not have taken points away from you without cautioning you about your alleged foot faults.

Walking Foot Faults

During a recent USTA combo-league match, my sister and I played a match where one of our opponents would toss the ball and then walk three or four steps along the baseline before she served the ball. We informed her that what she was doing was foot faulting, but she said her coach said she was fine as long as she didn't cross the center hash mark. Who was right?

-Speechless in SE Michigan

Dear Speechless,

Get your voice back! You and your sister are right. According to the ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 18a. states that "... the server shall not: Change position by walking or running..."

Slight movements of the feet are permissible, such as dragging one's toe to bring the feet together.