foot fault

IPA/ˈfʊt fɔːlt/
IPA/ˈfʊt fɔːlt/

foot fault — noun

1. in tennis and similar court sports, an illegal move where the server's foot touc

1.nounC1
Definition

in tennis and similar court sports, an illegal move where the server's foot touches or crosses the baseline before the ball is struck

Example

Tuan lost his first serve when the line judge called a foot fault against him.

Padma adjusted her serving position after receiving two foot-fault warnings in the semifinal.

foot-fault used as a compound modifier: 'foot-fault warnings'

Common collocations
  • commit a foot fault
  • call a foot fault
  • be called for a foot fault
  • get a foot fault

Grammar Patterns

commit + a foot fault

call + a foot fault

be called for + a foot fault

Usage Note

A foot fault on the first serve costs only that serve — not the point. On the second serve, however, a foot fault results in a double fault and loss of the point.

Common Mistakes

She served a foot fault and lost the point immediately.
She served a foot fault on her second serve and lost the point.
a foot fault on the first serve only means losing that serve, not the whole point.

Etymology

English

From foot + fault. The term appeared in tennis during the late 19th century, when the rules of lawn tennis were formalised and the requirement for servers to stay behind the baseline was codified. It later spread to other court sports such as volleyball and racquetball that adopted similar service-line rules.

First known use

1886

1886, in the meaning defined above