foot fault

American

noun

Tennis.

a fault consisting in the failure of the server to keep both feet behind the base line until the ball is hit or to keep at least one foot on the ground while hitting the ball.

foot fault British

noun

tennis a fault that occurs when the server fails to keep both feet behind the baseline until he has served

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foot fault

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Briton again went 3-0 down, airing her frustrations towards her family and coaches in the crowd and shaking her head at the scoreboard after being penalised for a foot fault.

From BBC

“I don’t see the foot fault,” Mr. Crow said.

From Washington Times

“I don’t see the foot fault,” he said.

From Washington Times

Pliskova served first and got pushed to deuce in the opening game, when she was called for a second-serve foot fault.

From Seattle Times

Serena Williams is no stranger to disputed Grand Slam calls, including a foot fault at the end of her 2009 U.S.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023