Okay, so today I decided to really get to the bottom of what a “fault” is in tennis. I mean, I’ve heard the term a million times, but did I really understand it? Not so much. So I started my little investigation.
First Step: Watching Some Pro Games
First things first, I turned on some old tennis matches on my laptop. I figured watching the pros would be the best way to see faults in action. I paid close attention every time the announcer said “fault.” I started noticing a pattern – it mostly happened during the serve.
Digging a Little Deeper
After watching a few games, I grabbed my phone and did a quick search. Just wanted to see what the official rules said. I scrolled through a couple of websites, and yep, my hunch was right. It’s mainly about the serve.
Breaking it Down
Basically, from what I gathered, a fault happens when:
- The server misses the correct service box (that little rectangle on the other side of the net).
- The server steps on or over the baseline before hitting the ball. That’s a “foot fault.”
- The ball hits the net and doesn’t go over into the correct service box.
- The server completely misses the ball when trying to serve.
Putting it All Together
So, after watching the games and doing a little reading, I feel like I finally get it. A fault is basically a serving mistake. The server gets two chances to get the serve right. If they fault twice in a row, that’s a “double fault,” and they lose the point. Simple as that! Now I can watch tennis and actually know what’s going on. Mission accomplished!
