footfault

8.1

A fault in tennis when the server steps on or over the baseline during a serve

noun
/ˈfutˌfɔlt/

Jargon

: falta de pie

The umpire called a footfault after she stepped on the baseline during her serve.

Examples

Repeated footfaults can disrupt a player's rhythm in a tennis match.
She was called for a footfault on her first serve.
He lost the point because of a footfault in the final game.
The player committed a footfault during the match.
The umpire called a footfault after she stepped on the baseline during her serve.
He lost the point because of a footfault in the final game.
She was called for a footfault on her first serve.

Synonyms

fault

vsfootfault

2 3.9

A serve that does not land in the correct area

refers to a specific rule breach when server moves feet past the baseline

Surface Forms

footfault singular

footfaults plural

Morphology

footfault = foot + fault (transparent) = foot + fault

The compound literally denotes a 'fault' involving the 'foot' during the serve, a meaning directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

The word footfault is made from the simple words foot and fault, so you can remember it as a 'foot' mistake. In tennis it names the error when the server's foot steps on or over the baseline during the serve, which is why the word means that specific serving error.