One of my players hits a volleyball-style jump serve. He starts near the back fence, tosses the ball up and out in front of him, and then runs to smack it out of the air. Is this legal?
—Keith Hayes, Novato, CA
Nope. A player can jump to hit a serve, but the running part is a no-no. Rule 18 calls for a foot fault if the server, during the service motion, changes position “by walking or running.”
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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