Rule Changes - Serve

Rules were made to be broken, no, what???

The USAPA announced yesterday the availability of the 2018 USAPA\IFP Official Tournament Rulebook. The rulebook contains some significant changes that we will discuss over the next several weeks. We will start today with rules regarding the serve.

Service Motion

For the first time, the rules have defined the defined the service motion and, specifically when the service motion starts. From the definition section (Section 3):

Service Motion – Begins when the player’s arm moves to initiate the swing backward or forward to contact the ball.

Why should we care about this, though? It matters in refereed matches where the referee announces the score. The first two rules of The Serve section (Section 4) state:

4.A.1. The entire score must be called before the server begins his or her service motion. 

4.A.2. The service motion begins with the server’s arm movement initiating the swing, backward or forward, to contact the ball.

The prior version simply stated (in 4.I) "Serving before the score is called shall result in a fault, and loss of serve". This was often interpreted as allowing the player to begin his service motion while the score was being called...as long as contact with the ball came after the complete score announcement. I covered this in Rules Clarification - When to Serve in a Refereed Match. 

The revision makes clear that the service motion cannot start until the score announcement is complete or the server will be faulted.

Let vs Point

A rare occurrence is the serve hitting the top of the net and then hitting an opponent before bouncing on the court. On those occasions when this happens, the outcome has changed. The previous rule stated this was a let and the serve should be replayed. 

Service Lets. The serve is a let and will be replayed if (4.F.3.) The served ball hits the net and strikes the receiver or the receiver’s partner.

The new rule states that this play results in a point for the serving team.

4.A.9. If the serve clears the net or hits the net and then touches the receiver or the receiver’s partner, it is a point for the serving team.

Underhand Defined

I saved this one for last because it has the single biggest potential impact (at least to me), but only if my interpretation is correct. I have had a couple of online conversations with other ambassadors where some agreed and others did not agree with my interpretation. But, if I am reading the tea leaves properly, the days of a weaponized serve may be numbered. I want to confirm it before stating definitively that is true. However, I will lay out the reasoning behind my thoughts.

The basic rules of the service motion have been reworded but the essence remains the same. From the revised rules:

4.A.5. The serve must be made with an underhand stroke whereby the server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc (see Figure 4-1). 

4.A.6. The paddle head must be below the server’s wrist when it strikes the ball. The highest point of the paddle head cannot be above the highest part of the wrist (where the wrist joint bends) (see Figure 4-1).

Figure 4-1

4.A.7. Contact with the ball is made below waist level (waist is defined as the navel level) (see Figure 4-1).

What has changed is the definition of "underhand". The previous definition:

"The arm must be moving in an upward arc and the paddle head shall be below the wrist when it strikes the ball (paddle head is that part of the paddle excluding handle. The highest point of the paddle head cannot be above any part of line formed where the wrist joint bends)".

The new definition states:

"The player’s arm must be moving in a forward and upward arc with the palm turned upward or downward".

The rulebook has no bolding. I added that in order to highlight the change. My interpretation of that phrase is that the service motion must resemble the bowling motion of the basic serve I described in Service Motion. This is the only motion that I can envision that meets the palm requirement.

 
This would take away the semi-sidearm serve I discussed in Reinventing my Game - The Serve. Many players have turned to this motion to add power and spin to their serve. But the palm is very difficult to get into an up or down position when serving sidearm.