APPEAL

A player's request for the Referee to make a ruling. "Appeal" is used in two contexts: -

1) To request the Referee to allow a let, or award a stroke;

2) To request the Referee to review the Marker's decision.

The correct form of appeal by a player is "Appeal please" or "Let please".

ATTEMPT

The movement of the racket from a backswing position towards the ball.

BOARD

The lowest horizontal marking on the front wall, with the tin beneath it covering the full width of the court.

BOX (SERVICE)

A square area in each quarter court bounded by part of the short line, part of the side wall and by two other lines and from within which the server serves.

COMPETITION

A championship tournament, league or other competitive match.

CORRECTLY

The ball being hit by the racket, held in the hand, not more than once and without prolonged contact on the racket.

CROWDING

The situation of an opponent standing too close to the striker and not allowing freedom to play the ball.

DOWN

The term used to indicate that an otherwise good service or return has struck the floor before reaching the front wall, or has struck the board or tin before striking the floor. ("Down" is also a Marker's call).

GAME

Part of a match, commencing with a service and concluding when one player’s score reaches nine or ten points in accordance with the rules.

GAME BALL

The state of the score when the server requires one point to win the game in progress. ("Game ball" is also used as a Marker's call).

HALF-COURT
LINE

A line on the floor parallel to the side walls, dividing that part of the court between the short line and the back wall into two equal parts and meeting the short line at its midpoint to form the "T".

HALF TIME

The midpoint of the warm-up ("Half time" is also used as a Referee's call).

HAND

The period from the time a player becomes server until becoming receiver.

HANDOUT

Condition when a change of server occurs. ("Hand-out" is also used as a Marker's call to indicate that a change of server has occurred).

INTERVAL

A time-period prescribed by the Rules for a delay in play.

LET

An undecided rally. If the Referee allows a let, neither player wins a stroke for that rally and the server shall serve again from the same box.

MATCH

The complete contest between two players, commencing with the warm-up and concluding at the end of the final rally.

MATCH BALL

The state of the score when the server requires one point to win the match. ("Match ball" is also used as a Marker's call).

NOT UP

The expression used to indicate that a player did not strike the ball in accordance with the Rules. "Not up" applies when either the player did not strike the ball correctly, or the ball bounced more than once on the floor before the striker hits it, or the ball touched the striker or anything worn or carried other than the racket, or the server made one or more attempts to strike the ball but failed to do so. ("Not up" is also a Marker's call).

OFFICIALS

The Marker and the Referee.

OUT

The term used to indicate that either the ball has struck the out line, or a wall above the out line, or the ceiling, or any fitting attached to the ceiling and/or the wall above the out line or the ball has passed through any fitting attached to the ceiling and/or the wall above the out line. In addition, on courts which are not fully enclosed, the ball has passed over the out line and out of the court without touching any wall or, if no out line is provided, passed over any wall and out of the court. ("Out" is also a Marker's call).

OUT LINE

A continuous line comprising the front wall line, both side wall lines and the back wall line and marking the top boundaries of the court.

Note: When a court is constructed without such a line, i.e. the walls comprise only the area used for play, or without part of such a line (e.g. a glass back wall) and the ball in play strikes part of the horizontal top surface of such a wall and deflects back into court, the ball is out. The Marker shall make the decision in the normal manner, subject to the player’s appeal to the Referee.

POINT

A unit of the scoring system. The Marker adds one point to a player's score when that player is the server and wins a rally or is awarded a stroke.

QUARTER
COURT

One of two equal parts of the court bounded by the short line, the back wall and the half court line.

RALLY

A service only, or a service and any number of returns of the ball, ending when a player cannot make a good return, a player appeals, the Marker makes a call or the Referee stops play.

RELEASE

A player’s action to drop or throw the ball from a hand or a racket for service.

REASONABLE
BACKSWING

A player's action to move the racket away from the body to prepare for a swing towards the ball. A backswing is reasonable if it is not excessive. An excessive backswing is one in which the player's racket arm is extended towards a straight arm position and/or the racket is extended with the shaft approximately horizontal. The Referee shall decide whether a backswing is reasonable or excessive.

REASONABLE
FOLLOW-
THROUGH

A player's action continuing the movement of the racket after it has contacted the ball. A follow-through is reasonable if it is not excessive. An excessive follow-through is one in which the player's racket arm is extended towards a straight arm position with the racket also extended with the shaft horizontal, particularly when the extended position is maintained for other than a moment. An excessive follow-through is also one in which the arm extended towards a straight position takes a wider arc than the continued line of flight of the ball. The Referee shall decide whether a follow-through is reasonable or excessive.

REASONABLE
SWING

This consists of a reasonable backswing, strike at the ball and reasonable follow-through.

SERVICE

A player’s action to put the ball into play at the commencement of a rally.

SERVICE LINE

A line on the front wall between the board and the out line, extending the full width of the court.

SHAPING

The preparation of the racket prior to making an attempt.

SHORT LINE

A line on the floor extending the full width of the court.

SPECIFIED

The description given to balls, rackets and courts that meet existing WSF specifications.

STRIKER

The player whose turn it is to hit the ball after it has rebounded from the front wall, or who is in the process of hitting the ball, or who - up to the point of the return reaching the front wall - has just hit the ball.

STROKE

An award by the Referee which results in the player winning the rally, thereby scoring a point if serving or becoming the server if receiving.

TIN

The area below the board, covering the full width of the court, which should be constructed of a material that makes a distinctive sound when struck by the ball.

TURNING
(TURNS,
TURNED)

The action of the striker when the ball is followed around and the striker physically turns, or the ball is allowed to pass around the striker who, in either case, strikes the ball to the right of the body after the ball has passed to the left (or vice-versa).

TOURNAMENT/
CHAMPIONSHIP
REFEREE

The person given overall responsibility for all marking and refereeing matters throughout the tournament, including the appointment and replacement of Officials to matches. (See WSF booklet "Guidelines for Tournament Referees" for a full description.)

WARM-UP

The time allowed, immediately preceding the start of play, for the players to prepare themselves on the match court and to warm the ball to playing condition.