| Rule Submission Title | Fault definition expanded — 3.A.12. |
|---|---|
| USAP Board Vote | Disapproved |
| USAP Board Vote Reason | Although the submitter makes a valid point, this has not been a significant issue. There has not been widespread misunderstanding of the intent of the rules. Additionally, the consequences of a fault proposed in the second sentence are not appropriate in a definition. |
| Existing Rule # | 3.A.12. |
| Proposed Rule Change | 3.A.12. Fault — A rules violation. A fault may result in a dead ball and the end of the rally, or may be addressed after the rally. A fault call may lead to a point awarded, a service loss, a replay, or having the rally results stand. |
| Original Rule Text | 3.A.12. Fault – A rules violation that results in a dead ball and/or the end of the rally. |
| Reasoning Behind Suggested Change | Fault calls and outcomes depend on human intervention and rule application. The current definition is not quite accurate, as often a fault does not cause an immediate dead ball, and believing that it does so may lead to misunderstandings among the uninformed. The expanded definition would provide in general terms all the possible outcomes that can be found in the rules that describe specific faults. |
| Scenarios In Which the Rules Applies | Officiated play - a fault is more likely to result in a dead ball and the end of the rally. Non-officiated play — a fault is not certain to end the rally. It is often addressed afterwards. In both types of play, a fault may lead ultimately to a point awarded, a service loss, a replay, or having the rally results stand. |
| Rule Book Year | 2026 |
| Rule Change ID | 2396 |
| Date Created | May 31, 2025 |
| View Comments | View Comments |
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