# Fault serve

> A defective serve that gives the server a second chance.

From the rulebook:

> Fault serves The following serves are fault serves, and any two that are hit before a legal serve is executed result in an out: 1.) Foot fault. a.) The server begins the service motion with one or both feet touching the floor outside the service zone (See Rule 4.1.C ). b.) The server‘s foot touches the floor outside the service zone before the served ball passes through the plane of the back edge of the short line from the wall. c.) In doubles, when the server’s partner is not outside the side l…

— [One-wall · Rule 4.3 Defective serves](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md)

## How to avoid a fault serve

1. Any two fault serves hit before a legal serve result in an out. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
2. Begin the service motion with both feet inside the service zone; starting with a foot touching the floor outside it is a foot fault. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
3. Keep your feet in the service zone until the served ball passes through the plane of the back edge of the short line. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
4. Come to a complete stop in the service zone before beginning the serve. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
5. Bounce the ball once in the service zone and strike it on that bounce. Striking it on a bounce made outside the zone, or on less or more than a single bounce, is a fault. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
6. One-wall: the serve must not land, on the rebound from the wall, in front of or on the short line (a short serve), or in back of the long line (a long serve). ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
7. Four-wall: after hitting the front wall, the serve must not land in front of or on the short line, hit two other walls before the floor, touch the ceiling, reach the back wall before the floor, or leave the court before touching the floor. ([Four-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.3/c.md))
8. One-wall doubles: the server's partner must stand outside the side lines, astraddle the service line, and not enter the playing zone until the served ball passes. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
9. Four-wall doubles: the server's partner must stand in the service box with both feet on the floor and back to the nearer side wall, from the start of the serve until the ball passes the short line. ([Four-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.3/c.md))
10. One-wall: two consecutive hinder serves result in a fault. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
11. After a fault, the referee announces “second serve”, and you must serve within 10 seconds. ([One-wall 4.1(e)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.1/e.md))

## Quick Qs

- **How many fault serves can I make?** One. Two fault serves before a legal serve is executed make an out. ([One-wall 4.5(b)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.5/b.md))
- **Is a serve that lands on the short line good?** No. A serve that hits the wall first and on the rebound lands in front of, or on, the short line is a short serve, which is a fault. ([One-wall 4.3(c)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/c.md))
- **Does a dead-ball serve cancel an earlier fault?** No. A dead-ball serve carries no penalty, and the server gets another serve without cancelling a prior defective serve. ([One-wall 4.3(a)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3/a.md))

## Where it shows up

- [One-wall · Rule 3.6 Line judges](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/3.6.md): b
- [One-wall · Rule 3.7 Appeals](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/3.7.md): a, b
- [One-wall · Rule 4.1 Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.1.md): c, e
- [One-wall · Rule 4.2 Doubles](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.2.md): b
- [One-wall · Rule 4.3 Defective serves](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.3.md): intro, a, b, c, d
- [One-wall · Rule 4.5 Changes of serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.5.md): b
- [One-wall · Rule 4.6 Rally](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.6.md): l
- [One-wall · Rule 4.7 Dead-ball Hinders](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.7.md): d
- [One-wall · Rule 4.75 Hinder Fault](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.75.md): intro
- [One-wall · Rule 4.10 Timeouts](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/one-wall/4.10.md): a
- [Four-wall · Rule 3.7 Appeals](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/3.7.md): a, b
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.1 Serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.1.md): c, e
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.2 Doubles](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.2.md): b
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.3 Defective serves](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.3.md): intro, a, b, c, d
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.5 Changes of serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.5.md): b
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.6 Rally](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.6.md): l
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.7 Dead-ball Hinders](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.7.md): d
- [Four-wall · Rule 4.10 Timeouts](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/4.10.md): a
- [Four-wall · Rule 2.1-three Courts](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/2.1-three.md): b
- [Four-wall · Rule 2.1-one Courts](https://handball.theperfectship.com/rules/four-wall/2.1-one.md): b, c, d

## Related

- [Out serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/out-serve.md)
- [Short serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/short-serve.md)
- [Long serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/long-serve.md)
- [Foot fault](https://handball.theperfectship.com/foot-fault.md)
- [Second serve](https://handball.theperfectship.com/second-serve.md)

## Ref questions

- [All Serve questions (40)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/referee/serve.md)
- [All Serve depth questions (21)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/referee/serve-depth.md)

Rules text: United States Handball Association, used with written permission — https://www.ushandball.org/