Three-wall serve
The short version
A serve that hits the front and two side walls before the floor.
From the rulebook
Fault serves The following serves are fault serves, and any two that are hit consecutively 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. c) In doubles, when the server’s partner is not in the service box with…
— Four-wall · Rule 4.3 Defective serves
Related
Where it shows up
- Four-wall · Rule 4.3 Defective serves …ont of, or on, the short line either with or without touching one side wall. 3) Three-wall serve. Any serve that first hits the front wall and then hits any two other walls bef…
Ref questions
The served ball hits the front wall then two side walls before the floor.
Answer: Fault (three-wall serve)
Front + two side walls on the fly is a three-wall serve — a fault.
The served ball hits the front wall then the ceiling before the floor.
Answer: Fault (ceiling serve)
Touching the ceiling after the front wall is a fault serve.
The served ball rebounds off the front wall and strikes the back wall on the fly.
Answer: Fault (long serve)
Carrying to the back wall untouched by the floor is a long serve — a fault.