Pro and recreational tennis have come a long way since the birth of the sport. But that’s no reason not to seek continuous improvement. Here are 10 things that need to change in 2013 to improve the sport.

Calling foot faults is tough at the amateur level. First of all, it’s difficult to see completely clearly that an opponent is certainly foot-faulting. In doubles, it’s slightly easier to watch for, but still difficult to call.

Everyone who plays league tennis follows the USTA league player rating system closely. It seems like everyone has an opinion of who should be rated what and how. I’m no different. Though I fall into the camp of beleiving that it works. I’ve played league tennis at the local, sectional, and national level and feel that the player ratings are mostly accurate. When you’re a 3.5/4.0 level player, you can have days where you play at the 3.0 level, or 4.5 level. At least I do.

It’s USTA league season again (well, when isn’t it?). And one of the most missed/ignored rules is the foot fault. Here’s a reminder from Sheila Banks, Director of Adult/Senior Recreation USTA/Pacific Northwest, reminding players of the foot fault rule and how to handle a team that is committing foot faults: