Kuala lumpur: The service circle in sepak takraw is meant solely as a marker indicating where the server’s foot should be placed during a serve, according to International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) Secretary-General, Datuk Abdul Halim Kader.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Abdul Halim highlighted that this is among the proposed new rules on the service circle to allow the server (tekong) to lift the non-kicking foot during a serve, as there is no offence committed in doing so. He emphasized that a tekong can also use the non-kicking foot together with the kicking foot while serving, without committing any offence.

Abdul Halim further stated that ISTAF should focus on how players prepare before and during a service, and that no movement should be deemed an infringement as long as it doesn’t constitute an actual fault. He asserted that the tekong should be free to perform the service in any manner they prefer, as there are now no longer any violations during the serve in a match.

The statement also br
ought to light that, in the 30 years since ISTAF’s founding, issues surrounding the service circle and servers have frequently been raised in tournaments. Team managers and coaches often blame referees, ultimately making players the victims. Abdul Halim stressed that this must stop for the sake of sepak takraw’s future, free from all controversy.