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Your foot touches the service line as you serve. Fault?
One foot behind the service line until the ball is struck, and neither foot on the line. A toe on the line is a fault.
You bounce the ball and as you strike the serve your front foot is resting on the service line. What is the call?
One foot behind the service line until the ball is struck, and neither foot on the line. A toe on the line is a fault.
Why
The serve is the most rule-heavy shot in the game. Along with the underarm swing and the bounce, the server has to keep one foot behind the service line and inside the service box until the ball is hit, with at least one foot on the ground, and neither foot may touch the line until the ball is hit.
The rest of the reasoning
Stepping on or over the line before contact is a foot fault, and it costs a serve even when the ball lands beautifully. Most club foot faults come from walking into the serve: start still, hit, then go.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Set your feet a full shoe length behind the line before you bounce the ball. You will never be close enough to argue about.
Intermediate
The line is easy to drift onto when you are serving and rushing to the net. Hit first, then move: the two seconds you think you save are worth less than the serve.
Advanced
Serve from further back on purpose when you want the ball to arrive at the returner lower off the bounce, and from tight to the line when you want to reach the net a step earlier.
Common questions
You bounce the ball and as you strike the serve your front foot is resting on the service line. What is the call?
Fault: no foot may touch the line until you have hit. One foot behind the service line until the ball is struck, and neither foot on the line. A toe on the line is a fault. The serve is the most rule-heavy shot in the game. Along with the underarm swing and the bounce, the server has to keep one foot behind the service line and inside the service box until the ball is hit, with at least one foot on the ground, and neither foot may touch the line until the ball is hit. Stepping on or over the line before contact is a foot fault, and it costs a serve even when the ball lands beautifully. Most club foot faults come from walking into the serve: start still, hit, then go.
Why not fine, as long as the ball lands in the box?
Where the ball lands is a separate test. A serve can land perfectly and still be a fault because of your feet.
What should a beginner do here?
Set your feet a full shoe length behind the line before you bounce the ball. You will never be close enough to argue about.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Serve from further back on purpose when you want the ball to arrive at the returner lower off the bounce, and from tight to the line when you want to reach the net a step earlier.
What do the rules say?
At the moment of striking the serve the server must have at least one foot behind the service line and at least one foot on the ground, and must not touch the service line or the imaginary centre line with either foot.