Have you ever had a dispute with a fellow player over a call on the court that you couldn’t settle? Or have you ever wondered why a certain ruling was made during a match you were watching? Maybe you’re just curious about how some scenarios, from the common to the ridiculous, are resolved.
The USTA constantly receives these types of questions from players and fans, so we figured it’s about time we provided a forum in which queries about rules can be answered. Thus, we present to you The Final Word.
Readers can send their burning questions about the rules of tennis along with their name and town to FinalWord@USTA.com. Each week, we will select submissions and supply the definitive rulings though a Q&A with USTA Director of Officials Richard Kaufman.
On to this week's questions and responses...
Have you ever had a situation in which there was an error on the lineup sheet, but no rules were broken as far as the match? I’m hoping to get some guidance about how to handle this type of situation in league play. We have a league that plays six courts of doubles and requires play to be “best against best” according to roster positions. We had a situation in which a captain filled out her line-up sheet, but she mis-rostered two courts of players. However, the opposing team forfeited a court, so the actual match ended up being best against best, but the line-up sheet wasn’t changed.
Christine R. (from Charlotte, NC)
KAUFMAN (information provided by USTA Leagues Department): If the discovery occurs before the first set has been completed players are to go to the correct courts and begin the matches over. If the discovery occurs after the first set is completed, the matches will be completed as started and count as matches played in good faith.
I'm aware that for a double bounce it is the opponents call on if it did or didn't bounce twice before he hit it, however how is it to be treated if you ask the opponent, and they say that they are not sure if it bounced twice before they got it back? The thing is we were not sure how to proceed because he was uncertain and I didn't put it away when he returned it, so we just played a let. If the opponent is not certain it was hit before two bounces, should he assume it was two bounces?
Benoit B. (from Livermore, CA)
KAUFMAN: If the player does not make the call, play should continue. In your case, you stopped and asked, and the opponent said that he was not sure.
Since he did not say one way or the other that it was two bounces, you cannot then assume it was two bounces. Therefore you should lose the point since you stopped play. He was being kind by offering you a let. It is his call to make, not yours.
My friends and I are in disagreement about this. Some of us say that if the ball strikes any part of your body during the rally, you lose the point. And further, you should call that on yourself. Some others say that if the ball hits your hand or wrist (the one holding the racquet) while you are attempting to return the ball during the point and the ball goes over the net to the opposing team, the ball is still in play and you don't lose the point. What's the ruling?
Sharon K. (from Alexandria, LA)
KAUFMAN: Any touch is called on oneself. The hand is considered a part of the body and not the racket. If the ball touches your hand that holds the racket you lose the point.
We were playing doubles. Starting the 5th game, we noticed after our opponent's first serve into the net that he was serving out of order. We brought this to the servers attention and he switched serving positions with his partner. They wanted to play a "let" and start over with a first serve. Because they served out of order and they served their first ball into the net, we said "no" to their request and asked them to start at "second" serve with the correct opponent serving.
Are we right on this issue?
Kacy K. (from Southeast, TX)
KAUFMAN: The first serve fault stands. When the correction is made and the partner now serves, it a second a serve. If the other team should have been serving, the correction is made and it is a first serve. In both cases, all points stand as played previous to the discovery. See Rule 27, Correcting Errors.
When playing at an indoor facility, whether singles or doubles, is there any ruling as to whether the side curtains between the courts remain open or closed? And if so, who determines?
Mark Przepiorski
Executive Director
Chicago District Tennis Association
KAUFMAN: Depending upon the distance between courts will determine if the side curtains should remain open or closed. In most cases indoor courts are very close together and the curtains should not be in use to insure there is an adequate distance on the sidelines to retrieve shots.
Past Articles:
Since 1997, Richard Kaufman has served as Director of Officials for the USTA and Chief Umpire of the US Open. He's an ITF Certified Gold Badge Chief Umpire and an ITF Certified Silver Badge Referee, and has been a USTA Certified Official since 1977. Kaufman has also worked as the Chair Umpire for the US Open men's final (1983, 1987, 1996), US Open women's final (1988, 1995), the Australian Open men's final (1987), the Wimbledon men's doubles final (1987), the French Open men's doubles final (1988), and the Masters Cup final (1985-96). | | The Final Word - Past Articles | |