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...
Eric M.
I have a few questions regarding a recent doubles match. After every point, the team that we played had a discussion. They would huddle together for several seconds and then take their positions. This finally ended after the third game.
Later in the match, an opposing player would return the ball and yell out something that was incoherent. Is it legal for your opponent to yell out just when you are getting ready to return the ball?
When this same player was playing the net and during our serve, he would kneel down on the center line and then pop up! Is this legal?
KAUFMAN: Players may not yell out when their opponents are about to hit the ball. That is a hindrance. During the service, a player on the receiving team cannot make big sudden motions or loud noises just prior to the serve. That is a hindrance.
Tracy (from Orlando FL)
I recently watched a doubles match in which one of the teams decided to serve in the "I" formation. In watching, I noticed that both the server and her partner actually had their feet on the wrong side of the center line during the serve. Is that positioning correct, or should a fault have been called?
KAUFMAN: The server may not cross the center service line with their either foot on the ground once they begin their service motion. That includes the extension of the center service line behind the baseline. That is a foot fault. The servers partner may stand anywhere on their side of the court.
Craig S. (from Dana Point, CA)
I play in a mixed-doubles group. I was receiving. The server's first serve was a fault. The ball bounced off the back fence and rolled into my playing area. I stepped out of receiving position to pick up the ball and put it in my pocket. Before I could remove my hand from my pocket the server began service. The ball was in, but I made no attempt to return it calling a "Let" since I wasn't ready. Does a receiver have an obligation to call out, or hold up a hand when he believes he is being quick-served by an opponent?
The server may not serve until the receiver is ready. The server must look to see if the receiver is ready. If the receiver is not ready it is recommended that the receiver holds up their hand or says “wait please.” In this way there is no doubt that the receiver is not ready.
Tom P. (from Ventura, CA)
We had an unusual situation in a match at Spanish Hills last weekend. Our Doubles #2 team was serving at 5-3 in the 3rd set when the non-serving partner had his knee go out. He was not really in pain, but he could not continue play so we retired the match at that point.
However, since our injured player was not serving and, as I understand it, a player can be positioned anywhere on the court, we were wondering if his serving partner could have played out that game essentially by himself -- as long as the injured player was somewhere on the court. We discussed it later, and we thought it would have been OK, at least for that one game. The injured player could not have served or returned, no doubt, but for the remainder of our team's service game, he really didn't need to do anything but be on the court, even leaning against the back or side fence. Have you ever heard of anything like that? What do you think. We're just curious.
KAUFMAN: You are correct. The injured player could just stand there and let the partner try to win the game since the injured player did not have to serve or receive.
Michael T.
My opponent hits a drop shot that properly lands in bounds on my side of the court, but it has so much top spin that the ball goes backwards on a fly on to his side of the court, landing in bounds and hits the ground.
Who gets the point and why?
KAUFMAN: If the spin or wind brings the ball back over the net to the side of the player(s) who hit the shot, the opponent(s) may then reach over the net and play the ball. They may not touch the net or the opponent's court. This is the only situation when a player may reach over the net to play a ball. If the opponent does not play the ball and it bounces on the side of the player who hit the spin shot, that player(s) who hit that spin shot wins the point.
Susan T.
The rule book says that a player may defer and give his opponent the choice of serve, receive or side. In a recent match, my opponent deferred. When I chose to serve, he said he was then entitled to choose the side. I said this would give him a second choice. He disagreed. If a player defers, how do you decide who serves if the other player chooses the side?
KAUFMAN: One more time!!!
The rule is that if a player(s) win the coin toss (racket spin), that player(s) may:
- Choose to serve or receive in the first game of the match, in which case the opponent(s) shall choose the end of the court for the first game of the match.
- Choose end of the court, in which case the opponent(s) choose to serve or receive first.
- To REQUIRE the opponent(s) to make one of the above 2 choices; to either serve or receive first OR to chose end of the court to begin the match.
- The player(s) who won the toss initially and chose to defer to their opponent(s), may now make one of the two above choices, to choose either end of the court OR to chose to serve or receive first, which depends upon the opponents choice of #1 or #2.
The winning of the toss does not entitle player(s) to make all decisions. Once you require your opponent to make the initial decision, it is like they won the toss. However, the one thing they cannot do is to defer back to you. The must choose either #1 or #2.
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). |
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