The Rules of Tennis
The ATP recently unveiled plans to modify medical timeouts for tour events. Since the announcement came in the same press release as the new bathroom break rules, it kind of got lost in the shuffle. Additionally, the ATP has not determined exactly when this new rule will be effective. The expectation is that it will come sometime in 2022.
Medical Time Out (Effective Date TBD)
One three-minute time out per match to be taken during a changeover or a set break only.
If the player cannot continue to the next change of ends, he will forfeit the points required to get to that change of ends/set break
Excerpt form ATP Announces Rule Changes to Speed Play
There are really two parts to this emerging rules change. First is the modification to the medical timeout itself. Three minutes is the length of medical timeouts currently codified in the ATP Rulebook. However, currently players could receive multiple timeouts for separate treatable conditions. The new rule cuts that down to three minutes total.
The second part of this rule eliminates immediate medical attention for acute injuries. The current ATP rule is that medical timeouts must be taken on changeovers unless the umpire decides that the player can’t continue and grants an exception. This new rule takes the ability to do that out of the hands of the umpires by requiring the player to forfeit points to get to the medical timeout at the changeover. That puts the decision squarely in the player’s hands.
The evolution of medical timeouts in professional tennis is an interesting case study in the struggle to find the right balance. Walkovers and mid-match defaults are bad for spectator attendance. Consequently, the professional tours are incentivized to support injured players for match continuation. At the same time, excessive medical timeouts lengthen overall matches which is bad for television viewership.
This new rule is suggestive that the ATP tour thinks that players are abusing medical timeouts… which some clearly are. However, if injury walkovers start to tick up for marquis matchups, the sentiment of tour leadership could change in a hurry.
- ATP Announces Rule Changes To Speed Play, ATP Tour Press Release, November 23, 2022.
- ATP Official Rulebook, 2021.
What if a player loses a contact during a point? Are they allowed to replace it at that time?
Great question with a nuanced answer. (There will probably be a full post on this in the near future.) Per section X.29.b in the ATP Rulebook, the player is allowed extra time to rectify issues with clothing, footwear, or necessary equipment. Curiously enough, there is also a case decision in section VII for contact lens issues. Players are not permitted to leave the court to insert a contact lens. Additionally, if the player was not wearing the contact lens initially, inserting them has to wait for a change over.
“The Code” in the USTA Friend at Court explicitly defines “reasonable time” to include replacement of a contact lens with a spare that is on court.
I really enjoy the blog. My sister is a mechanical engineer so I’m used to the over thinking. If you find the following annoying, let me know and I won’t make any more comments like this. I hope it’s helpful. In the second sentence of the second paragraph after the quote, I think you meant “must” not “much”. This would probably annoy my sister, but usually I correct her grammar.
I don’t mind this kind of comment at all. This blog is nothing if not a testament to the fact that I could use a really good editor. I am glad that you are enjoying it!