In “Ball Strikes Ball” I confessed that I may have made a rules based error when chastising the umpire I gave birth to for not clearing stray tennis balls off her court during her matches. Specifically, I mentioned that I used to carry a dog eared copy of the “ITF Rules of Tennis” in my bag as supporting evidence for my assertion that leaving balls on the court would result in a loss of the point.
My potential error was in remembering that event within the context of the “Good Return” section. I may have found redemption in the following Case Decision within the “Hindrance” section.
Case 4: During a point, a ball or other object that was lying on the player’s side of the net when the point started hinders the player. Is this a hindrance?
Decision: No.
USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, Section 26
There is a chance that this was actually the excerpt I pointed to when trying to convince my daughter that she would lose points by not practicing good ball hygiene. In any case, this is how I am going to chose to frame those episodes from this point forward.
The umpire I gave birth to never called me out for the potential error following “Ball Strikes Ball” which I take to be a pretty good indication that the umpire who gave birth to me did not rat me out. I think I may have skated by on this one.
I should return my focus to the rule, or more accurately, actually start to focus on it. This Case Decision is fairly straight forward. A player or team cannot claim a hindrance by an object that was on the court at the start of the point.
I have heard of pseudo exceptions to this rule. I have seen players start a match with a puddle on the court from a broken sprinkler head agreeing that if a ball bounced in the puddle or a player had to run through it, a let would be played. That would technically be a hindrance call. That was not in USTA sanctioned play.
The umpire I have birth to played a USTA match on a middle school court that had chunks of one sideline essentially missing. At the direction of the USTA umpire balls that bounced in that area were to be played as lets. It is sort of the equivalent of baseball’s ground rules.
It really bugs me when players do not clear the ball from their side of the court. If my opponent leaves a ball in the middle of the court I cannot suppress the urge to aim for it and cause the other player to have to tip toe around it.
I should note that when my opponent leaves a ball in a position that is not within my own personal tolerance ranges that I do always ask if the ball position is OK before starting the point. Even if they elect not to remove the ball, they are at least made aware of the obstacle.
I don’t ever want to see anyone get hurt by stepping on a loose ball or any other obstacle.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
