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tacoben
08-05-2008, 11:30 AM
Anyone care to explain how the feed in bracket works. It is my understanding that this is the consolation round for players to potentially play for 3rd and 4th place in the tournament?

Also, I observed at the Berkeley Girls Nationals that there are "roving" umpires. Why are they not sitting on the umpire chairs, even if temporarily monitoring a match. Yesterday, I was watching a doubles match wherein a call was questioned by one of the girls. The umpire said it was too close to call leaving it for the two oponents to settle it.

Sorry for the questions, as I'm just returing to the sport after a long hiatus. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
verdasco
08-05-2008, 12:07 PM
no, you cannot get back into the main draw once you are in consolation.

it is called full feed in through the quarterfinals. meaning that if a player gets to the quarters and loses, he is still in the consolation. But if he wins in the quarters and loses in the semis, he plays in the 3rd place play-off game.
10isDad
08-05-2008, 01:05 PM
Some tournaments refer to the winner of the feed-in as winning 5th place and the consolation finalist as 6th place. Not entirely accurate without a full feed-in backdraw.
10isDad
08-05-2008, 01:09 PM
Would sitting in the umpire's chair made it that much easier to support/overrule the call?

Interestingly, the USTA manual on umpiring is pretty deadset against an umpire saying something is too close and leaving it to the kids.

If one of the participants asks for a ruling, the umpire is supposed to make a quick and decisive call - only going against the call made if it was extremely clear. When the umpires are not on the line, it's rarely clear enough to decisively say. The umpires will generally support the call as made.
tacoben
08-05-2008, 02:09 PM
Would sitting in the umpire's chair made it that much easier to support/overrule the call?


For the particular incident I mentioned, then yes, the ump would/should have had a really good vantage point. And if my eyes were correct, I even spotted some definite foot faulting by one of the girls...but the ump seem to be oblivious to it.