Warming up rule

[vcat]

Playing mixed in a usta tournament this weekend and one of refs comes by during warmup and says I can't warmup with my partner. He makes us warmup with the opponent....not that the opponent cared or anything but I've been playing these tournaments years and never heard of this rule. I like warming up with my regular partner, we have our routine down and we're consistent enough to actually get warmed up. I can't stand trying to warmup with someone who has trouble keeping the ball coming back to you. I can't find anything in the books, so maybe you guys know. So...was the ref full of it?

Thanks!

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by vcat

Playing mixed in a usta tournament this weekend and one of refs comes by during warmup and says I can't warmup with my partner. He makes us warmup with the opponent....not that the opponent cared or anything but I've been playing these tournaments years and never heard of this rule. I like warming up with my regular partner, we have our routine down and we're consistent enough to actually get warmed up. I can't stand trying to warmup with someone who has trouble keeping the ball coming back to you. I can't find anything in the books, so maybe you guys know. So...was the ref full of it?

Thanks!

Last year in sectionals I had a d-bag that was ruining our warmup ... hitting volleys on purpose into the back fence (no kidding). My understanding was that if I was not getting a satisfactory warmup I could elect to warm up with my own partner. The official did not let us despite my direct request.

Anywho, I cannot find the rule that says if the opponent is giving you a poor warmup you may elect to warm up with your partner (but I thought it was there at one point).

[andfor]

This kind of thing is easy to find if you have access to the internet and use the search function.

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2011FAC-Kaufman.pdf

PART 2—THE CODE

WARM-UP
3. Warm-up is not practice. A player should provide the opponent a
5-minute warm-up (ten minutes if there are no ballpersons). If a player refuses to warmup the opponent, the player forfeits the right to a warm-up. Some players confuse warm-up and practice. Each player should make a special effort to hit shots directlyto the opponent. (If partners want to warm each other up while their opponents arewarming up, they may do so.)

Also, you don't have to warm-up down the line. If you want to warm-up hitting cross-court with your partner that is allowed. Never seen anyone do it though. What baffles me are these umpires not knowing the rules.

Next time they tell you that it's against the rules ask them to so you the rule. If you are going to do this, I'd recommend having the rule book in your tennis bag. If the umpire refuses and you feel strongly about it tell him to get the tournament referee for a ruling.

[Ironwood]

This won't answer your USTA rule question, but here's a warm up or lack of one I still well remember. Many years ago when working for a major outfit in TO, Toronto for you south of the border, I played in a company tournament organized by the recreational committee.....just a fun outing although there was a trophy at the end of the day. I reached the final and it began to pour, so the match was moved to an indoor club of one of the organizers. When I got there, my opponent who was from a field office and who I had never met, was warming up with a friend and refused to hit with me. We had time constraints to get the match in, so I went with no warm up and just a couple of practice serves. Lost the first set and won the next two for the bragging rights, but in all my years of tennis, it's the only time I've encountered something like that.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Ironwood

This won't answer your USTA rule question, but here's a warm up or lack of one I still well remember. Many years ago when working for a major outfit in TO, Toronto for you south of the border, I played in a company tournament organized by the recreational committee.....just a fun outing although there was a trophy at the end of the day. I reached the final and it began to pour, so the match was moved to an indoor club of one of the organizers. When I got there, my opponent who was from a field office and who I had never met, was warming up with a friend and refused to hit with me. We had time constraints to get the match in, so I went with no warm up and just a couple of practice serves. Lost the first set and won the next two for the bragging rights, but in all my years of tennis, it's the only time I've encountered something like that.

Check the rules, your situation is there.

In a USTA match, you do not have to warm-up with your opponent. If you choose this you forfeit your warm-up and your opponent is allowed to warm-up with someone else. It's in the rules, so if your playing by the rules of tennis I don't see why it would not apply in all matches.

[West Coast Ace]

Originally Posted by Ironwood

...When I got there, my opponent who was from a field office and who I had never met, was warming up with a friend and refused to hit with me. We had time constraints to get the match in, so I went with no warm up and just a couple of practice serves. Lost the first set and won the next two for the bragging rights, but in all my years of tennis, it's the only time I've encountered something like that.

I had a similar experience a few yrs ago: show up to play a tournament and at the scheduled time as the ref if my opponent is ready. He says "he's not here yet." I stand around for another 5 minutes. Two guys come walking in from the courts, looking like they'd just hit. I am introduced to one as my opponent. We go out to the court and he gives me a crappy warmup. I lose and refuse to shake his hand and tell him he's a cheater. He says "you could have brought someone to warm up with too."

[andfor]

Another rule related to the warm-up.

4. Warm-up. A player who refuses to warm-up with the opponent forfeits the
right to a warm-up. During the warm-up or a re-warm-up, a player may have
any person hit with the player if the opponent refuses to do so.

[Larrysümmers]

people are straight up dbags sometimes. anyone ever come across the dude who thinks a feed is a winner DTL. or when doing overheads smashing them over the fence making you chase the balls? no man its cool, i understand that its a big deal to WIN THE WARMUP

[vcat]

Seems like the following two statements are conflicting with each other. The later rule sounds like it's made with singles in mind, but I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by andfor

...
PART 2—THE CODE

WARM-UP
3. Warm-up is not practice. A player should provide the opponent a
5-minute warm-up (ten minutes if there are no ballpersons). If a player refuses to warmup the opponent, the player forfeits the right to a warm-up. Some players confuse warm-up and practice. Each player should make a special effort to hit shots directlyto the opponent. (If partners want to warm each other up while their opponents arewarming up, they may do so.)

and this

Originally Posted by andfor

4. Warm-up. A player who refuses to warm-up with the opponent forfeits the
right to a warm-up. During the warm-up or a re-warm-up, a player may have
any person hit with the player if the opponent refuses to do so.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by vcat

Seems like the following two statements are conflicting with each other. The later rule sounds like it's made with singles in mind, but I could be wrong.



and this

This is a reference to a doubles match warm-up - (If partners want to warm each other up while their opponents arewarming up, they may do so.)

This would apply to singles when one person would have to get someone to hit with them because their dbag opponent would not warm-up with them - 4. Warm-up. A player who refuses to warm-up with the opponent forfeits the
right to a warm-up. During the warm-up or a re-warm-up, a player may have
any person hit with the player if the opponent refuses to do so.

[vcat]

So we played our next round and again asked our opponents if it's ok if we warmed up with our partners. They didn't mind so off we went. Of course the same ref comes back out and starts telling us that we can't do this. However this time I quote the code part on warming up that says we "may" do so. This really baffles the referee and he wants to check on that. So we go through this 15 minute check up where they look up both of the rules we quoted here and there's this big to do on how to interpret this mess. In the mean time our opponents are starting to get a bit put off with us...apparently thinking we're trying to mess with them. Finally we get back on the court as no one can make a decision in time and the clock is ticking, our opponents are visibly aggravated and we just want to get the match started.

In the end another lousy warmup but won the match anyway and afterward we get a bit of vindication as the tournament director interprets the rule as you may warmup with your partner *if* your opponents are ok with that. Two of the other roving refs are all over the board in telling us what should have happened...one even said since you refused to warmup with your opponent you forfeited your right to a warmup. We had to explain to this one that nobody refused anything, we just made a request. Another one tried to convince us that the rule we were quoting was only used for re-warmups only (when there's an interruption to the match). What a circus!

[andfor]

Originally Posted by vcat

So we played our next round and again asked our opponents if it's ok if we warmed up with our partners. They didn't mind so off we went. Of course the same ref comes back out and starts telling us that we can't do this. However this time I quote the code part on warming up that says we "may" do so. This really baffles the referee and he wants to check on that. So we go through this 15 minute check up where they look up both of the rules we quoted here and there's this big to do on how to interpret this mess. In the mean time our opponents are starting to get a bit put off with us...apparently thinking we're trying to mess with them. Finally we get back on the court as no one can make a decision in time and the clock is ticking, our opponents are visibly aggravated and we just want to get the match started.

In the end another lousy warmup but won the match anyway and afterward we get a bit of vindication as the tournament director interprets the rule as you may warmup with your partner *if* your opponents are ok with that. Two of the other roving refs are all over the board in telling us what should have happened...one even said since you refused to warmup with your opponent you forfeited your right to a warmup. We had to explain to this one that nobody refused anything, we just made a request. Another one tried to convince us that the rule we were quoting was only used for re-warmups only (when there's an interruption to the match). What a circus!

Great story and unfortunately, typical. I know some very good Umpires and Referees but their are some out there that really should read the rule book. Not just take the class to be certified and then be done with it.

Anyways, how is this not a clear reference to doubles? And it does not say anyone has to agree. (If partners want to warm each other up while their opponents are warming up, they may do so.)

[goober]

Originally Posted by vcat

So we played our next round and again asked our opponents if it's ok if we warmed up with our partners. They didn't mind so off we went. Of course the same ref comes back out and starts telling us that we can't do this. However this time I quote the code part on warming up that says we "may" do so. This really baffles the referee and he wants to check on that. So we go through this 15 minute check up where they look up both of the rules we quoted here and there's this big to do on how to interpret this mess. In the mean time our opponents are starting to get a bit put off with us...apparently thinking we're trying to mess with them. Finally we get back on the court as no one can make a decision in time and the clock is ticking, our opponents are visibly aggravated and we just want to get the match started.

In the end another lousy warmup but won the match anyway and afterward we get a bit of vindication as the tournament director interprets the rule as you may warmup with your partner *if* your opponents are ok with that. Two of the other roving refs are all over the board in telling us what should have happened...one even said since you refused to warmup with your opponent you forfeited your right to a warmup. We had to explain to this one that nobody refused anything, we just made a request. Another one tried to convince us that the rule we were quoting was only used for re-warmups only (when there's an interruption to the match). What a circus!

That's nuts- especially the refs. They made a spectacle out of a warmup!?! and their own ignorance.

I know not always possible but I always warm up with my partner on any court available well before match time. If you know there are not going to be any courts available, try hitting at a local community court before you drive down to the tourney. One of the biggest dopey refs I have encountered, wouldn't let us warmup on open courts even though there were plenty of them! He actually went around the tennis center yelling at people to stop warming up even though none of the matches were schedule to start for 20 minutes!

[Taxvictim]

World Team Tennis has strict rules about warm ups. Each team gets one court for warm ups before the match. Players warm up with their own teammates. Once the match starts, however, neither team is supposed to use an open court for keeping warm.

[beernutz]

It makes you wonder if some refs even play tennis.