The usta officials are clueless

[dizzlmcwizzl]

In a match today the following occurred. The other team was constantly serving wide on the add side. On one ball my partner took the return down the line and hit the flip cards. The ball reflected off the score cards and landed in. The official stepped in and said it was the opponents point and the score cards were not considered a permanent fixture.

This is where it gets interesting ... I asked if we could pull out the cards since it may come up again. Same official said no ... They must stay.

So he called it a temporary fixture that we could not move out of the way. We asked three different officials and 2 agreed with him and one said it should have been our point.

What say you tt

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Not quite as interesting but watched the same official call a fault on a player ... Stand at the court and watch the same player foot fault by at least 12 inches on every serve afterwards without saying a word. When I asked him about it he pointed out that he did call it once.

[Fusker]

Not allowing you to take down the numbers seems like a lack of common sense.

[cll30]

USTA Comment 13.2: Who wins the point if a player hits a ball that hits
an object attached to the net or post (such as the scoring device) and then
lands in the proper court? The player who hit the ball loses the point
because it hit a permanent fixture before landing in the court.

10 characters plus

[tenniscasey]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

In a match today the following occurred. The other team was constantly serving wide on the add side. On one ball my partner took the return down the line and hit the flip cards. The ball reflected off the score cards and landed in. The official stepped in and said it was the opponents point and the score cards were not considered a permanent fixture.

This is where it gets interesting ... I asked if we could pull out the cards since it may come up again. Same official said no ... They must stay.

So he called it a temporary fixture that we could not move out of the way. We asked three different officials and 2 agreed with him and one said it should have been our point.

What say you tt

One official made a mistake on an obscure rule. Two other officials mistakenly agreed with him. Gotcha.

Now, please explain: How does that translate to "USTA officials are clueless"? Have you ever made a mistake? If so, are you clueless?

[sundaypunch]

Originally Posted by tenniscasey

One official made a mistake on an obscure rule. Two other officials mistakenly agreed with him. Gotcha.

Now, please explain: How does that translate to "USTA officials are clueless"? Have you ever made a mistake? If so, are you clueless?

The officials apparently were clueless when it comes to that rule.

[Cindysphinx]

The ruling was correct. You lose the point because your partners ball hit a permanent fizture before landing in the correct court. The official's explanation was garbled (assuming you heard correctly), but the call was right.

If i were the official, i would not let you remove the scorecard either. We cannot have players dissasembling the fixtures on the court. What next? Will you take down a ceiling fan if your ball hits that? So long as the fixture is there for both teams, it is fair.

[tenniscasey]

Originally Posted by sundaypunch

The officials apparently were clueless when it comes to that rule.

That's not what the OP said or implied.

[tenniscasey]

USTA Comment 13.2: Who wins the point if a player hits a ball that hits an object attached to the net or post (such as the scoring device) and then lands in the proper court? The player who hit the ball loses the point because it hit a permanent fixture before landing in the court.

Whoops! Looks like the rules are clueless too.

[sundaypunch]

Originally Posted by tenniscasey

That's not what the OP said or implied.

Hey! You are right. I read that way too quickly........

[NTRPolice]

I went to sectionals today to check out competition for the mixed leagues coming up and I saw that new scoring crap that they use. What IS that thing? It's awful. I should have taken a picture.

Also, yeah, the officials are terrible. But you have to understand, a lot of these people are old (in age) and volunteers (in skill). I dont think they try to screw people over, but they are going to be "assertive" at the same time, right or wrong.

I can see why pros get mad at paid, professional officials, because so much is on the line, but rec players can only complain so much about the organizations. For me, whenever someone hooks a line call, plays a double bounce, or in this case, the official may be wrong, you just have to play through it.

I've had some interesting interactions with officials before, some good and some bad. They ARE generally nice people though.

Today I actually witnessed a new trainee going though the program. When I was watching the 4.0's play I was eavesdropping at the same time. The "guy in the green" was being a little "vocal" and "aggressive" so the trainer was explaining to the new lady about how "...you need to watch this guy here in the green. You see how he's pacing back and forth like that? He's going to blow up soon. You need to watch for that." HAHAHAHAHA

It was so funny.

[tenniscasey]

Originally Posted by NTRPolice

I went to sectionals today to check out competition for the mixed leagues coming up and I saw that new scoring crap that they use. What IS that thing? It's awful. I should have taken a picture.

Also, yeah, the officials are terrible. But you have to understand, a lot of these people are old (in age) and volunteers (in skill). I dont think they try to screw people over, but they are going to be "assertive" at the same time, right or wrong.

I can see why pros get mad at paid, professional officials, because so much is on the line, but rec players can only complain so much about the organizations. For me, whenever someone hooks a line call, plays a double bounce, or in this case, the official may be wrong, you just have to play through it.

I've had some interesting interactions with officials before, some good and some bad. They ARE generally nice people though.

I really don't understand why people blanket-bomb entire volunteer officiating groups over isolated incidents. The vast majority of USTA officials I've encountered are entirely competent and thoroughly helpful; I'm grateful for the time they invest in making sure I enjoy my rec tennis experience.

This thread particularly gets to me because the official appears to have been in the right, even if he might have erred in the explanation.

[cll30]

Originally Posted by tenniscasey

I really don't understand why people blanket-bomb entire volunteer officiating groups over isolated incidents. The vast majority of USTA officials I've encountered are entirely competent and thoroughly helpful; I'm grateful for the time they invest in making sure I enjoy my rec tennis experience.

This thread particularly gets to me because the official appears to have been in the right, even if he might have erred in the explanation.

I think most of them get paid.

[tenniscasey]

Originally Posted by cll30

I think most of them get paid.

If so, and I have every reason to believe you, that's great.

I can't imagine it's a meaningful amount, though, and my broader point still stands.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by tenniscasey

One official made a mistake on an obscure rule. Two other officials mistakenly agreed with him. Gotcha.

Now, please explain: How does that translate to "USTA officials are clueless"? Have you ever made a mistake? If so, are you clueless?

Well ... I admit while I was sitting in the hotel icing body parts and feeling bad about our team being the second/third best team at sectionals for the third year in a row .... I titled to harshly.

This does not change my opinion of these particular officials ....

[dizzlmcwizzl]

I was serving...l I had hit a second service. The ball was in flight towards my opponent but had not yet arrived when a ball came screeming from an adjacent court. A let was was called by everyone on the court.

However, we all thought I should get two serves since the point was started and interrupted .... The official stepped and said I only get one serve.

I am convinced the official was wrong but it is hard to search for rules from my phone .... I rely on the TT community.

[tenniscasey]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

I was serving...l I had hit a second service. The ball was in flight towards my opponent but had not yet arrived when a ball came screeming from an adjacent court. A let was was called by everyone on the court.

However, we all thought I should get two serves since the point was started and interrupted .... The official stepped and said I only get one serve.

I am convinced the official was wrong but it is hard to search for rules from my phone .... I rely on the TT community.

This one's pretty clear-cut in your favor:

23. THE LET
In all cases when a let is called, except when a service let is called on a second service, the whole point shall be replayed.

Case 1: When the ball is in play, another ball rolls onto court. A let is called. The server had previously served a fault. Is the server now entitled to a first service or second service?

Decision: First service. The whole point must be replayed.

USTA Comment 23.1: What happens when the server is interrupted during delivery of the second service? The server is entitled to two serves.

[gmatheis]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

I was serving...l I had hit a second service. The ball was in flight towards my opponent but had not yet arrived when a ball came screeming from an adjacent court. A let was was called by everyone on the court.

However, we all thought I should get two serves since the point was started and interrupted .... The official stepped and said I only get one serve.

I am convinced the official was wrong but it is hard to search for rules from my phone .... I rely on the TT community.

This is why as a player you really need to know the rules, I even have them on my iphone as an ebook.

There is NO doubt that you get two serves here, and any official that doesn't know that shouldn't be an official.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by gmatheis

This is why as a player you really need to know the rules, I even have them on my iphone as an ebook.

There is NO doubt that you get two serves here, and any official that doesn't know that shouldn't be an official.

The official was wrong. It happens.

What happened when you asked for the tournament referee?

Sorry about sectionals, man. Winning sectionals takes divine intervention.

[NTRPolice]

Originally Posted by cll30

I think most of them get paid.

Some of them do, most of them dont.

All of the ones who get paid a legitimate amount of money are almost never there at any events unless its like the USO wildcard or posing for pictures in the magazines.

Have you ever tried contacting them in their office? lol. If they aint in their office 4/5 days a week, they're not in the blazing sun walking around and watching lines in the tiebreaks.

A lot of people get "paid" for USTA work, but "hourly" wise its less than minimum wage. I know one lady who is in charge of scheduling the 6.0/7.0/8.0/9.0 and she "gets paid" lol. It's a labor of love, or beer. It's funny cause when I played on her 6.0 team she scheduled all our matches early in the mornings at courts close to my house, so I could play 7.0 later in the afternoon. RIGGED I tell ya