Big rule changes to come to the ATP shortly

[Adv. Edberg]

I guess we all knew this was coming, especially as the retirements of the big 4 are around the corner. The ITF has decided to dumb down tennis, starting with the Next Gen Finals this year, but will move to the regular tour shortly.

"The tournament will trial a number of rule changes and innovations, to be announced in due course, with a view to ensuring continued growth in popularity of men’s professional tennis. “This event will also act as a launch pad for tennis innovation as we bid to make our sport more attractive to the changing consumer habits of the next generation of fans” said Kermode.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/rule-changes-innovation-for-next-gen-atp-finals-2017

Some rule changes:
First to Four games sets (Tie-Break at 3-All)
No-Ad scoring (Instead a killer point at deuce)
Players and coaches will be able to communicate at certain points in the match

Then there are some changes that might be ok.
A shot clock will be used in between points to ensure strict regulation of the 25-second rule, as well as during set breaks, Medical Time-Outs, and the five-minute countdown from the player walk-on to the first point of the match.
A limit of 1 medical time out per player per match.
No-Let Rule


I really don't like the big change here with TB at 3-3 and no ad-scoring. Think it'll destroy this beautiful sport in the long run.

How about getting some court variation back in the game? Especially fast HC that has been pretty much completely removed. That'll speed up the game.

 

[reaper]

I guess we all knew this was coming, especially as the retirements of the big 4 are around the corner. The ITF has decided to dumb down tennis, starting with the Next Gen Finals this year, buyt will move to the regular tour shortly.

"The tournament will trial a number of rule changes and innovations, to be announced in due course, with a view to ensuring continued growth in popularity of men’s professional tennis. “This event will also act as a launch pad for tennis innovation as we bid to make our sport more attractive to the changing consumer habits of the next generation of fans” said Kermode.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/rule-changes-innovation-for-next-gen-atp-finals-2017

Some rule changes:
First to Four games sets (Tie-Break at 3-All)
No-Ad scoring (Instead a killer point at deuce)
Players and coaches will be able to communicate at certain points in the match

Then there are some changes that might be ok.
A shot clock will be used in between points to ensure strict regulation of the 25-second rule, as well as during set breaks, Medical Time-Outs, and the five-minute countdown from the player walk-on to the first point of the match.
A limit of 1 medical time out per player per match.
No-Let Rule

I really don't like the big change here with TB at 3-3 and no ad-scoring. Think it'll destroy this beautiful sport in the long run.

I doubt that first to 4 with tie breakers at 3-3 will ever happen...it would be a complete disaster if tennis players came to be seen as so feeble they can't even play a full set...

 

[Booger]

Nothing about the grunting and screaming? Fans have been complaining about that for at least a decade.

 

[sureshs]

I doubt that first to 4 with tie breakers at 3-3 will ever happen...it would be a complete disaster if tennis players came to be seen as so feeble they can't even play a full set...

That is not true:

Shorter set format designed to increase number of pivotal moments in a match, while the best-of-five set format does not alter the number of games required to win a match (12) from the traditional scoring format.


Table tennis also went from a 21 point game to a 11 point game, but 7 of those instead of 5 (or 5 of those instead of 3)

 

[reaper]

That is not true:

Shorter set format designed to increase number of pivotal moments in a match, while the best-of-five set format does not alter the number of games required to win a match (12) from the traditional scoring format.


Table tennis also went from a 21 point game to a 11 point game, but 7 of those instead of 5 (or 5 of those instead of 3)

Increasing the number of sets puts the change in a different context.

 

[noobforehand20]

so encourage players to become lazyer by shortening matches instead of speeding the courts? one thing the casual spectator complains about is the ball seeming slow, a faster court can solve that

 

[reaper]

I would have thought even in a shortened format the tie break should be at 4-4 not 3-3.

 

[Bartelby]

Given that if you are late to the match they only let you in after 3 games, then first to 4 could mean you only see 1 game of a set.

 

[2HBH-DTL]

Players and coaches will be able to communicate at certain points in the match

 

[reaper]

Watching a player choke away a 3-0 lead won't be anywhere near as enjoyable as a 5-0 lead.

 

[sureshs]

The main goal should be limiting the match time. In addition to shot clock and the above changes, there should be a time limit of 1 hour. Whoever is ahead at that time wins.

 

[tenisdecente]

Horrible changes to say the least. Make courts faster and kill the moonballers/ball bashers!

 

[reaper]

The main goal should be limiting the match time. In addition to shot clock and the above changes, there should be a time limit of 1 hour. Whoever is ahead at that time wins.

Who's got an hour to spare? Surely 1 minute.

 

[albertobra]

I don't like the killer point at deuce.

Maybe because I almost always loose it.

Could be refreshing best of 5 with sets up to 4 games.

Personally |I don't find necessary the clock thing. Yes there are players that abuse it, but I feel like it's part of the psycological game.

 

[sureshs]

These changes should apply at all levels. I volunteer at many junior tournaments, and some matches go for almost 2 hours. It is ridiculous for school-going kids to be spending this sort of time and energy on a sport.

At the pro level, many sports limit the time. Cricket has its 1 day and 20-20 variants, and soccer has 45 minute halves. There is no reason to watch the same 2 players bounce the ball back and forth for 4 hours. They need to prove themselves in an hour or say 90 minutes max. Or an hour excluding the allowed time between points (like they do in soccer).

 

[Bartelby]

They probably just want to make tennis more 'regular' so the television companies can get their advertisements in more routinely.

A ten minute game is ten minutes without earning revenue!

 

[Roddick85]

I don't think I'm the only one here who feels this way, but to me this is a step in the wrong direction for a sport that is so heavy on traditions. Sounds like a move aimed to please the short attention span of the younger generations & television networks rather than real tennis fans. A shot clock between serves could be something I warm up to as we can already witness some abuse there at the moment, however having that clock after a long & intense rally certainly won't please most players so I have to side with them on that one. Making sets shorter and no AD scoring is non-sense to me. Why take away the physicality of the sport by reducing the amount of rallies that need to be won in order to win a match? Coaching well I don't see the need for that either, it's not a boxing match we're talking about!

As a long time tennis fan, if these rule changes become real, I might just unplug completely from the tour permanently.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Is this serious? What kind of monkey doodle ******** is this?

 

[tennisaddict]

Just make BO3 for all matches except SF and Final and be done with it .

The no-ad and no-let are the worst ideas EVER.

I don't mind a super tie break in BO3 at 1 set all , 6 games each in the 3rd

 

[zagor]

Shot clock and Medical Time out limit could be OK, rest of those would kill the sport permamently for me.

Catering to the ADD generation, no thanks.

 

[sureshs]

Tennis is losing viewership on the pro side. Tennis is losing recreational players to pickleball.

Old timers will always whine about traditions. With the advent of graphite frames and synthetic strings, tennis of today is a different sport compared to the original variant. If you like tradition, you should be asking for woodies not more time with today's equipment which has made the game into ping pong.

 

[70sHollywood]

I think it is a good idea to have some tournaments use these rules, but not all. Of course they will almost certainly introduce a 5th slam played under new rules.

Let's be honest - if you could suddenly be given world class abilities in one sport how many would pick tennis? and this is a tennis forum. If tennis is going to attract the higher quality athletes it needs to change to some degree at least.

The problem is the old slippery slope, but if test cricket can still exist then surely best of 5 set tennis can.

 

[The Joker]

Normally I joke, but I can't believe this. This is horrendous on so many levels. How long will maytches take? 30 minutes to an hour? That's ridiculous, I want to watch tennis, not a sitcom.

 

[mandy01]

Goodbye tennis. Not watching after Fed retires. Not one player worth rooting for AND they're now making a game for the stupids. This looks like a bigger nightmare than Sunny Deol's films.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

The coaching is also really bad. Figuring out yourself the change in strategy you need to make is part of the skill and beauty of tennis. You're there in the ring, alone.

 

[sureshs]

The coaching is also really bad. Figuring out yourself the change in strategy you need to make is part of the skill and beauty of tennis. You're there in the ring, alone.

Not much strategy needed with today's equipment - big serve + forehand is most of it.

 

[Tennis Rules]

Some rule changes:
First to Four games sets (Tie-Break at 3-All)
No-Ad scoring (Instead a killer point at deuce)
Players and coaches will be able to communicate at certain points in the match
No-Let Rule

my defination of the end of tennis!!!!

 

[fundrazer]

The next gen finals using this ruleset isn't news, we've known this for a while.

My guess is that it will not be well received or liked by the fans and the idea will be thrown in the dumpster except for random exho events.

 

[Shaolin]

The shortened set thing is f*****g stupid.

No let and no ad are ok with me. Both speed up the game a little and add some drama.

Never liked the shot clock thing. What happens when someone hits a tweener winner or some spectacular point happens and the crowd wants to clap for a minute?

 

[reaper]

The shortened set thing is f*****g stupid.

No let and no ad are ok with me. Both speed up the game a little and add some drama.

Never liked the shot clock thing. What happens when someone hits a tweener winner or some spectacular point happens and the crowd wants to clap for a minute?

Even the no ad is terrible for me. The ad system brings a psychological component to the match. A returner squanders (say) 8 break points in a game that has 14 deuces. That has a psychological flow on in changing the momentum of the match. That is lost when you just play 1 point at deuce.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

Not much strategy needed with today's equipment - big serve + forehand is most of it.

There's a bit more to it than that I think

 

[sureshs]

The shortened set thing is f*****g stupid.

No let and no ad are ok with me. Both speed up the game a little and add some drama.

Never liked the shot clock thing. What happens when someone hits a tweener winner or some spectacular point happens and the crowd wants to clap for a minute?

No toweling is probably a better substitute.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

The next gen finals using this ruleset isn't news, we've known this for a while.

My guess is that it will not be well received or liked by the fans and the idea will be thrown in the dumpster except for random exho events.

Yep, but they announced it officially today.

 

[ByakuFubuki]

Is this serious? What kind of monkey doodle ******** is this?

It's not sure that these rules will be applied to the Pro Tour, but the fact they'll be tested out during the NextGen Finals is pretty much official: http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/rule-changes-innovation-for-next-gen-atp-finals-2017

 

[WisconsinPlayer]

No toweling is probably a better substitute.

Why? You want to see player's racquets twisting in their hand on every forehand because they're too sweaty?

 

[TheMusicLover]

Just bloody AWFUL!!!

DO. NOT. FIX. WHAT. ISN'T. BROKEN.

Enough said.

Why? You want to see player's racquets twisting in their hand on every forehand because they're too sweaty?

There used to be sweat bands for that exact purpose.

 

[reaper]

Why? You want to see player's racquets twisting in their hand on every forehand because they're too sweaty?

We want the return of wrist bands, the ultimate fashion accessory.

 

[Fedinkum]

I guess we all knew this was coming, especially as the retirements of the big 4 are around the corner. The ITF has decided to dumb down tennis, starting with the Next Gen Finals this year...

Some rule changes:
First to Four games sets (Tie-Break at 3-All)
No-Ad scoring (Instead a killer point at deuce)
Players and coaches will be able to communicate at certain points in the match
.

These make sense, for a generation of lazy brats...players wont need conditioning anymore with these fu3cking stupid changes!

 

[ibbi]

Tennis has already been dumbed down 15 years ago when they tried to turn it 365 days a year into Pong. I definitely like the clock ideas, and doing away with the let rule, and I think MTO's should be done away with entirely (if you can't play, go home) but the rest of this stuff is idiotic in the extreme, and will hopefully never catch on/will probably further stunt the growth of juniors coming onto the main tour.

 

[Paul Harman]

Changing the rules like this is just a race to the bottom. See Formula 1 for example.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

They should also make it compulsory for players to post a selfie in every changeover while they're at it.

Good for the Next Gen fans.

 

[SpinDr.]

These rules may increase ratings, but they will simultaneously kill the cultural impact of the sport. Welcome to Drive-thru McTennis.

 

[TheMaestro1990]

The main goal should be limiting the match time. In addition to shot clock and the above changes, there should be a time limit of 1 hour. Whoever is ahead at that time wins.

Just lol

 

[Soul_Evisceration]

Tennis has already been dumbed down 15 years ago when they tried to turn it 365 days a year into Pong. I definitely like the clock ideas, and doing away with the let rule, and I think MTO's should be done away with entirely (if you can't play, go home) but the rest of this stuff is idiotic in the extreme, and will hopefully never catch on/will probably further stunt the growth of juniors coming onto the main tour.

100% agreed.

If this is how the idiotic #NextGen will make a name for themselves, this sport can count me out.

 

[Jackuar]

Why not create a new sport altogether called weeni(e) s and let the whiners play and watch?

 

[spirit95]

They've been 'testing rule changes' at things like Fast4, tiebreak tens and world team tennis for years. Doesn't mean they'll ever reach the tour

 

[jm1980]

Nothing about the grunting and screaming? Fans have been complaining about that for at least a decade.

That's not really a big deal in the ATP

 

[Tennis_Hands]

Meh

I will still play by the old rules!

 

[Devilito]

was posting this exact rule set for years. They should hire me lol
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/a-future-with-no-sets.587266/#post-11120073

 

[SeeingDusk]

I'll be done with tennis once the big 4 retires. But now it may be sooner with these new rules.