I need some help with the ruling...

[Fuji]

When I went to serve, I got the ball wedged into the throat of my stick! What is the official ruling on this? It was just casual hitting so it was not big deal, but what happens in an official match if on my 1st serve, when I go to hit, it gets stuck into the throat! We both had no idea what to do, so we just replayed my serve, but I don't think that is proper procedure...

If anyone can link me to a ruling on that it would be great, or if anyone just knows what the proper way to handle it is!

Thank you!

-Fuji

 

[jester911]

It is a fault.

 

[papa]

Yes, as jester said its a fault - even if you had missed the ball altogether it would have been a fault. So, anytime you attempt to serve and the balls goes anywhere/or doesn't go anywhere (like in your case), except into the service box or hits the net and goes into the box, its a fault.

This isn't totally true like if your ball hits an opponent(s) on the fly, strikes a bird in the air, etc. but for all practical reasons its true. Like everything, there are always exceptions.

 

[athiker]

http://www.usta.com/Improve-Your-Game/Rules/Rulings/Swings_vs_whiffs/

See page 8 for rules 16 through 19

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/ITF%20-%20RoT%202010.pdf

From rule 16:

The server shall then release the ball by hand in any direction and hit the ball with
the racket before the ball hits the ground. The service motion is completed at the
moment that the player’s racket hits or misses the ball.

 

[GetBetterer]

What athiker quoted.

Basically you swung and missed, it is a fault.

 

[papa]

What athiker quoted.

Basically you swung and missed, it is a fault.

Yeah, but don't be confused. If you swing and happen to miss on any "other" shot you can (or partner) can swing again before you have two bounces - actually, this would probably apply to the serve also if "somehow" you could swing again prior to the ball landing in the court. So, its probably not the swinging and missing as much as its swinging and missing and then the ball hits the court before you swing again. Seems a little stupid doesn't it?

 

[Fuji]

Haha thanks a lot everyone!

Papa, that is kind of stupid actually, but I guess in makes sense in a way!

-Fuji

 

[papa]

Haha thanks a lot everyone!

Papa, that is kind of stupid actually, but I guess in makes sense in a way!

-Fuji

Yeah. Sometimes you have to stretch a rule to its absolute maximum to see if it really still holds up. I'm not suggesting everything has to be black or white but too much interpretation creates its own set of problems. The best rules hold up under these examples like say line calls where only one fiber of the ball has to touch the line for it to be good. When there are too many exceptions to the rule, it has a tendency to get clouded with opinions.

 

[fuzz nation]

Yeah, but even though it's a fault, I think you ought to work on that gag. It might come in handy during a tight match where you could stand to throw your opponent's concentration without any nasty gamesmanship.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Yeah, but don't be confused. If you swing and happen to miss on any "other" shot you can (or partner) can swing again before you have two bounces - actually, this would probably apply to the serve also if "somehow" you could swing again prior to the ball landing in the court. So, its probably not the swinging and missing as much as its swinging and missing and then the ball hits the court before you swing again. Seems a little stupid doesn't it?

Not so ludicrous really. Check out the server at 0:40 in this "Agassi" trick shot video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ttaIWqbT-U

 

[papa]

Not so ludicrous really. Check out the server at 0:40 in this "Agassi" trick shot video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ttaIWqbT-U

Hey, I like it - good stuff.