Airspun
Professional
it's going great, we have five new 4.0s who are really D1 University of Arizona hopeful 5.5s.
Is stomping feet a hindrance?
- Thread starter Slicerman
- Start date
Rattler
Hall of Fame
So you assumed, well you know how that can go.
Also you need study the First Amendment to the US Constitution, how you’ve referred to it in this thread, it’s pretty clear you don’t understand it.
Add that to the list I guess.
Maybe this will help
The first amendment allows me to not understand it.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
stamping of feet is almost always done to distract since even split steppers don't "stamp". That would be the most inefficient movement ever to elevate so high you could stomp on the ground.
I always split jump when at the net to being one way or the other. It's done to create some uncertainty in th opponent as to whether I'm poaching or not. Never in my life, even when I weighed 2 bills did it sound like a stamp.
So I think it's fine to call it a hindrance if you were hindered by the sound. If the opponent makes a good case, replay the point. If they fess up, take the point.
Of course I'd advise you as a player to learn not to be so distractible and focus on your shot. That's much more likely to serve you well in the long run over nitpicking about hindrances. Nobody likes that guy, trust me.
I always split jump when at the net to being one way or the other. It's done to create some uncertainty in th opponent as to whether I'm poaching or not. Never in my life, even when I weighed 2 bills did it sound like a stamp.
So I think it's fine to call it a hindrance if you were hindered by the sound. If the opponent makes a good case, replay the point. If they fess up, take the point.
Of course I'd advise you as a player to learn not to be so distractible and focus on your shot. That's much more likely to serve you well in the long run over nitpicking about hindrances. Nobody likes that guy, trust me.
Hey @Slicerman - don't be so distractible, don't nitpick about hindrances. Slicerman, you're the person nobody likes, trust Dartagnan64.
Invalidation at its best.
Dart started out well, I'll give you that.
Slicerman
Professional
I didn't get distracted or have my shots affected by it; I was able to filter it out fine. But I thought it seemed very disrespectful and unsportsmanlike on their part, especially considering they were the top team of the league.
I also mentioned in an earlier comment about the distraction+underhand serve tactic, which really started to raise red flags about those guys.
True. And as someone who has coached many league teams (as well as int'l ranked juniors and pros) I can aver that rec players can easily be distracted by anything and everything. I remember once after a match I asked a guy on a 4.0 team I coached who had lost what happened. The guy said his opponent did this, and did that, and did this...I stopped him and asked 'what did YOU do?', he just stared at me. And another time when I asked someone what happened he said 'I can't believe he played with his shirt tucked in!'--I resigned from coaching that team on the spot. Often people focus too much on what their opponents are doing rather than what they are doing.
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stapletonj
Hall of Fame
Just a thought - a split step or a feint loading the foot to push off causes a "chirp" sound. A stomp causes a "slap" or "thump" sound.
Might be a useful distinction to make when talking to the official who has been called over. (Because NOBODY is going to agree that they were using such gamesmanship)
AS to the turn your head, then server underhands question..... Just let it go and say not ready, or call a hindrance based on the (Pointing? Putting the off hand palm up? Turning around? Talking? harrumphing?) ?
Might be a useful distinction to make when talking to the official who has been called over. (Because NOBODY is going to agree that they were using such gamesmanship)
AS to the turn your head, then server underhands question..... Just let it go and say not ready, or call a hindrance based on the (Pointing? Putting the off hand palm up? Turning around? Talking? harrumphing?) ?
coincidentally this hit my feed...
TL;DR
* pro player has a habit of very heavy split stepping, and very active feet *throughout* a point
* a hindrance was called by the ref, for "distracting split stepping"
* the call was overturned (ref was wrong) & point replayed...
* demonstrates that high level athletes actually move alot, make alot of noise, distracting or not, it's part of the game...
* moral of the story: focus on your game instead of trying to game your opponents by nitpicking rules...
TL;DR
* pro player has a habit of very heavy split stepping, and very active feet *throughout* a point
* a hindrance was called by the ref, for "distracting split stepping"
* the call was overturned (ref was wrong) & point replayed...
* demonstrates that high level athletes actually move alot, make alot of noise, distracting or not, it's part of the game...
* moral of the story: focus on your game instead of trying to game your opponents by nitpicking rules...
This is the tennis version of being Rick rolled
!ha, fair... but was not my intentionThis is the tennis version of being Rick rolled
just highlighting that only old-can't-move -folks would call a split step by a very athletic mover, a distraction
(ie. the ref was calling it as if he were playing... it might have been a distraction to him, in his old-man-can't-move lazy sunday game)
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Rattler
Hall of Fame
Ignorance is bliss….
…thankfully natural selection takes care of those who linger too long in it.
chatt_town
Hall of Fame
It should be. I remember hitting a woman in the chest for raking her foot across some clay as I was playing shots. I had asked her not to do it. So it may not be a hindrance but it can certainly have consequences.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
Higher level players make a lot of noise with their feet as their footwork is constantly active. I can get close to a court and know it is 5.0+ play at my club even before I see the players from all the squeaky noises their shoes make - plus they grunt more. I am guessing it is obvious when someone at a lower level is making noises with their feet to distract and when they are doing it legitimately. I personally have never had to deal with this kind of gamesmanship.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
The rule says it has to be a deliberate act meaning that it is not unintentionally caused. Talking is a deliberate act. Yelling because you got stung by a bee or got hit by a stray ball from another court is unintentional.
Intent to distract or proving this is not part of the rule when an opponent stops plays and claims to be hindered by an opponent’s deliberate act. So, don’t talk when the ball is going to the opponent or bear the consequences gracefully if the opponent stops play and claims the point on hindrance.
Intent to distract or proving this is not part of the rule when an opponent stops plays and claims to be hindered by an opponent’s deliberate act. So, don’t talk when the ball is going to the opponent or bear the consequences gracefully if the opponent stops play and claims the point on hindrance.
bobbybob14
Rookie
I can't believe that the best team in your league did the old "look over there" and then served underhand while you were looking. This seems like something that would be put in a slapstick youtube video of exaggerated tennis behavior.
I can’t believe OP didn’t make that the title and topic of his post, that behavior is far more outrageous than stomping feet.
sovertennis
Professional
For me the distinction is this: The split step is an athletic move (also employed in other sports, soccer and basketball among them); stamping one's feet is not. ergo it may be construed as serving no useful purpose other than to cause distraction.
Bud
Bionic Poster
Yes if done intentionally to distract you. If just faking a poach, no.
Bud
Bionic Poster
JordanWinning
Rookie
I’m guessing most rec league warriors probably aren’t hitting the ball hard enough to pull that off. Also, upon your suggested googling, a tennis ball isn’t hard enough, and it’s like a two square inch area that you’d have to hit. So I guess, technically, it could happen, but this is a wild claim
Bud
Bionic Poster
It's hard enough and it's happened
JordanWinning
Rookie
chatt_town
Hall of Fame
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
Not totally related but I was playing doubles last fall. The team we were playing against had a guy that was a really loud grunt/yeller. But the thing was, his extraordinarily loud grunt happened when he moved as well as when he hit. So he didn’t even have to be the one hitting for this obnoxious grunt to come out.
I could ignore it for the most part but it was Busch league when his partner was serving, he was at the net, and broke to poach. He was basically yelling when his partner served and as we were returning.
I stopped play once when my partner was returning serve and explained it to the other team that it was a hindrance. I tried to frame it that I didn’t mind the grunt but he couldn’t do it when we were playing the ball and he wasnt even the one hitting.
That did not go over well. LOL.
kylebarendrick
Professional
The two best ways to start an argument on a tennis court:
1. Use the words "foot fault" in any context at all
2. Call a hindrance on someone that is clearly trying to hinder you
RaulRamirez
Legend
Can either player sing "Glad All Over"?
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
I should have mentioned that I didn’t call a hinderance. I just explained the rule and tried to do it as a polite warning.
The funny thing was that the server thought it was gamesmanship to his serve and I should have waited until after the game. He then proceeded to double fault the next two points, lose the game and get even more mad.
Slicerman
Professional
Funny you mention grunting. In general, I don't mind grunting. I might occasionally grunt from time to time. But a couple of weeks ago I was playing a casual doubles match and one of the opponents had a really loud and DELAYED grunt.. the guy probably grunts about 1 or 2 seconds after the ball has left his racquet. He didn't really hinder me, except one time when I was trying to volley his shot, in which he grunted right as I was about hit my volley.. I ended up shanking the ball into the net..
Edberg was one of my favorite players and I copied some of his game so I shuffle my feet on the returns, but there's not much noise in my opinion. Now in Doubles if I"m at the net, I try to do a split step... when I remember . I don't recall seeing anyone purposely stamp or stomp their feet. I have seen a few times when someone will charge the net waving their hands when I have a sitter overhead smash. I suppose I could call hindrance on that but it looks weak.
It was a skit once but a pro bounced a couple of balls, then tapped one back to the amateur saying "Hold this" and then counted it for a point since his unassuming tap had landed correctly in the service box. I suspect that top team was probably messing around and just trying to make things interesting but fooling about a ball behind and hitting the underhanded serve.
. I don't recall seeing anyone purposely stamp or stomp their feet. I have seen a few times when someone will charge the net waving their hands when I have a sitter overhead smash. I suppose I could call hindrance on that but it looks weak. It was a skit once but a pro bounced a couple of balls, then tapped one back to the amateur saying "Hold this" and then counted it for a point since his unassuming tap had landed correctly in the service box. I suspect that top team was probably messing around and just trying to make things interesting but fooling about a ball behind and hitting the underhanded serve.
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