Is there a Rule about this ?

[3fees]

Tennis Player A is serving to Tennis Player B, Player A serves into the net and the ball rolls back from the net about 3' still on the servers side, in plain view of both players.

Is there a rule that the Server has to pick the ball or can it be left there and just go to 2nd Serve ?

Would this be a hindrance, in that its in the line of sight of the receiver, distracting him or hers vision ?

Could a Roaming Referee or Umpire require it to be picked up or award a fault point for not picking it up ?

Could a Roaming Referee or Umpire issue a warning for not picking it up ?

Could tennis Player B stop the 2nd serve and declare a hindrance ?

I know the Roaming Referee or Umpire can overrule a Tennis Players Call of in or out and call a foot fault and award a match based on Tennis Players ****iness and other violations.

Chime in Please, answer one or more or all. TU


Cheers
3Fees

 

[NumbersGuy]

The Code, Article 41:

"41. Retrieving stray balls...A player’s request to remove a ball from the opponent’s court must be honored."

No rule that says Player A must pick up the ball, unless Player B requests it. No hindrance, either Player B must request removal, or play on. I don't think umpires or referees can make the request/demand. The interesting thing is what happens if the ball in play, during the course of the point, strikes the ball that was not picked up. I believe point goes to Player B in that case.

 

[3fees]

Thank You for the rule,,yes to the ball hit question, and yes they can require the player to pick up the ball--heres why-the player is running around and steps on the unretrived ball falls down hits his or her head on the surface and goes unconscious, breaks an ankle ect --where an ambulance has to be called,,, They can and will tell the player to pick up the ball, its a matter of tournament and player safety and keeping the tournament unblemished, the usta and itf will back the referee and or umpire to the hilt on this.


Cheers
3Fees

Ben Franklin-a penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure from his Common Sense Paper.

 

[g4driver]

The Code, Article 41:

"41. Retrieving stray balls...A player?s request to remove a ball from the opponent?s court must be honored."

No rule that says Player A must pick up the ball, unless Player B requests it. No hindrance, either Player B must request removal, or play on. I don't think umpires or referees can make the request/demand. The interesting thing is what happens if the ball in play, during the course of the point, strikes the ball that was not picked up. I believe point goes to Player B in that case.

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

 

[MrRandom247]

Happened to me. Opponent hit serve in net rolled around mid from net to service line. I managed to hit the live ball into dead ball & won the point. I needed every point I could get. Didn't win that match.

 

[Bionic slice]

i will often tell the opposing player in singles about a ball as i dont want them to get hurt. But, if they choose not to pick it up.... so be it. And, If i hit the ball towards that ball on the court, there is a good chance they will play tentative and i will get the point. By me announcing to them about the ball most times they will pick it up but some don't care.

 

[beernutz]

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

I don't think The Code addresses the issue of one ball striking another ball. In which number of The Code do you see this discussed?

 

[jmnk]

Tennis Player A is serving to Tennis Player B, Player A serves into the net and the ball rolls back from the net about 3' still on the servers side, in plain view of both players.

Is there a rule that the Server has to pick the ball

No

or can it be left there and just go to 2nd Serve ?

yes

Would this be a hindrance, in that its in the line of sight of the receiver, distracting him or hers vision ?

no

Could a Roaming Referee or Umpire require it to be picked up

yes

or award a fault point for not picking it up ?

no

Could a Roaming Referee or Umpire issue a warning for not picking it up ?

no

Could tennis Player B stop the 2nd serve and declare a hindrance ?

no. Player B would need to ask Player A to pick up the ball --before-- second serve is in motion.

 

[GlennK]

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

Happened to me. Opponent hit serve in net rolled around mid from net to service line. I managed to hit the live ball into dead ball & won the point. I needed every point I could get. Didn't win that match.

I have to assume G4 means he has never seen a ball hit one on the court and then played successfully. I think most, if not all, of us have seen a ball lying on the court hit before.

 

[NumbersGuy]

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

Correct you are, not The Code but ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 25:

"Case 2: A ball in play hits another ball which is lying in the correct court. What is the correct decision?
Decision: Play continues. However, if it is not clear that the actual ball in play has been returned, a let should be called."

 

[McLovin]

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

What's even more interesting is that Player 'A' may play either ball, providing Player A truly believes the ball being played is the correct ball.

In other words, I hit a serve that is called a fault, but my opponent hits it into the net. It rolls back to the middle of the service box and we play on.

I hit a 2nd serve that strikes the first ball, and both bounce into the air. It is almost impossible for Player 'B' to know which ball is the correct ball, so he/she many play either ball.

And in my 30+ years of playing tennis, this has happened exactly once. We weren't sure what the rule was, so we played a let, but we looked it up afterward.

 

[Govnor]

It makes me laugh when people decide not to pick up balls that have rolled to the middle of the service box. There was one in my very last match that ended with my opponent coming to net and then basically having to dance around this ball. I won the point, he was too distracted.

 

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

The point doesn't go to player B.

The ball is actually live and can be played by Player A per the code.

Never seen this happen in 30+ years of tennis though .

Gosh, I have!

I have been known to aim at the ball if one of my students leaves one on the court during point play

(I hit a fair few!)

I have actually seen it happen at a Challenger, they were playing without ball boys in the early rounds and one guy left a ball a few feet from the net after a missed serve, sure enough a mishit return landed right on it!

 

[marshaman]

Player A hits a first serve long and Player B redirects the ball into the net and each time, regardless of where the ball is positioned on the court, slowly walks to the net to either pocket it or bunt it off to the side, then gets back in position to return the second serve. What should Player A say or do about Player B's unsportsmanlike behavior?

 

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Player A could start serving the damn thing in the box?

Or use the 20 seconds to think about the process of getting at least his second serve right..

methinks thou doth protest too much..

 

[Mongolmike]

My rule of thumb... if the ball is on the opponents side - it gives me something to aim at. It's a sure bet.... my opponent can guess 100% where my first shot is going to go.

In my mind, there is no reason - zer0, nada, zilch - no reason to leave a ball anywhere on the court unless it is just 2-3 feet from the net. If he does, I'm aiming for it. Make him dance around it.

By the way, if the opponent leaves the ball lying on his side of the court, and he kicks the ball away, or uses his racquet to brush the ball away in the middle of a point... I believe I can call a "let" on that. Is that correct?

It's the same as a server tossing the 2nd ball to the back fence if his first serve is in and the point is in play. That (the 2nd ball rolling to the back fence) can be a hinderance/let, correct?

 

[gmatheis]

Gosh, I have!

I have been known to aim at the ball if one of my students leaves one on the court during point play

(I hit a fair few!)

I have actually seen it happen at a Challenger, they were playing without ball boys in the early rounds and one guy left a ball a few feet from the net after a missed serve, sure enough a mishit return landed right on it!

I think what they haven't seen in 30 years of playing was for a ball to be successfully played AFTER hitting a ball that was on the court.

 

[g4driver]

To all those questioning my comment about I've never seen it in 30+ years of tennis, let me be crystal clear. I have never see Rule 25 Case 2 in all my years of tennis, meaning I never seen Player B hit a ball left on Player A's side of the court, and then see Player A play the live ball, or even put their frame on either ball. Rare event indeed. I've seen guys hit balls left on the court and I've hit balls left on the court, but I have yet to see the opponent put a frame on either ball after the live ball hits the ball left on the court.

I am guessing this rule isn't known by 99.99% of the players, but that's ok, in that this rule is pretty much useless since I know more lottery winners than tennis players who have used the rule to win just one point.

IMO, the rules for non-officiated matches could be cleaned up and made far less confusing. I believe it was in 2012, when Rebel Good, member, USTA Rules and Regulations Committer and Richard Kaufman, USTA Director of Officials disagreed publicly in Tennis Magazine's Court of Appeals about Marcia Bussey's question. What does that say for USTA tennis rules? The Director of Officials Kaufman says the non receiving opponent (Team B) can't charge the net as Team A is serving, going on to say it is done only to distract the server. Rebel Good disagrees claiming The Code, Item 33.

I can't find the link in tennis magazine, but my point is this:

IMO, the ITF and USTA rules are pathetically written when USTA paid officials are disagreeing in public. Maybe the Tennis Magazine removed the link due to the embarrassment when Marcia's question put egg on the USTA's face by Kaupman and Good disagreeing in public with no clear answer IMO. They both have rules on their side and neither of those rules trump the other IMO, which Rebel Good claims. Good comes across as a bully IMO, and pretty much a jack@$$ when IMO, he should be trying to help make the game more civil and demonstrate the sportsmanship that Fed display to his friend Stan here. Thanks to randzman for this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ_mKYkvUYE

Sorry Numbers Guy,

I was flat on my back after losing a 2+30 hours singles match 7-6 ( 8 ), 1-6, 12-10 and knew the rule, but was posting from my iPhone. $sucks to win 12 games to his 9 games and lose the match because of the 10 PT TB. Tight match clearly. Thankfully all my ladder matches are non USTA and full third sets.

From Friend at Court.

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2014FAC_final.2.pdf


25. A GOOD RETURN

f. The player hits the ball in play, which hits another ball lying in the correct court.

Case 1: A player returns a ball which then hits a singles stick and hits the ground in the correct court. Is this is a good return? Decision: Yes. However, if the ball is served and hits the singles stick, it is a service fault.

Case 2: A ball in play hits another ball which is lying in the correct court. What is the correct decision? Decision: Play continues. However, if it is not clear that the actual ball in play has been returned, a let should be called.

 

[g4driver]

I think what they haven't seen in 30 years of playing was for a ball to be successfully played AFTER hitting a ball that was on the court.

Exactly gmatheis. You understand my point. I was just tired and very sweaty last night after that loss. Mentally exhausted after losing to a friend.

Three of our courts finished their matches as we finished the first set 7-6 ( 8 ). I rolled him in the second set 6-1, but couldn't close him out losing 12-10. That's the second 10 PT TB I've lost in singles this year at least this loss was him winning, versus me giving my opponent two points with generous calls. lol

 

[NumbersGuy]

Trivia, but isn't Friend at Court just a concatenation of ITF Rules of Tennis, and The Code? Article 25 I think is from the ITF Rules portion. Like I said, trivia.

 

[tennis_ocd]

The likelihood of seeing this directly correlates with how sloppy players are in leaving dead balls in court. This varies widely from near never to virtually anything north of service line is ok.... (I don't really care but do find it mildly annoying to see the dead ball be cleared to net during subsequent point play.)

Who gets the say on whether the actual ball in play was the one struck? lol This can be very tricky....

 

[1HBHfanatic]

i think everyone that has ever steped and rolled anckle on a tennis ball will know better than to do it again
nothing worse than not being able to play tennis after rolling your anckle on one

its become a distraction to me now to see a ball so close to a player, so now ill stop play and advise on it, if they wanna keep playin with it, ill hit it in that direction to make sure they never forget that lesson
it irritates me when they dont advise me of balls behind me that got close to me aswell

this brings up to mind the quote from one of our posters here, i forget who..
"everyone has the right to be an idiot, but some people abuse that right!!" haha

 

[TennisCJC]

The Code, Article 41:

"41. Retrieving stray balls...A player’s request to remove a ball from the opponent’s court must be honored."

No rule that says Player A must pick up the ball, unless Player B requests it. No hindrance, either Player B must request removal, or play on. I don't think umpires or referees can make the request/demand. The interesting thing is what happens if the ball in play, during the course of the point, strikes the ball that was not picked up. I believe point goes to Player B in that case.

Yes, it server leaves a ball in his court and the returner returns the serve so his return strike the ball left in the court, the point goes to the receiver. But, your aim has to be pretty darn good to hit a ball.

 

[McLovin]

Yes, it server leaves a ball in his court and the returner returns the serve so his return strike the ball left in the court, the point goes to the receiver.

Um...no. Did you not read g4driver's earlier post that quoted 'Friend at Court'?

25. A GOOD RETURN

f. The player hits the ball in play, which hits another ball lying in the correct court.

Case 1: A player returns a ball which then hits a singles stick and hits the ground in the correct court. Is this is a good return? Decision: Yes. However, if the ball is served and hits the singles stick, it is a service fault.

Case 2: A ball in play hits another ball which is lying in the correct court. What is the correct decision? Decision: Play continues. However, if it is not clear that the actual ball in play has been returned, a let should be called.

 

[g4driver]

Trivia, but isn't Friend at Court just a concatenation of ITF Rules of Tennis, and The Code? Article 25 I think is from the ITF Rules portion. Like I said, trivia.

You are right -

I just posted the Friend at Court from Google. FAC includes ITF Rules portion like you stated.

 

[g4driver]

Thanks McLuvin-

I wish more people read the ITF rules - and wish more clubs had the USTA pocket rules guide for sale. $2 at the U.S. OPEN each year.

I buy copies for my teammates and give as gifts. I was surprised by how few people have ever even heard of the ITF Rules, Friend at Court (overkill for USTA leagues IMO) or the pocket USTA Rules Guide.

I have one with Melanie Oudin's pic on it from 2010. A teammate of mine went out with her on three dates, but he said she has no time due to her training - we play at the club she trains at now. Both are 23 years old - she has a US Open Mixed Title with Jack Sock at least

 

[Chelsie1]

I never leave a loose ball on my side of the court. I always ask my opponents to pick up a loose ball on their side. Those who are unaware often ask why-to which I say "because I asked you to" or they tell me that it's not bothering them-to which I say, "but it's bothering me." Then I show them The Code.
It never gets to the point of one ball possibly hitting another. And so we play on...!

 

[BlueB]

Happened to me. Opponent hit serve in net rolled around mid from net to service line. I managed to hit the live ball into dead ball & won the point. I needed every point I could get. Didn't win that match.

I did it to once last summer. Great feeling