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woodrow1029
Guest
New ITF medical timeout rules for 2010 (affecting ITF circuit events, Grand Slams and Davis Cup/Fed Cup). I have not seen the 2010 ATP or WTA rules yet, so don't know for sure if it 100% same, but I would imagine it will be for ATP and WTA events as well.
In pertinent parts:
Medical Time-Out can only be taken at changeover or set-break, unless the trainer/doctor determine that the player has an acute medical condition requiring immediate attention (ankle or knee sprain, bloody nose, etc.). If the player requests the trainer during a game, and the trainer diagnoses a non-acute condition, then the player will be instructed to play until the changeover when he can receive the medical time-out.
Here's the biggest change
No more medical time-outs allowed for cramping. A player may have a medical time-out for heat illness (vomiting or similar), but not solely for cramping. A player may only receive changeover/set-break treatment for muscle cramping, and only on 3 changeovers (doesn't need to be consecutive changeovers). If a player has severe cramping and needs immediate treatment, he/she may forfeit the points or games needed to get to the changeover where he/she may receive treatment for cramping, assuming they have not used all 3 changeovers yet.
Bleeding
Bleeding is now officially in the rules that the chair umpire must stop play if a player is bleeding and request the trainer to the court. Blood must be stopped, and the court, balls, and anything else needs to be cleaned up or changed out before play is resumed.
In pertinent parts:
Medical Time-Out can only be taken at changeover or set-break, unless the trainer/doctor determine that the player has an acute medical condition requiring immediate attention (ankle or knee sprain, bloody nose, etc.). If the player requests the trainer during a game, and the trainer diagnoses a non-acute condition, then the player will be instructed to play until the changeover when he can receive the medical time-out.
Here's the biggest change
No more medical time-outs allowed for cramping. A player may have a medical time-out for heat illness (vomiting or similar), but not solely for cramping. A player may only receive changeover/set-break treatment for muscle cramping, and only on 3 changeovers (doesn't need to be consecutive changeovers). If a player has severe cramping and needs immediate treatment, he/she may forfeit the points or games needed to get to the changeover where he/she may receive treatment for cramping, assuming they have not used all 3 changeovers yet.
Bleeding
Bleeding is now officially in the rules that the chair umpire must stop play if a player is bleeding and request the trainer to the court. Blood must be stopped, and the court, balls, and anything else needs to be cleaned up or changed out before play is resumed.
