Talk With Serena Foot Fault Line Judge

Rippy

Hall of Fame
it was just an awful time to make a call that was inconclusive at best. but she did and now we see the result.

What was inconclusive? If the line judge sees a footfault, she calls it... why do you feel the call was inconclusive?

Also, what do you mean by "now we see the result?" That sort of sounds as if you're implying that it's the line judge's fault that Serena acted in the way she did.
 
D

Deleted member 3771

Guest
Next time Serena can get some friends in the crowd to patrol the service lines and start coughing or something when Serena has her foot on the line.
 

topspin

Semi-Pro
^Can you be more specific. What makes you think the foot fault calls are inconsistent. Post some facts supporting your argument.
 

NamRanger

G.O.A.T.
^Can you be more specific. What makes you think the foot fault calls are inconsistent. Post some facts supporting your argument.




Foot Fault calling is a judgement call based on the lines person. One line judge may see a foot fault, and another may not see a foot fault. Some line judges are too scared of players to call, some aren't, etc.


Absolutely 0 consistency with foot faults. For instance, Safin is a guy that frequently gets called for foot faults, and even the calls on him are wildly inconsistent. There are matches where he can go 5 sets without getting a foot fault called on him, and then there are matches where he can't go a full game without getting called for a foot fault multiple times. Do you really think Safin's feet position on his serve change that much? Doubt it. Still, the foot fault calls on him, Hewitt, Serena, etc. are all wildly inconsistent.


We already had a discussion where if they just lined up a freaking camera on the line, it would just eliminate this whole mess in the first place.
 

pmerk34

Legend
Foot Fault calling is a judgement call based on the lines person. One line judge may see a foot fault, and another may not see a foot fault. Some line judges are too scared of players to call, some aren't, etc.


Absolutely 0 consistency with foot faults. For instance, Safin is a guy that frequently gets called for foot faults, and even the calls on him are wildly inconsistent. There are matches where he can go 5 sets without getting a foot fault called on him, and then there are matches where he can't go a full game without getting called for a foot fault multiple times. Do you really think Safin's feet position on his serve change that much? Doubt it. Still, the foot fault calls on him, Hewitt, Serena, etc. are all wildly inconsistent.


We already had a discussion where if they just lined up a freaking camera on the line, it would just eliminate this whole mess in the first place.

Of course you are correct. A bunch of Serena haters just popped up in some fantasy world where foot faults are somehow tantamount to correctly calling a ball in or out. The comparisons are absurd. Then these people claim Serena is the only person to actually foot fault (even though I've never seen conclusive footage) to bring an opponent to match point in a match on the world stage such as the US open in the history of tennis.

Then they go off on these pious legalistic tangents such as "Show me where is the rulebook it says to not call foot faults at important parts in a big match, case closed!" LOL. Of course no rule book says that but sports aren't played by machines or with machine officials. That's why there is so much debate about this,
 
So now their blaming that poor line judge for Serena's on-court nervous breakdown. Lemme guess. They probably blame the wife for an abusive husband as well.
 

TMF

Talk Tennis Guru
So now their blaming that poor line judge for Serena's on-court nervous breakdown. Lemme guess. They probably blame the wife for an abusive husband as well.

What a complete illogical, laughable, nonsensical excuses coming from them. They want us to believe line judges want makes the call whenever they feel like it.:shock: Why would any line judge would make a fool out of themselves for being dishonest. Especially a foot fault is much easier to detect. Hell, even the judge look embarrass when he makes a mistake on a call at a 130+mph serve or a 100+forehand. My grandma with poor eyesight could detect a foot fault with ease! LOL
 

Chadwixx

Banned
Foot Fault calling is a judgement call based on the lines person. One line judge may see a foot fault, and another may not see a foot fault. Some line judges are too scared of players to call, some aren't, etc.


Absolutely 0 consistency with foot faults. For instance, Safin is a guy that frequently gets called for foot faults, and even the calls on him are wildly inconsistent. There are matches where he can go 5 sets without getting a foot fault called on him, and then there are matches where he can't go a full game without getting called for a foot fault multiple times. Do you really think Safin's feet position on his serve change that much? Doubt it. Still, the foot fault calls on him, Hewitt, Serena, etc. are all wildly inconsistent.


We already had a discussion where if they just lined up a freaking camera on the line, it would just eliminate this whole mess in the first place.

Safin was called at the us open as well correct?

Btw he asked for proof, not a rant. Show us a few cases of foot faults not being called, thanks
 

LPShanet

Banned
Obviously, there is no way to prove whether line judges are ever purposely not calling foot faults on a situational basis, but has there been any evidence of any kind that this is going on other than supposition? Has any linesperson ever said that they "use their judgement" when making this call? So far, in ALL instances, things have been remarkably consistent in terms of ALL linespeople saying they call them EVERY time they see them. This doesn't mean that they always see them. They do have a lot of things to watch. But to suggest that it is being done on purpose or that personal judgement is being used needs some kind of proof or support. So far, there is none.

Further, it's now been established pretty convincingly that in the specific case of Serena at the Open last year, she did foot fault, meaning the remaining discussions have nothing to do with actual calling of lines. If anything inconsistent has happened, it's that she did also foot fault in other cases, and wasn't called. That has to be considered a bonus for her, not a minus. She gets those points "for free" rather than losing those points as well. Just like having hit an out ball and having had it called in, it's pretty hard to argue that she gets anything but positive from the previous times she foot faulted and wasn't called, regardless of the timing.

In the end, the only way to "fix" this kind of situation is to use a line calling machine for foot faults, and given Serena's history and service mechanics, she'd be one of the ones to suffer the most rather than benefit. More importantly, despite some brief discussion at last year's Open, the tennis world has by and large moved on in terms of the actual line calling aspects of the case, and with the exception of one or two players (who coincidentally happen to be frequent foot faulters), no one has ever really considered this issue to be a problem in the sport. There is no overall outcry for better foot fault officiating, and if an automated system gets implemented, it will be to appease a very small group. Unlike the situation in which Serena was clearly robbed at the 2004 US Open by Mariana Alves, it just isn't really something that is seen as an ongoing existing problem.
 
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LPShanet

Banned
it was just a very unfortunate time to make her only foot fault call of the match on Serena. I don't believe replays ever were conclusive that it was a foot fault.

It may have been that line judge's only foot fault call on Serena, but that means absolutely nothing, as it certainly wasn't the only foot fault call overall in the match on Serena. In that match, as in many of her previous matches, she had multiple foot faults.

Network replays did not show conclusively either way, as the baseline camera wasn't transmitting that shot at the time. However, since the day, multiple official parties with good vantage points have provided testimony that Serena did, in fact, clearly foot fault. These included several well known sports photographers and press. There remains no real objective doubt that the foot fault occurred. Time to shift the argument to other matters.
 
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topspin

Semi-Pro
Foot Fault calling is a judgement call based on the lines person. One line judge may see a foot fault, and another may not see a foot fault. Some line judges are too scared of players to call, some aren't, etc.

First of all, foot fauling is not called a 'judgment call'. I've been following tennis for over 30 years and have never heard of such a ridiculous statement. Now what one judge sees compared to another is just as debatable as any line call. But one thing is for sure: if they see it they are told to call it, no matter what the match situation.

Absolutely 0 consistency with foot faults. For instance, Safin is a guy that frequently gets called for foot faults, and even the calls on him are wildly inconsistent. There are matches where he can go 5 sets without getting a foot fault called on him, and then there are matches where he can't go a full game without getting called for a foot fault multiple times. Do you really think Safin's feet position on his serve change that much? Doubt it. Still, the foot fault calls on him, Hewitt, Serena, etc. are all wildly inconsistent.

I've never heard of such inconsistencies. I do believe that many times, it is so close a call that they are better off not calling it. But if they are sure, then they call it. The Serena foot faults during that US Open tourney were clear cut obvious foot faults.

We already had a discussion where if they just lined up a freaking camera on the line, it would just eliminate this whole mess in the first place.

I'd love to have such a camera. I don't see it happening in the near future because they foot faults are generally easy to detect.
 

topspin

Semi-Pro
A bunch of Serena haters just popped up in some fantasy world where foot faults are somehow tantamount to correctly calling a ball in or out. The comparisons are absurd.

If anyone is in a fantasy world it is those who still claim Serena didn't foot fault. Yeah right, suuuuure, and man didn't go on the moon either:). The only thing that's absurd is the idea that you can pick and choose which rules to follow. So the foot faults should and do get treated like line calls. Same applies to touching the net etc.

Then these people claim Serena is the only person to actually foot fault (even though I've never seen conclusive footage) to bring an opponent to match point in a match on the world stage such as the US open in the history of tennis.

Well not sure who claimed the Serena is the only to foot fault. Sure wasn't me, even though you seem to be pretty much quoting from my posts. You can refer to me by my user name instead of 'these people'. I'm one person, in case you were wondering. There were conclusive pics posted on threads on here. And now we also have many eyewitness accounts. If you need more evidence than that, then it's your problem. Ask yourself this: what would be the purpose of all these people (including the line judge) to lie about what they saw?

Then they go off on these pious legalistic tangents such as "Show me where is the rulebook it says to not call foot faults at important parts in a big match, case closed!" LOL. Of course no rule book says that but sports aren't played by machines or with machine officials. That's why there is so much debate about this,

There really is not much debate. It's clear that officials do make mistakes. No one here is suggesting that any official is perfect. And I'd have no problem with the line judge not calling it had it been really close and she was not sure. But it was a clear obvious foot fault and she was sure and she called. Good job!
 
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1970CRBase

Guest
ok where is the conclusive proof that she foot faulted. please post a link. thank you.

Why do you blatantly ignore the evidence given by the line call of the lines person in favour of what you yourself admit to be inconclusive?

You know what? The lines person called the line, not the video replays. You can only say the lines person was wrong only and only if the video replays absolutely, conclusively showed her to be wrong. Otherwise, you have to go by the lines call, until and unless that call is also replaced by a cam.

People like Mac are just dishonest. "Too close to call", quite so, since he wasn't ever in a position to call the line, nor was he supposed to, so he shouldn't be the one to call it at all and cast aspersion on the judgment of the lines judge. But you can't expect a person like Mac to respect the rules, particularly not lines judges and umpires.

Though, I'm more interested in knowing why the question wasn't asked of the lines person : "did Serena Williams say the specific words to you 'I can kill you, woman' "

Curiously, interestingly, the audio bit on all the public videos available today where she probably said it are somehow garbled. You can only see Serena Williams' lips moving for a few words which are indecipherable. Wonder why, what with all the mega mics the so called "news networks" position out there courtside. Oh well, now that's "inconclusive", at least in terms of youtube.
 
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