Saturday, January 24, 2009

Help Needed: How Would You Rule?

We need your wise advice as officials...

In an ITA singles match the players disputed the score in a game. They agreed that the server lost the first two points and the fifth point but disagreed on points 3 and 4.

Would you:

1. Replay points 3 and 4 and then add back in point 5?
2. Go back and begin play at love thirty?
3. Replay the whole game.
4. Have a quick on-court prayer meeting and hope they remember those two lost points.

After we get your comments, I will tell you how we resolved the issue. I'm not sure we did the right thing but at least both players and coaches seemed happy and satisfied.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Replay point 3 in the deuce court. If the server loses the point, game over. If the server wins the point, replay point 4 in the ad court.

If the server loses point 4, game over. If the server wins point 4, then the score is 30-40. Next point served in the ad court.

I see the dilemma here, and I guess its possible the server lost one or both of the disputed points; however, if they got the score so messed up, I see no other way of resolving it.

Anonymous said...

Call Jane Goodman!!

Anonymous said...

Code 32.
Start with #4, have a quick on court meeting and try to help the players resolve the issue. If they played 5 points, the server must have won at least one of the two disputed points. If there is no resolution between the players (and quickly), replay the third point from the duece court as it should have been played. If server loses the point, the game is over, receiver wins. If the server wins the replayed 3rd point, replay the 4th point from the ad court. If the server loses, game over, receiver wins. If the server wins the 4th point, the score is 30-40. The 5th point point has already been played, so the next point will be the 6th point, served from the ad court.

This is the reason the server is supposed to call the score before each serve and the receiver is supposed to pay attention as he/she does. Both players are responsible for keeping up with the score. Yes, perhaps the server gets the "advantage" in this solution, but score disputes should be resolved immediately, not 3 points later.

Option 2: Call the score love-40 and play the "4th" point from the ad court.

Option 3: Toss a coin for the third point. If the server wins, toss the coin for the fourth point. If the server wins again, continue play with the 6th point served from the ad court. If the server loses either coin toss, he/she loses the game.

coachc said...

Randy:
Here is a question. If the players agree that the server lost the first two points and that there is a dispute over the next two, why was a fifth point played? The receiver by playing a fifth point is acknowledging that the server won at least one of the two points in dispute. Only one of those two points should have been replayed.
What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Server lost 1,2 & 5th Point
Score is 0-40
Server must have won 1 point or they would have not played a 5th point
Score 15-40
Both players must have believe the server won 1 point, or the 5th point would not have been played.
How to decide where to serve from for the disputed point. Pull out the coin and flip for serving side, heads deuce court, tails ad court.
If the score goes to 30-40, next point is served from the ad court.

Anonymous said...

Give that one to Herb.

AR Hacked Off said...

make the score 0-40 since they know for sure those three points, then warn the server to call out the score.

RM said...

Here's how we resolved the issue:

Since it was 39 degrees and blowing about 30 mph from the north and was nighttime, we were probably too lenient.

I leaned toward replaying the 3rd and 4th points and then adjusting it with the 5th point if needed. However, both coaches were very resistant to that and I was freezing...

SO, we all agreed to going back to love thirty and going from there. Not sure it was right but I do know it was the better part of valor at that time...

Anonymous said...

First,let me say that if the match was officiated as a D1 match should bewith chair umpires,this discussion is mute.
However,using the eleven second system(5 seconds for each player to state their opinion and then
1 second for the decision),the only sure call is love -30 as this was the last score both players agreed on.
(signed)Haymuncher

Anonymous said...

Well, there are 3 solutions to a scoring problem. And Randy's solution was going back to a mutually agreed score; 0-30. (Solution #2).
Everybody's happy. Problem solved. Let's Play!! Good job Randy!

But damm, you must be working for a cheap school if you're playing outside in those conditions.

RM said...

Well, there were two of us and we were both freezing...

At least we got paid the regular rate. We should have gotten combat pay though.

Anonymous said...

What has Jane Goodman decided is the correct solution to this situation?

Anonymous said...

You could have asked Sara to join in. I'm sure she wouldn't have a problem breaking both player's pencils and then telling them to JUST SHUT UP AND PLAY.