In a recent USTA tournament the referee called the six 11:00 a.m. matches at 10:55 and put them on court. Team A arrived after 11:00 but declared that they could not be penalized for lateness since there was no court available at 11:00.
How would you rule?
HINT
FAC Comment IV.D-1 (Page 125-126)
"For example, if five matches are scheduled at 10:00 a.m. but only one court is available, the Referee should call all matches shortly before 10:00 a.m. and should start the lateness clock on all players who have not check in by 10:00 a.m.
When more matches are scheduled than there are courts available, the Referee may put the matches out in any order. A player does not escape the lateness penalty because the player's match was one of the last matches to be put on the court.
If one of several matches scheduled at the same time it put out early and when the scheduled time arrives there is no available court, the lateness clock does not start until another court becomes available."
How would you rule???
9 comments:
I would follow the referee's lead.
I'm confused.
Was Team A one of the six matches that were called to court at 10:55? and therefore not put on court since they were not there?
Or were they a seventh match that was scheduled for 11:00 and not called to court at 10:55?
Team A was one of the matches called to court at 10:55.
I have had this happen before. The rule is very clear.
Team A arrived after 11:00. But since there was no court available at 11:00, there is no lateness penalty. Those other matches could be put on at 10:55 ONLY if they had already checked in and declared themselves ready to play. (Since Team A had not checked in early, you can't start the lateness clock on them before 11:00.)
If the next court did not come open until 11:30, that is when the lateness clock would start on Team A if they had not already checked in. If they indeed checked in 'after 11:00' then they would be put on that open court with no penalty.
Can't do it! Wouldn't be wise! Can't call a match, before it is scheduled!
Grass Chewer
Yes you can call a match before its scheduled. If both players have checked in and declared themselves ready to play and if there is an open court, you can put them on.
So many tournaments run behind schedule. When an opportunity presents itself to be ahead of schedule, a site director should jump on it!
Is this the kind of problem that stresses the tennis officials in this area?
Can officials be shepards of tennis without being rule reg nazis?
10:39PM Anonymous: your comment supports the problem that so many of us deal with: Consistency in rule enforcement. I talk with parents at USTA events and coaches at ITA duals. Their major frustration has to do with officials not being consistent with the rules.
If you don't like the rule, then work with USTA to change it. I don't have an opinion on this rule one way or the other. But when I work, I enforce it. When I consistently enforce all the rules of tennis, THAT is what makes me a shepherd of the game.
If the players showed up after 11:00, then they are subject to a late penalty, they would not go on the clock until 11 but they should have already been there and checked in ready to play.
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