How Many Requests For An Overrule Are Too Many?

The collegiate tennis season is in full swing--and so is the level of drama and indignation over line calls.  Players think they have been mortally wounded when their opponent is not overruled and feel abused when they are overruled.  Coaches develop perfect eyesight from two courts away when their player has been overruled but are conveniently silent when their player is rightly overruled right before them.  As officials try to sort through all the drama, one question we frequently encounter is, "How many requests for an overrules are too many?"

In a doubles match a few years ago (back when they played an 8 game pro set), one team was penalized for "excessive requests for an overrule."  The coach came running to the court demanding an explanation and reaffirming that his players had every right to question a call.  The score was 4-4 at the time.  After suffering through a verbal rebuke from the coach, the official asked the coach, "Just how many requests for an overrule do you think are too many?"  The coach replied, "8-9 times in a doubles match."  The official then responded, "That was their 37th request for an overrule."  The coach then turned and walked away...

Every official has done a match when one team consistently argues about every close call on every court, so its an issue that deserves some consideration.

The ITA rules are very clear on this issue when they say, "A solo chair umpire shall caution any player making excessive appeals for the apparent sake of disrupting play.  Thereafter, if the solo chair umpire determines that the player is making appeals for the apparent sake of disrupting play, he may penalize the player under the ITA Point Penalty System."

Here are some things to consider when there are excessive requests:

*  Is the player just whining about calls to be whining or are they legitimate requests?
*  Did the player graduate from the "American Drama School" and is just exercising their lungs?
*  Is the whole team continually asking for overrules?  If so, they may have been coached to do so.
*  Is the player howling and gesturing every time there is a close call?
*  Is the opponent making good, clean calls?
*  Is the coach prompting the player to make the requests?
*  Is the coach being overly dramatic and reacting to every close call?

Personally, I don't mind a player asking about a call if it is close but 10-12 inches out is not a close call.  The vast, vast majority of collegiate players call very clean matches and it is the job of the official to see that a match is run fairly for all players so use your good judgment when it comes to excessive requests for overrules.