All of us are well aware some code violations are always a code violation--but then there are some that might deserve some re-thinking. There are definitely black and white areas when it comes to code violations but there are also some gray areas that might require a little extra thinking...
For instance, we have all universally coded the word "suck" for years and years. Now that its becoming common place in most of the civilized world, maybe its time we rethink our bias against this innocent little word. Maybe it would be better to issue a "loving caution" and ask the player to refrain from using the word--and then code them if they do it again. This time for "unsportsmanlike behavior" and not conforming to the wishes of their ever-present official...
Another one that is kind of thought provoking is the practice of a lot of junior players of putting their racket straight up over their heads when their opponent hits a great or lucky shot. Some officials immediately code this because they say the player is making fun of their opponent and that it means that the opponent is "up a tree." I asked four junior players what that meant and I got four different opinions ranging from "you're up a tree" to "I suck." If they can't agree on a meaning, I'm not sure it should universally be a code violation. Again I would recommend telling them that you don't want to see that again--and then code them if they do it--not because of the actual meaning but because you gave them a specific instruction not to do it.
What about bouncing a racket on the ground after losing a point? Sometimes we have to consider how far it bounced, the intent of their black hearts, the sound it made, and how hard it hit the ground...
What about hitting a ball against the fence? Intent is huge but so is velocity and destination.
What about throwing a racket and hitting an official in the chest? I had this happen and the player said, "I didn't mean to do it." I replied, "My job is not to judge the intentions of your heart but the deeds of your flesh." Code violation!
With all of these things to consider--how would you deal with codes on your court????
7 comments:
"Loving Cautions" are those given by Officials that know where the match "is" and have followed the flow of emotions - AND ARE TRYING TO HEAD OFF A CODE BEFORE IT HAPPENS... (understand - that cannot always be the case - sometimes the players go wild without giving NOTICE!).
We need to make sure that we don't insert ourselves into a match. We are there to keep positive sportsmanship order - it is NOT OUR MATCH.
It is sad to see Officials take away the emotion of the game because they are little Hitlers in the Chair!
BACO
If a player hit me witha racquet, they would be instructed to take a seat and wait for the referee , whom I'd be calling to court to recommend a default....intent or not, velocity or not for that matter. P
BTW, I was the referee for the match where the player hit the official in the chest with his racket.
He was immediately defaulted.
I'll never forget the time I was watching a very good player getting beaten badly by a young upstart. At the end of the first set, he threw his racquet, in seeming disgust, against the top of the netting between the two indoor courts about 30 feet into the air. I was about to code him, but the racquet fell right into his bag. I was in awe, and decided he was merely returning his racquet to it's rightful place, and didn't issue the code. The referee (who had witnessed this from a distance) asked why not, and when I explained the situation, she just laughed and walked away....the good player lost 6-2, 6-1. Coding him would have been redundant!
But it would have been oh so much fun giving it.
Who among us hasn't uttered the words "Keep your raquet in your hand" or "careful with your language" or "watch the time between points" or "watch the time on changeovers" or "the point's over, no need to smash the ball into anything" instead of issuing a point penalty or code? The folks who know what they're doing know when to use the hammer, but more importantly, when not to use it.
As a tennis parent, this grey area stuff is where things get so tricky! Some officials give a soft warning while others go straight to the code violation. And the norms do seem to change player to player. Donna Bailey, one of the editors of Friend At Court, was my radio show guest a couple of weeks ago, and she shed some valuable light on this exact topic. Thanks to all of you for what you do for our kids!
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