This one happened yesterday and we need your advice and input...
SCENARIO
In a UIL team dual match, boys doubles, Team A was serving. The player who was not receiving on Team B would move up extremely close to the net and the center service line when Team A was serving to his partner.
At one point, the Team B player who was up at the net had his head across the net when Team A served the ball. At another point, he had the head of his racket across the imaginary line of the net when Team A was serving.
Question: Is this a violation, and if it is, is it a code violation (and subject to the PPS) or a hindrance loss of point?
Hint: Here is the UIL rule about a player standing in the receiver's box when his partner is receiving.
"The receiver's partner shall not stand in the receiver's service box before or during the serve. If a player does so, he shall be warned that if he does so again he is subject to being penalized under the point penalty system."
Does this apply to the above scenario?
The Friend at Court says this: (Page 38) A player shall concede a point when: *That player touches the net or opponent's court while a ball is in play, *That player hits a ball before it crosses the net.
In this instance, the player neither touched the net or the opponent's court or the ball before it crossed the net so how would you rule????
The Friend at Court says this: (Page 38) A player shall concede a point when: *That player touches the net or opponent's court while a ball is in play, *That player hits a ball before it crosses the net.
In this instance, the player neither touched the net or the opponent's court or the ball before it crossed the net so how would you rule????
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR OPINIONS BEFORE TODAY'S MATCHES OR BEFORE THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
10 comments:
if he was not physically in the receiver box then no penalty, but the racket and head across the net could easily be called a hindrance. Of course Team A could easily remedy this situation but hitting and errant flat serve at Team B net person. Accidentally of course.
I would explain movement or actions intended for the sole purpose of distracting the server are prohibited, warn them to stop, if it happens again you have the choice of calling hindrance or code them for failure to follow directive.
Rule 26; case 5 (page 13) - If you believe his behavior to be a hindrance; code him!
Didn't see this addressed in The Code, but the ITF rules had this case:
Case 5: In doubles, where are the server’s partner and receiver’s partner allowed to
stand?
Decision: The server’s partner and the receiver’s partner may take any position on their own side of the net, inside or outside the court. However, if a player is creating a hindrance to the opponent(s), the hindrance rule should be used.
If he is reaching over the net, I would call a hindrance immediately. If he makes any distracting motions with his racket or body during the serve, I would call a hindrance.
Personally, I would remind the server that if the receiving team is hit with the ball (either player), the server wins the point.
If the recievers partner does not touch the net, the opponents court, or the service box, I see no issue. If the intent is to distract the server, I think it is a hindrance. If I were the server, he would be my occasional target instead of the service box.
The boy reaching over the net should be neutered by the server. That's what would happen in college for sure.
I think there is a violation.
Once you break the plane, you are on the other court. You can only break the plane with your racket if you hit a ball on your side of the net and follow through, or if the ball lands on your side of the net and returns to the other side and you reach over to hit it. Neither of these things happened.
I vote code. Stay on your side of the net.
I'll be interested in seeing how this turns out. There was a team a couple of years ago that continued to do this at district. Drove me nuts.
I would say deliberate hindrance of server
I don't think either the UIL rule or the FAC reference are appropriate in this case. I think Rule #35 of The Code is more closely relevant. It states "Any other movement or any sound that is made solely to distract an opponent,
including, but not limited to, waving arms or racket or stamping feet, is not allowed." It is addressing distracting the server and even though in this case the receiver's partner isn't making a movement or sound I think it's one of those cases that is not specifically covered in the rules so must be interpreted by the official. I would say that, in the spirit of Rule 35, what is being done is solely to distract the server and is therefore a hindrance.
Code. "The server's partner and the receiver's partner may take any position on their own side of the net..." This is not on their own side.
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