When Your Tennis Lob Hits The Ceiling, Who Makes The Call?

I bet you're reading the title of this post and thinking, "Is that really a question?" Because that was my first reaction when I got this question from Tennis Fixation follower Wendy.

Wendy recently saw this post: When You Hit The Ceiling In Indoor Tennis. That post discusses exactly what happens when a lob hits the ceiling on an indoor tennis court. Specifically, it explains that the ceiling is a permanent fixture and, per Rule 13 of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis, if a ball touches a permanent fixture before it hits the proper court (the opposing player's court), the player who hit the ball loses the point.

Now, while you would think it would be obvious whether or not a ball hits the ceiling, I can imagine a ball barely grazing the ceiling and there being a dispute. Look, I play in an indoor league on Fridays that is a very "competitive" league (and that is putting it nicely). Balls are often lobbed pretty high and I can see a dispute breaking out over whether or not a ball actually hit the ceiling.

As far as who makes the call in this situation, here is what I think:

While we know the outcome when a ball hits the ceiling (see the post cited above), the rules do not address the issue of who makes that call. So you have to go to The Code which governs the conduct of players in tennis matches.

This exact situation (hitting the ceiling) is not discussed. But I believe Paragraph 5 of the Code applies here. That paragraph states - 

 Player makes calls on own side of net. A player calls all shots landing on, or aimed at, the player's side of the court.

So if your opponent hits the lob, and it is obviously aimed at your side of the court, you get to make the call. And if your call is that the lob hit the ceiling, you win the point.

Thanks to Wendy for this great question. I really had to think about it. And now I'll be ready with the answer if it ever comes up in one of my own indoor matches.



© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

The Coman Tennis Tiebreak - It's So Easy!

Have you heard of this "Coman" tiebreak? Not the Conan tiebreak (check out the photo). Not the Coleman tiebreak. It's the "Coman" tiebreak.

Although the Coman tiebreak has been around since the 1980's, it was not until the early 2000's that it was adopted by the USTA for national league play, leading to its widespread acceptance.

So what's the difference between a Coman tiebreak and the standard tiebreak procedure?

As you know, a tiebreak is used when the score in a set reaches 6-6. It is one game that determines the winner of the set. So when the tiebreak is over, the winner will have won the set 7-6. Since it is a game that is part of the set, service rotation does not change.

To start a standard tiebreak, the player whose turn it is to serve begins by serving one point from the deuce court. Serve then passes to the opposing player or team who serves two points, the first from the ad court and the second from the deuce court. The serve then alternates between players or teams, with each serving two serves, first from the ad court and then from the deuce court. Players or teams switch sides between the 6th and 7th points and then every 6 points after that. The winner is the first team to reach at least 7 points AND be ahead in the tiebreak score by 2 points (so 7-6 is not a winning tiebreak score but 8-6 is). Note that a "super" tiebreak is sometimes used in lieu of playing a 3rd set where the tiebreak score may be first to 10 points.

So what about the Coman tiebreak? The Coman tiebreak is JUST LIKE the standard tiebreak except that players switch ends after the first point and then after every four points.

That's it.

Why this change?

1. In a standard tiebreak, during a doubles match, players will end up serving from both sides of the court, rather than from "their side." The Coman tiebreak ensures that doubles players will always serve from their side and thus helps provide some consistency within the set. In other words, the tiebreak serving conditions are consistent with the set serving conditions.

2. The Coman tiebreak also results in more frequent changes in sides, meaning that the effects of the court conditions (sun, wind, overhead lights, etc.) are more fairly experienced by both players or teams.

Now you're ready for any tiebreak that comes your way. Just remember - it's Coman. We're not talking about an old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie here!


Not sure what to do after the tiebreak? Check out this Tennis Fixation post for the answers: After The Tiebreaker, Who Serves?



© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

After The Tiebreaker, Who Serves?

How many times have you played a tiebreaker after which everyone tries to figure out who gets to serve at the beginning of the next set? And from which side?

Maybe this has never happened to you. Maybe in every match you've played, everyone knows the rule. But I've played in plenty where the question has come up - most recently in a Girls 16s SuperChamps (and they should know) (and I was officiating, not playing) (as if). So here's the answer once and for all.

1. Who gets to serve after the tiebreaker?

Think of the tiebreaker as a game. Before the tiebreaker, you're tied at 6-all (or in a pro set, you might be tied 8-all, or 11-all, whatever). After the tiebreaker, the score for the set is now 7-6. So the tiebreaker is the 13th game of the set.  This means that whoever served the first serve of the tiebreaker, gets credit for serving this 13th game. So the serve for the next set passes to the other player or team. Get it?

In other words, in singles, if I served the first serve of the tiebreaker, you get to serve to start out the next set, even if somehow you had the last serve of the tiebreaker. I started the tiebreaker game so now its your turn to serve.

2. From which side do you serve after a tiebreaker?

Following the logic above, the tiebreaker is the 13th game and that means when its finished, since its an odd  game, players need to switch sides. So if I got first serve in the tiebreaker on the East side of the court (for example), now we start the second set with your serve and you serve from the East side of the court.  Whether we actually switch sides or not will depend on the score of the tiebreaker. But to know which side to be on, just go back to where that first server was in the tiebreaker game. (Yeah, it might mean some weird switching or no switching, but the 13th game logic applies and helps ensure that no player or team gets an unfair advantage due to sun or wind conditions.)

To sum it up - as long as you remember that the tiebreaker counts as a game and the server for that game is the first person who served in the tiebreaker, you should be able to figure out who serves after the tiebreaker and from where.








© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Home Court Rules" In Tennis? Don't Fall For This (Like I Did)

Sometimes I think that the entire focus of this blog is to show you, by my continual blunders, how NOT to do things.

For example, don't do what I recently did and agree to play by special "home court" rules that are directly against the ITF Rules of Tennis. This is a truly bad idea. Listen and learn . . .

Not too long ago, I played an away doubles match and was assigned to play on the court with low-hanging overhead power lines. How low were they? Well, while I wasn't worried that I might touch them during my leaping scissor kick overhead, I was worried that I might hit them while lobbing. And, frankly, they were a wee bit visually distracting.

But the other two courts were already occupied. And it was already getting late. And the line that had played just before us had somehow survived without being electrocuted. And our opponents swore they had only seen anyone EVER hit those lines except maybe once or twice EVER. And since this was a "friendly" league where we were really all just playing for fun, I would kind of be a jerk if I insisted that we wait until one of the two non-electrocution courts opened up. Wouldn't I?

Let me make very clear, I actually asked my opponents if these low-hanging power lines didn't qualify as "permanent fixtures" which they most certainly did. Per ITF Rule 2, permanent fixtures are all "fixtures around and above the court." And Rule 13 explains the consequence of hitting a permanent fixture: "If the ball in play touches a permanent fixture after it has hit the correct court, the player who hit the ball wins the point. If the ball in play touches a permanent fixture before it hits the ground, the player who hit the ball loses the point." So if I send up a lob and it touches a power line and then lands in the correct court, I lose the point no matter what my opponents do with the ball because the ball touched a permanent fixture.

So what was the reply to my question? "Well, if a ball touches the power lines, we just play a let and re-do it because it hardly ever happens." So what did I do? I naturally AGREED to throw out the permanent fixture rule and play by my opponents' special "home court" rule. What an idiot I am!

Of course, my opponents lobbed the ball throughout the match. And of course, they managed to hit the power lines not once but TWICE, despite this being a supposedly rare occurrence on par with the sighting of Elvis. And of course, I couldn't get those stupid power lines out of my head. My lobs were tentative because I was thinking about NOT hitting them. My service toss was wonky because I could see them from the corner of my eye, beckoning to me. When my opponents lobbed the ball, it was all I could do to not stand there and just stare at them. I was a mess. And we lost.

The lesson, ladies and gentlemen? NEVER agree to throw out the rules of tennis for some kind of crazy home court rules. Not even if it means you come off looking like a stuck-up tennis witch. You will live to regret it.

And yes, you're welcome for me once again teaching you an obvious tennis lesson that I had to learn the hard way!





© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Weird" Tennis Rules: Touching The Ball Before It Bounces

I'm a big advocate for knowing the rules of tennis. You can easily and wrongly lose points by not knowing the rules. (And you can just as easily win them by being the one person on the court who actually knows the rules!)

And there are definitely some weird rules in tennis that you should know. So here's one that you might not have seen played out yet. This has happened to me in at least one match and I've seen it in several others so I'm guessing that if you haven't come up against it yet, you soon will.

You're at the base line. Your opponent hits a ball that is clearly sailing out. It's going to hit the back fence. There is no doubt about it. You know it and your opponent knows it. So you call it out before it lands out - not all that great of etiquette on your part but you do it anyway. However, before it lands, you catch it in your hand. Or maybe you catch it on your racquet (if you're really good). Or you hit it away with your racquet. Or it actually hits your body before it lands because you don't get out of the way fast enough (this would be me). Anyway, the point is - although the ball was going out, you somehow touch the ball before it bounces out.

Well, guess what? You just lost the point.

Why? First, you need to look at Rule 11 of the ITF Rules of Tennis which states: "Unless a fault or a let is called, the ball is in play from the moment the server hits the ball, and remains in play until the point is decided." Not too helpful because the rule itself doesn't address our specific situation. But USTA Comment 11.1 does:

Is a point decided . . . when an apparently bad shot passes over the baseline or sideline? No. A ball is in play until it bounces twice or lands outside the court, hits a permanent fixture, or hits a player. . . .

Rule 24 also addresses this scenario. This rule talks about when a player loses a point and Rule 24, Case 8 explains:

Case 8: A player standing outside the court hits the ball or catches it before it bounces and claims the point because the ball was definitely going out of the correct court.
Decision: The player loses the point, unless it is a good return, in which case the point continues.

The Code even weighs in on this situation. Section 41 states: "Catching a ball. If a player catches a ball before it bounces, the player loses the point regardless of where the player is standing." And Code Section 6 reminds us that the opponent always gets the benefit of the doubt.

Here's how I saw this played out in a ZAT-level match involving 12 year-olds. A kid hit a return that was sailing out. But, before it bounced out, it hit his opponent who just didn't get out of the way fast enough. The kid then called the score, giving that point to his opponent presumably because the kid knew his ball was going out. The opponent, however, who knew the proper application of the rule, told the kid, "No, its your point because it hit me." But the kid wouldn't take the point because he knew his ball was going out BUT he didn't know the rule in this situation. So, he wound up wrongly giving the point to his very nice, very upstanding opponent. I was involved because after the match, the kid's mom tracked me down (I was training as a USTA official) and asked me to explain the rule to the kid.

Here's how I explained it: losing the point in this situation actually makes a lot of sense. Even though your ball looks like it is going out, it isn't actually out until it bounces out. Because who knows what weird spin you might have put on it? Or what strange wind might blow it back in? Or even what never-before-seen shift of the Earth's axis might occur at that exact moment?  Until the ball bounces out, there is always some slight, miniscule chance it might bounce in and your opponent must give you benefit of the doubt on that and make sure the ball is really out.

The bottom line - if you're the one who hit the ball and your opponent touches it before it bounces, take the point. If your opponent questions you on this, cite the rules above. And if you're on the other side of the net, let the ball bounce out and then, immediately, call it out. Act any sooner and you may lose the point.

Interested in other weird tennis rules? See this post for a good example: "Weird" Tennis Rules: Reaching Over The Net.




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

If It's Out, Call It Out!

So this just happened to me in a recent doubles match - in the middle of a point, I was on the ad side and my partner was on the deuce side and both of us were back around the baseline. I was close to mid-court and hit a forehand down the line that hit the outside line of the doubles alley (as I saw it) and angled away from my opponent. She reached for the ball but missed. She then said, "I wasn't really looking at the ball so I can't say if it was in or out. Can we replay the point?"

Now you and I know that, once my opponent expressed any doubt at all about calling the ball in or out, the point was mine. Because if you can't positively say that a ball was out, then it was in and (in the above situation) you lose the point.

How do we know this? Well, let's start with ITF Rule of Tennis 12 which states:

If a ball touches a line, it is regarded as touching the court bounded by that line.

Seems pretty clear. But the USTA has added their own Comment 12.1 to this rule which further explains:

If a player cannot call a ball out with certainty, should the player regard the ball as good? Yes. The Code sec. 6 and sec. 8 require a player to give the opponent the benefit of any doubt.

So let's look at The Code - The Player's Guide for Matches When Officials are not Present. Section 6 states:

6. Opponent gets benefit of doubt.  When a match is played without officials, the players are responsible for making decisions, particularly for line calls. There is a subtle difference between player decisions and those of an on-court official. An official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a player is guided by the unwritten rule that any doubt must be resolved in favor of an opponent. A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will keep a ball in play that might have been out or that the player discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way.

If that doesn't make it crystal clear, let's look at Section 8:

8. Ball that cannot be called out is good. Any ball that cannot be called out is considered to be good. A player may not claim a let on the basis of not seeing a ball. One of tennis' most infuriating moments occurs after a long hard rally when a player makes a clean placement and an opponent says: "I'm not sure if it was good or out. Let's play a let." Remember, it is each player's responsibility to call all balls landing on, or aimed at, the player's side of the net. If a ball cannot be called out with certainty, it is good. When a player says an opponent's shot was really out but offers to replay the point to give the opponent a break, it seems clear that the player actually doubted that the ball was out.

Infuriating? That's putting it mildly.

Here's what ultimately happened in my match and I'm not happy about it. I said, "No, we're not playing a let. If you have any doubt, then the ball's in." My partner said, "You have to call the ball in or out." My opponent's partner said, "It's not a let. You have to call the ball."

So I'll bet you can guess what happened next. My opponent said, "Oh, well the ball was out. I was just trying to be nice." I absolutely could not believe it!

My partner and I did not argue but REALLY???  You're calling it OUT??? And honestly, my problem is not that my opponent called my fabulous shot out. It's that she was so OBVIOUSLY in doubt about the call and then had the nerve to make a late call and to call it out. If you're going to call a ball out, even if its a blatantly bad call, man up and call it out quickly and forcefully.

And I'll admit - while I'm mad at my opponent, I'm even madder at myself for letting her get away with this. My very poor excuse is that I was in shock over the fact that she called the ball out!

Next time, no more Mrs. Nice Guy from me. I don't care if this is a "fun" league and we're all out to have a good time. I'm not backing down. I'm not letting it go. And I'm not going into shock. I'm whipping out my rule book and taking my point.




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Top Tennis Resolutions For 2012!

Happy New Year from Tennis Fixation!

Once again, it's that time of year when we look ahead, try to get ourselves together, and make some resolutions on how we can improve our lives in the coming year. And, of course, when I say our lives, I mean our tennis lives.

So here are my personal Top Tennis Resolutions for 2012. My intent is to adopt and follow through on every single one of these. I guess we'll see how I do throughout the year.

Resolution No. 1 - Play more singles. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my tennis game could be improved by playing more singles. Right now I play doubles almost exclusively, but, as I learned in my first singles tournament and as I posted here, there are so many good reasons to be playing singles that its ridiculous that I'm not doing it more often. (Check out this post for those reasons: Why I Love Tennis Singles.) So, for 2012, I SWEAR I will play more singles.

Resolution No. 2 - Learn the rules. I think I try to adopt this resolution every year. And every year, something happens during a match where I think, "I really wish I knew the rule on that." On top of that, I really need to learn the rules WELL in order to make Resolution No. 4, below, happen. You'll understand when you read that one.

Resolution No. 3 - Attend more one of the Slams. Okay, I'll admit it. This is kind of a fantasy. While I'm sure it is possible for me to do this (I think my husband would go for it), I never quite get myself organized enough to do it. I should at least be able to get to the U.S. Open! Anyway, I'm going to get way more serious about my desire to do this and start planning now so this dream can become a reality before I die.

Resolution No. 4 - Become a USTA tennis official. I have not yet admitted this here at Tennis Fixation, but I have already begun the process of becoming an actual USTA official! I took the on-line test, I passed the criminal background investigation (whew!), and I "shadowed" an official at a local USTA tournament. That all by itself will eventually be the subject of numerous posts. But I'm saving those until I get further along in the process. So I'm planning on attending the school for officials in January and then, who knows?, maybe this is my ticket to the U.S. Open! Stay tuned for updates on this one.

Those are my resolutions for 2012. Hopefully, I'll keep one or two of them. What are your tennis resolutions for the New Year? Let me know because I'd love to post some good ones here.

In the meantime, if you're looking for more resolutions to help your tennis game, check out these "retro" Tennis Fixation posts:

• Happy New Year From Tennis Fixation! (2010 resolutions)
• Top Tennis Resolutions for the New Year (2009 resolutions)

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Serena Williams, The Hindrance Rule And Me

I have been thinking about and talking with my tennis buddies about hindrances while on the tennis court. I'm trying to decide just what I think of the latest "Serena Williams threatens a U.S. Open official" outburst.

As you may recall, Serena made it to the finals of this year's U.S. Open, pretty much mowing down every opponent she came up against. In the finals, she faced Samantha Stosur. Serena lost the first set and, at the beginning of the second, she lost an important point because the chair umpire ruled that she had hindered Stosur's return of a ball.

Serena had just served, Stosur had hit a decent but not great return, and then Serena whipped a forehand into the ad court towards Stosur's backhand for what appeared to be a winner. Before the ball touched and as Stosur was leaning towards the ball to hit her backhand, Serena shouted out, "Come on!" pretty loudly.
The chair umpire immediately called a hindrance although it wasn't clear to me what was happening at that moment. John McEnroe and Mary Carillo were commentating during the match and both also initially seemed unclear about what was going on. But the chair umpire remained firm, gave the point to Stosur and that is when all hell broke loose, Serena-style.

Serena not only wasn't happy with the hindrance call, she went on a sort of mini-rampage, berating the chair umpire who ultimately ruled that Serena's conduct constituted "verbal abuse" and that is what she was fined $2,000 for the next day.

So what does all of this have to do with you and me?

Well, I started getting worried that I maybe I have been just as guilty of hindering my opponents as Serena but on a more regular basis.

Rule 26 of the Official Rules of Tennis addresses hindrances and states:

If a player is hindered in playing by a deliberate act of the opponent(s), the player shall win the point.

However, the point shall be replayed if a player is hindered in playing the point by either an unintentional act of the opponent(s), or something outside the player's own control (not including a permanent fixture).

So, assuming that Serena deliberately yelled out "Come on!" (which I'm sure she did), and assuming that Samantha Stosur was "hindered in playing" by that, the point was properly awarded to Stosur.


The Code, The Player's Guide for Unofficated Matches, also addresses hindrances but goes even further, giving a good example. The Code states:

33. Talking during a point. A player shall not talk while the ball is moving toward the opponent's side of the court. If the player's talking interferes with an opponent's ability to play the ball, the player loses the point. Consider the situation where a player hits a weak lob and loudly yells at his or her partner to get back. [Who hasn't done that?] If the shout is loud enough to distract an opponent, then the opponent may claim the point based on a deliberate hindrance. If the opponent chooses to hit the lob and misses it, the opponent loses the point because the opponent did not make a timely claim of hindrance.

So guess what? Often, when I'm playing doubles, I do exactly what the Code uses as an example of a hindrance! E.g., I am back. My partner is at the net. I send up a lob, realize its going to be short and shout "Get back!" or "Watch out!" or something equally cringe-worthy so that my partner hopefully realizes she's about to get creamed. Don't we all do this? According to the Code, if I do this and it bothers my opponents (and I think they can claim it does whether it actually does or not), they might call my shout a hindrance and take the point. Yikes! I don't need to give away any more points than necessary.

My conclusion to all of this? I want to say thank you to Serena. Because of her and her belligerent attitude, I actually paid attention to the official's ruling and looked at the hindrance rule.  And, in the future, I'll be a lot more careful of what kind of noises I make and when I make them so as not to hinder anyone.  

 



© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

My String Broke - Now What?

Well, it finally happened. During my match yesterday, I mishit a return (I think that's what happened), and I broke a string in my tennis racquet. I wish I could say I hit the ball so hard that I broke a string, but I'm pretty sure it was just a bad return on my part. And the strings on my racquet were already worn. I had even thought about getting the racquet restrung earlier in the week but was sure this racquet could make it a little bit longer. Wrong. The good news is that I actually do carry a second tennis racquet in my bag so I was able to switch racquets, keep playing and, ultimately, win the match (Hooray!).

Now, here's the timing on all of this. The string broke as I hit my return on the last point of an odd game. When we lost that point, we lost the game and had to change ends of court. I just switched out my racquet during this changeover.

What I thought was interesting about all of this was the reaction of one of my opponent's to my situation. As I switched racquets, she said, "Good thing you've got that second racquet so you don't have to forfeit." Forfeit? I hadn't even considered that possibility. It made me realize I don't know anything about the rules of tennis regarding broken racquet strings.

Naturally, I did some research and it turns out there is not an obvious answer to the question of whether you have to forfeit when you break a racquet string. But I think I came up with the answer and I'm going to walk you through it so YOU don't wrongly forfeit a match because you don't know the rule and someone else convinces you that they do.

Rule 4 of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis addresses "The Racket." The rule states that "Rackets, which are approved for play under the Rules of Tennis, must comply with the specifications in Appendix II." And Appendix II, entitled "The Racket," says:

a. The hitting surface, defined as the main area of the stringing pattern bordered by the points of entry of the strings into the frame or points of contact of the strings with the frame, whichever is the smaller, shall be flat and consist of a pattern of crossed strings connected to a frame and alternately interlaced or bonded where they cross. The stringing pattern must be generally uniform and, in particular, not less dense in the centre than in any other area.

That seems pretty clear - there's no way a racquet with a broken string or strings is going to have a flat pattern of crossed strings that is generally uniform. So it appears that, once you break a string, you no longer have a playable racquet and might, in fact, have to forfeit your match.

HOWEVER . . . going, back to USTA Rule 4, the "Cases" accompanying the rule provide some interesting explanation:

Case 4. During a point, a player accidentally breaks the strings. Can the player continue to play another point with this racket?
Decision. Yes, except where specifically prevented by event organisers.

So, even if I didn't have a second racquet, I wouldn't have to forfeit just because I broke my racquet strings. I could continue playing the point where my string broke and, according to Case 4 above, at least "another point" with that racquet, although I'm sure that would be pretty laughable. But maybe my partner could just run everything down and we wouldn't have to forfeit at that moment.

Comment 4.2 to Rule 4 then goes on to state:

May a player who breaks a racket or a string in a racket leave the court to get a replacement? A player who leaves the Court to get a replacement is subject to Code Violations for delays under the Point Penalty System. Rule 29b permits a player "reasonable extra time" to leave the court only in those cases where "clothing, footwear or necessary equipment (excluding racket) is broken or needs to be replaced."

And, if you look at Rule 29b, it does say that very thing - that you can get extra time if your clothing, shoes or other necessary equipment needs to be replaced, but not if your racquet needs to be replaced. Since Rule 29a allows you 20 seconds between each point (90 seconds if you're changing ends of court), I think that means you can have 20 seconds, and only 20 seconds, to run over to your bag, grab your second racquet and be ready to play again. I think I could do that.

The important thing, in my opinion, is to have that second racquet right there on the court ready for you to grab. Sure, you can keep your racquet well-strung, but you never know when you're going to mishit some ball and break your strings. Like me. And to think I almost stopped carrying my second racquet all of the time because I didn't like the "look" of two racquets in my bag. Thank goodness my laziness in removing my racquet won out over my strange tennis fashion sense!

This post originally appeared on Tennis Fixation's blog page on the Tennis Now website. Click here to read this and other great Tennis Fixation posts on Tennis Now!




© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

"Weird" Tennis Rules: Reaching Over The Net

If you're going to put a lot of time, effort and money into playing tennis, you should also put some time and effort into learning the rules of tennis. I'm a huge advocate of knowing the rules because points, games and matches are won and lost based on the proper, and sometimes the improper, application of the rules.  I can definitely remember at least 3 times when I gave up a point to an opponent because I didn't know what the rule was in some unusual, weird situation.  And my opponent at least convincingly acted as if she knew the rule.

So let's talk about at least one weird application of the tennis rules that I've never seen in any of my matches but I have seen in a pro match and I've heard of other people coming up against. It's the rule about reaching over the net - when you can and when you can't.

First, do you remember when we talked about this rule about a year ago? I'm guessing not (although maybe (hopefully) you're so fixated on tennis that you have every post here memorized). The post was Reaching Over The Net and in it, I gave some tips about how to handle the opponent who plays so close to the net that you're pretty sure she's reaching across it to return the ball. This is a problem for your opponent because Rule 24(h) of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis says that a player loses the point if "[t]he player hits the ball before it has passed the net . . . ." It's a problem for you because it's up to your opponent to make this call, not you, so you have to rely on her to fess up.

There is, however, one situation where you or your opponent can reach across the net. The USTA's website gives a great explanation in the article "Reaching Over The Net" (click on the title to read the whole article). This article explains:

If the spin or wind brings the ball back over the net to the side of the player(s) who hit the shot, the opponent(s) may then reach over the net and play the ball. They may not touch the net or the opponent’s court. This is the only situation when a player may reach over the net to play a ball. If the opponent does not play the ball and it bounces on the side of the player who hit the spin shot, that player who hit that shot wins the point.

So are you picturing this? Your opponent hits some kind of nasty spin drop shot that comes over the net, bounces on your side but then spins backward over the net to their side of the court. You need to reach over and tap the ball into their court, without touching the net or their side of the court. If you fail to tap the ball with your racquet and it lands back on their side, they win the point.

While this is a weird rule that you probably won't see too often, that one time you do see it, you'll know the rule.  And now that you know it, maybe its some inspiration for working on your nasty spin drop shot.



© Kim Selzman 2010 All Rights Reserved

Happy New Year from Tennis Fixation!

Happy 2010 from Tennis Fixation!

Its the beginning of a new year and its a great time to figure out where you want to take your tennis game.  And the best way to do this?  Adopt at least one tennis resolution for 2010.

Just one short year ago, I set out what I thought the Top Tennis Resolutions for 2009 were. I myself pledged to take on Resolution No. 4 - play more tennis for fun. How successful was I? I would give myself a grade of "B" on the playing tennis for fun front. While I didn't actively try to set up a bunch of play for fun matches, I never turned down anyone who asked me to come and play. This is a great resolution because it gives you a chance to play without the pressure of having to win. And, by the way, tennis is supposed to be fun so you should always be out there trying to play for fun.

So what are the best tennis resolutions to take on in 2010?  How about adopting one of these?

Resolution No. 1 - Improve your serve.  Make 2010 the year you undertake a concerted effort to get  down at least one great, dependable serve.  Maybe this means taking lessons.  Maybe this means playing a lot more matches.  Maybe this just means getting out and serving 300 balls a week.  Just do whatever it takes to get this most important stroke down.

Resolution No. 2 - Learn something about the rules of tennis.  Why not be the person people turn to when they have a question about the rules instead of the person who says "Why don't we just play a let?"  Buy a rule book - they're pretty small - and read through it.  You'll probably be upset at all the points you gave up because you just didn't know what the rule was.

Resolution No. 3 - Invest in some good gear.  Its time to quit playing in running shoes.  Its time to buy a skirt or two that fit comfortably.  Its time to have a case of balls in the garage so you always have a fresh can in your bag.  Its time to get your racquet restrung!

Resolution No. 4 - Do a better warm-up before your matches.  I talk about this one all of the time because I know I play SO MUCH BETTER when I've warmed up well before playing.  Its just so dang hard to get in that good warm-up.  Who has the time?  So, make this the year you resolve to improve your match performance by just warming up better.  For a great pre-match warm-up, click here: Winning The Warm-Up.

If you aren't happy with these, try one of the 2009 resolutions.  Just come up with something that you really want to work on for this new year.

What is my tennis resolution for 2010?  I'm finally going for No. 1 above.  This is the year I get a great serve.  And guess what?  You should adopt a different resolution because you're going along for the ride with me on this one and your serve is bound to improve right along with mine when you read all of the great tennis serve tips I'll be blogging about.  So, as always, stay tuned to Tennis Fixation.  Let me know how your game's going and what you're working on.  Happy New Year and let's have some tennis fun in 2010!






© Kim Selzman 2010
All Rights Reserved

Tennis Lets - Update On The "Loose Balls" Issue

Just a few days ago, we talked about what happens when you drop a ball during a point: Tennis Lets - Get It Right! The precise issue was - if a ball falls out of your skirt or shorts during a point and you thereby cause a let, can you call a let? And the answer is, of course, no. You can't call a let when you've caused it. Your opponent can call it but you can't.

So what if you're playing doubles, your partner is serving, you're at the net, and your partner drops a ball that is now rolling around at your feet, unbeknownst to you? Can your partner who dropped the ball call a let when you're the one in danger of stepping on the ball?

The answer is, sadly, no. In doubles, you live and die as a team and the actions of your partner are imputed to you as a team. So if your partner's having a great day, playing out of her head, good for you! You get the benefit of her great play too. If your partner's having a bad day and can't seem to hit a winner to save her life, well, you go down with her. AND, if your partner is back there dropping balls, she can't call a let for your team. Your only hope is that (1) you'll see the ball and not step on it, (2) the other team will be concerned enough to call a let, or (3) your partner likes you enough and is concerned enough about your safety to stop play and give up the point.

This actually just happened to me a few days ago. My partner's shorts were loose and she dropped a ball behind me. Fortunately for me, she followed scenario 3 above, stopped play and we gave our opponents the point. After that, I held the balls for her to avoid a repeat of that situation.





© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

The Double Bounce

During today's match, a dispute arose over the dreaded double bounce - did it or didn't it bounce twice before it was hit?

So here's the set-up:

• My partner serves.
• Our opponent returns.
• My partner hits the ball back.
• Our opponent, running in to the net, again hits the ball to my partner.
• She again returns but says, at the same time, "That was a double bounce. The ball double bounced."
• The opponent again hits the ball, this time hitting it out. Now she says, "It wasn't a double bounce and that's my call to make anyway. I make that call. But we lost the point anyway."
• My partner then says, "No, no. You're right. It's your call. Let's play the point over."
  

So now we're all standing around trying to figure out what just happened. Or maybe it was just me that was trying to figure out what just happened.

Well, as I always say, let's look at the rules!  Official Rule of Tennis 24b states that a player loses the point if "The player does not return the ball in play before it bounces twice consecutively . . . ."  So, in our match, if the ball bounced twice before my opponent returned it, we won that point.

But who makes the call?  The Code says, in Paragraph 5, that "A player calls all shots landing on, or aimed at, the player's side of the net."  And in this double bounce situtation, The Code makes very clear, in Paragraph 20, that, "A player shall promptly acknowledge if . . . The ball bounces more than once in the player's court." So it was, in fact, our opponent's call and, when she said it didn't double bounce, we had to accept that.

Got it?  You lose the point if it double bounces before you return it.  But the double bounce call is yours to make.

Now here's the little twist where I think we actually could have claimed that point as our own.  The Code says, in Paragraph 33, that "A player shall not talk while the ball is moving toward the opponent's side of the court.  If the player's talking interferes with an opponent's ability to play the ball, the player loses the point."  So our opponent might have claimed that my partner's talking during the point ("That was a double bounce.  The ball double bounced.") hindered her ability to play the point and therefore we would have lost the point.  In fact, that's what I thought was going to happen.  But she didn't.  She continued playing and hit the ball out, making the whole double bounce thing moot!  She was actually right when she said, "But we lost the point anyway."

However, my partner is very, very nice and I know she felt bad for talking during the point so I don't blame her for offering to replay the point.  I wasn't going to argue about that with my partner.  And we ended up winning the point anyway.  I love playing with my partner!



© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

Tennis Lets - Get It Right!

This actually happened to me a few years ago and I am finally willing to talk about it because I just saw it happen again in a match I was watching.

I was serving in a match and was holding two balls in the shorts under my skirt. During play of one point, a ball fell out of my shorts and was rolling around my feet at the baseline (I know, I should have been up at the net). I was well aware that I'd dropped that ball but kept on playing. After the point was over and won by my partner and I, one of the opponents said, "Where did that ball come from?" referring to the stray ball I'd dropped. I said I had dropped the ball and my opponent responded with, "Well, you caused a let so you lose the point."

I was shocked and, since I'd only been playing a few months, had no idea how to respond or what the rule on lets was. So - here's the painful part - I agreed and gave them the point!

And that's why you should know your tennis rules. If I knew anything at all about lets at that time, I'd know that Rule 23 of the Official Rules of Tennis tells you about lets and says that, "In all cases when a let is called, except when a service let is called on a second service, the whole point shall be replayed." So, had my opponent properly called a let when I dropped a ball on my side of the court, the right thing to do would have been to replay the point. My bad for just giving up the point (I'm still cringing over my timidity back then!).

But was she right when she called a let after we had finished the point? Definitely not. Rule 24 discusses situations where you lose points and gives this comment on a similar situation in USTA Comment 24.3:

If a player's hat falls off during a point, may the opponent stop play and claim a let? Yes. The opponent's immediate request should be granted. A let should not be granted after the point nor should a request from the player who lost the hat.

While I dropped a ball and not a hat, the situation is pretty darn similar. Had my opponent immediately called a let during play, we could have replayed the point. But she should not have waited until the point was over to call a let just as I could not have called a let because of a situation I myself had caused.

So what should have happened? Nothing. The point should have stood. I couldn't call a let and my opponent shouldn't have waited so long to call a let. And did I bring this up when I saw the same thing happen to someone else recently? Not until after the match was over. See, I'm now also very familiar with "The Code" which states in Principle 17 that, "Spectators never to make calls. A player shall not enlist the aid of a spectator in making a call. No spectator has a part in the match."

The take-away lesson here? Learn your tennis rules so you don't get taken advantage of!






© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

Reaching Over the Net

I like to play up at the net just as much as the next person. I play a lot of doubles and don't have the greatest groundstrokes so the net is the best place for me to be. And a lot of ladies I come up against also like to be up at the net. Good for them! That's where you're supposed to be in doubles.

But a small percentage of ladies seem to play literally right on top of the net. And when the ball comes to them, they very often come up with incredible volleys. So it seems like a good idea. The closer, the better, right?

Well, I don't play 6 inches from the net as these ladies do for two reasons. 1. I need a little room to react and (hopefully) hit a good volley. 2. I don't want to contact the ball on the wrong side of the net.

So what do you do when you come up against these ladies who are playing right on top of the net, ladies who you THINK are so close to the net that they may be making contact with the ball before it crosses the net?

First, be aware of the rule against this. Rule 24(h) of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis says that a player loses the point if "[t]he player hits the ball before it has passed the net . . . ."

A great explanation for what Rule 24(h) means is given on the USTA's website in their article "Reaching Over The Net" (click on the title to read the whole article). This article explains:

A player may break the plain of the net on a follow through from a shot as long as the ball was on that player’s side of the court when the ball was struck. (The player can only reach over to play a ball in the situation stated in the paragraph below).

The player in either situation may not touch the net, or the opponent’s court with anything he wears or carries or with any part of the body.

OK, so now that you understand the rule, what can you actually do if you think this is happening during a match? Before you do anything at all, be aware that the call as to whether the player hit the ball before it crossed the net is made by the player hitting the ball - not by you. So the most you can hope for is to make them aware of the rule (honestly, some people don't know) and to let them know you're watching. Do it like this:

• First, watch the player carefully. If someone is constantly playing so close to the net that this might happen, it probably will happen (in my opinion).
• Second, if you think the player has reached across the net, just ask them, "Did you reach across the net to hit that ball?" They will most likely say "no" but now you've put the idea in their head and they'll know you're watching.
• Third, if this maybe-they-reached-across-the-net situation keeps happening, keep right on asking about it and bring up the rule: "You do know you can't reach across the net to hit the ball, right? You lose the point if you do." For the vast majority of people, these few steps will not only ensure that they don't reach across the net, but will actually get them to back off the net.
• Finally, if you're convinced someone is repeatedly reaching across the net but is denying it, let them know you need to bring in a linesman or a captain to watch for this. At this point, you're basically accusing them of cheating. Most ladies will not want it to go this far and, again, should back off.

© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

When You Hit the Ceiling In Indoor Tennis

I'm talking about literally hitting the ceiling in tennis (not just hitting a figurative ceiling in your game).

I play in an indoor league and during a recent warm-up, I hit the ceiling when feeding lobs. I asked the other players what happens if I hit the ceiling during the match and no one knew. Maybe you already know the answer to this one and think this is a stupid question with an obvious answer. But I've been playing in this indoor league for about 4 years and nobody out there that day knew what happens when a ball hits the ceiling during play.

So here's the answer!

According to Rule 2 of the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis, the ceiling over a tennis court is a permanent fixture (as are the backstops and sidestops, the spectators, the stands and seats for spectators, all other fixtures around and above the court, the chair umpire, line umpires, net umpire and ball persons). Rule 13 then explains that "If the ball touches a permanent fixture after it has hit the correct court, the player who hit the ball wins the point. If the ball in play touches a permanent fixture before it hits the ground, the player who hit the ball loses the point."

So if I hit a lob and it touches the ceiling before coming down on my opponent's side of the net, I lose the point. If I hit a ball those touches their side of the court and then somehow bounces up and touches the ceiling, the ball is good and can be played. (I guess I need to work on hitting overhead smashes that somehow bounce up and touch the ceiling.)

I think the lesson here is - hit some lobs to your opponents during warm-up to get an idea of just how high the ceiling is and then make sure you don't hit it!

© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

When In Doubt, Call It . . . In

Yesterday, I played a 3 HOUR match, and ultimately, unfortunately, ended up losing. But it was a lot of fun and one thing that made it fun was that my opponents were very nice and made only one call, in the entire 3 hours, that I thought was questionable. It was on a deep lob I hit that looked like it might have caught the back line. At that point, my partner said to me, "Do you want me to say 'Are you sure?'" But I told her to let it go - we had been playing for so long and up to that point, I had had no problems with any of their calls.

"The Code: The Players' Guide for Unofficiated Matches" addresses the "when in doubt" situation as follows:

6. Opponent gets benefit of doubt. When a match is played without officials, the players are responsible for making decisions, particularly for line calls. . . . [A] player is guided by the unwritten law that any doubt must be resolved in favor of the opponent. A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on the line calls frequently will find himself keeping a ball in play that might have been out or that the players discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way.

It is mentally exhausting to play for 3 hours. And making calls on close balls adds to the challenge. Had my partner and I felt that we were being hooked or cheated, I'm sure we would have walked away from that match in disgust. But when you are playing against opponents that you feel are trying their best to make good calls, even a 3 hour match that you lose can be enjoyable. Well, maybe not enjoyable. But it was a lot of fun.





© Kim Selzman 2009
All Rights Reserved

Slowing Down Match Momentum

Have you ever played a match that moves way too fast? You think you'll warm up any minute now and get a rhythm going. Next thing you know, you're down a set, its match point and you just lost by hitting your return WAY out! Did two sets really go by that quickly?

If you often get the feeling you've been "rushed" through a match, you need to come up with some acceptable ways to slow down the other team's pace and momentum. I'm not talking about gamesmanship or pretend bathroom breaks. Rather, you need to be aware of those opportunities that you are afforded in any match, by rules, regulations, etiquette, whatever, to regain your composure, calm down, and get a grip on what's happening on the court.

So what are some acceptable ways to slow down the pace in a match?

The rules of tennis provide help here. Let's assume the ITF's Rules of Tennis apply (which they should). Rule 21 states:

The server shall not serve until the receiver is ready. However, the receiver shall play to the reasonable pace of the server and shall be ready to receive within a reasonable time of the server being ready.

So when you're the server, you set the pace and it should be a "reasonable" pace. When you're the receiver, you play to the pace of the server and you have to be ready within a "reasonable" time of the server being ready. (Note that "The Code - The Players' Guide for Unofficiated Matches" also says, in Paragraph 29, that the receiver shall play to the "reasonable pace" of the server.)

That sounds like, whether you're serving or receiving, you should never feel rushed since you have a "reasonable" amount of time to get ready.

Rule 29 goes on to say:

As a principle, play should be continuous, from the time the match starts (when the first service of the match is put in play) until the match finishes.
a. Between points, a maximum of twenty (20) seconds is allowed. When the players change ends at the end of a game, a maximum of ninety (90) seconds are allowed. However, after the first game of each set and during a tie-break game, play shall be continuous and the players shall change ends without a rest.

So even if you're playing someone who is insistent on playing by the "rules," you have 20 seconds between each point and 90 seconds on the changeovers - plenty of time to calm yourself for each point!

And these are the rules used by the ITF and the USTA! I'm guessing most of your matches aren't tournaments or so formal or contentious that people are pulling out the rules and timing each other. You can probably take much more time than these rules allow for.

And your league rules or regulations may help too. For example, the league rules of the West Houston Ladies' Tennis Association state, in Paragraph 5 of the Match Play section, "a 10-minute break may be taken between the 2nd and 3rd sets only. A bathroom break may be taken at any time." I'm not saying you should take a bathroom break at "any time," even though it says you can. And I'm not advocating the gamesmanship of using "pretend" bathroom breaks to slow down match momentum. But I would sure take one during a changeover if the match was rushing along and I thought there was the slightest chance I needed to go.

There are plenty of other opportunities that are not in any rules or regulations but that are certainly allowed by tennis etiquette:

*Talk to your partner after each game or at least on changeovers. Even a word or two between points is acceptable.
*Take a drink of water betweeen games and on changeovers.
*Tie your shoes if you need to.
*Retrieve stray balls and return balls that come on your court (I know - it sounds like a weird opportunity to slow down a match but you know balls are rolling around the court all the time so there's nothing wrong with getting them out of the way).

All of these will give you just a few extra seconds or minutes to slow down both yourself and the pace of the match. And ultimately you'll find that small amount of time is all you need.

How to be a Great Tennis Team Captain!

So you've joined a tennis team, you're a great tennis team member, and now they've asked you to captain the team! Here's what it takes to be a great team captain:

1. Familiarize yourself with all tennis and league rules. If you haven't done this already, you will have to do it now. Part of being a captain is making sure the rules are followed and this may mean you have to resolve on-court disputes on behalf of your team. So learn the rules now, before those disputes arise, and then be prepared to back up your team members when necessary.

2. Let everyone know what your "goals" are. If you just want to have fun and the team is laid back and relaxed, let everyone know. If you're hoping to win your division, move up in the rankings, or desperately need to make points just to stay where you are, tell your team members. It not only helps explain what your strategy is, it also lets people know whether or not this is the right team for them.

3. In doubles play, try to pair people up on a regular basis. No matter how compatible two players are, it can take a few games for them to figure each other out. And by that time, they may be down too far to come back. The more players partner up, the better their results should be. While it may not be possible for each member of your team to have a regular partner, try to form groups within the team and partner up within those groups. So you may have 4 players who usually play at Line 1 or 2 and those 4 can pretty much expect to play with each other each week.

4. Keep everyone informed. Let your team members know what's going on so they feel included and can contribute in every way possible. Be sure they have a roster and know everyone's name and phone number, especially cell phone number. Let each member know when and where you are playing. Definitely keep them all updated on how the team is doing each week and where you stand in the rankings.

5. Make it fun. Even when your team is at the bottom of its division, especially when it's at the bottom, make sure everyone is having fun and feeling appreciated. If team members don't enjoy themselves, even when they're losing, they'll find some other team where they do have a good time. So have a team name! Have a uniform! Have lunch together! Have an end-of-season party! Give out your own end-of-season awards! Do whatever you can to develop some camaraderie!

6. Be there for your team. This seems like the easy step but it can often be the most difficult. As team captain, you should really try to be at every match. Of course, you may not be able to be there each and every week. You may actually have to do something NOT pertaining to tennis every once in a while! But, most of the time, you should be there to support and help your team. Your team needs you not just to keep track of the score sheet, team members may also need you to resolve disputes (see No. 1 above) and to "handle" the opposing team's captain and members.