AboutEd Hines Expertise The Rules of Tennis primarily, including junior and collegiate application of the rules as well as recreational play. Please: NO questions about practice drills or ways to improve your game.
Experience Over 30 years playing the game, including USTA and ITA Officials' certification in junior, collegiate, and professional tennis.
Organizations USTA; Atlanta Professional Tennis Umpires Association
Awards and Honors ATP Linesman, Chair Official NCAA Regional Div I and Div III, Blue Gray Tournament Chair, SEC Championships, Southern Conf Championships, Atlantic Sun Conference, Several Junior National and Super National Jr. Tournaments, NCAA Womens Championship Finals, ASI and AT&T (qualifier final) Chair.
Expert: Ed Hines Date: 6/25/2008 Subject: Another let question
Question QUESTION: We were playing a doubles match. My partner was preparing to hit a ball from mid court. Just a milisecond before she struck the ball one of our opponents called a let because a ball from the neighboring court rolled across our backcourt. We argued the let call was not valid because 1) it was called too late, my partner was just striking the ball. In fact, she hit a winner; and 2)the ball was not rolling into the court. It rolled across our back court, at least 3 feet behind the baseline. Obviously, neither I or my partner saw the ball as it was behind us. It clearly wasn't a hinderance to and obviously was not a hinderance to our opponents on the other side of the net.
ANSWER: Julie,
Several things, Julie: Anyone can call a let; it doesn't matter that you or your partner didn't see the ball behind you. As a matter of fact, it's irrelevant. Two, you said the let was called just before your partner hit it and then AS your partner was hitting the supposed winner. Doesn't matter--a let is valid under these circumstances. Besides, a winner is not a winner until the point is over. Remember, hindrance can affect any of the four players as long as a player isn't creating his or her own hindrance (you can't call a let on yourself if, say, your hat falls off during the point, but your opponent can).
Finally, remember: Let's say play had continued (no one called a let) and then the winner your partner hit turns out not to be a winner at all. Your opponents return the shot and you run back and now trip on a ball sitting on your baseline. Is that not worth calling a let? To avoid this possibility? Officials always err on the side of caution.
Now to be fair, if your opponents really thought your partner had an easy put away winner, then out of sportsmanship, they should have waited a split second to see if the point was over. But they're not obligated to do so and so many so-called winners end of not being so.
To conclude, unless I witnessed it myself, I would allow the let call and replay the point.
Hope this helps.
Ed
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response, although I don't like your answer! I guess you had to be there. My partner was going to hit a winner, no question about it and our opponent (a royal pain in general) knew it. There is a fence running behind the court, I'll estimate about six feet behind the baseline. The ball was rolling closer to the fence than to the court, and by the time we turned around, the ball wasn't even on our court, it has kept rolling behind the next court. Even if my partner missed the shot and we had to chase down a lob, there would not have been a ball there any longer. I guess the question is can anybody call a let for any reason? We argued a late call and a non-call but maybe there are no hard and fast rules to follow in this case. If it happened again, I would argue it but I guess I have no grounds to win an argument?
Answer Julie,
I understand your frustration (and knew you wouldn't care for my answer). "Lets" can be tough. A high ranking official once told me that in a particular ITF certification that two or three days of instruction were involved in hindrance (some of which are "lets") issues.
The point you must remember is, "Were your opponents affected by the ball?" That's subjective, and, again, their call. If it were me and there was more than a split second involved, I would have also called a let. Anytime a ball enters the court--doesn't matter where--any player can call a let. Spectators or coaches cannot. There's no telling where the ball may have wound up. It's easy to second guess after the fact.
On the other hand, I have disallowed a handful of lets when officiating over the past decade. I actually called a loss of point (hindrance) on myself recently when I stopped play with a let because a ball was heading for our court. Problem is--it never made it to our court, and I was premature in the call and shouldn't have stopped play. But your opponents certainly had the right, with the one exception I made about sportsmanship earlier.
Finally, there are legitimate and illegal reasons for calling lets (my example). It certainly pays to know the rules. But then you have another problem: unless you're carrying the rules ("Friend at Court") with you, how are you going to convince your opponent in an unofficiated match?
Sounds like your opponents were not giving you any breaks, again depending on the timing of the "winner" in question. But, to be fair, I think they made the right call.
Hope this helps.
Ed
P.S. This is not to say had I been chairing your match or acting as a roving official, I would have disallowed the let. In which case, you would have won the point.
