Friend at Court

FRIEND AT COURT THE USTA HANDBOOK of TENNIS RULES and REGULATIONS 2008 EDITION We welcome your comments and suggestions and especially solicit your help in identifying errors in the index. Please feel free to write us c/o USTA Officials Department, 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604-3602. Senior Editors: Steve Gerdes and Rich Kaufman. Editors: Bill Barber, Jim Cummings, Bobbie Farley, Staciellen Stevenson Mischel, Lois Huggins, Mac MacDougal, Andrea Norman, Eric Perkins, and Roy Van Brunt. United States Tennis Association 70 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604-3602 USTA.com © 2008 by the United States Tennis Association Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the United States Tennis Association. Printed in the United States of America Produced for the USTA by H.O. ZIMMAN, Inc. Front cover photos by Getty Images, except bottom right, courtesy USTA Foreword Once again this year’s Friend at Court contains few substantive changes. The book includes two new tables that collect in one place the major responsibilities of the Tournament Committee and the Referee. The ITF has authorized smaller courts for 10-and-under tournaments as an experiment in 2008. USTA Regulation XI. includes detailed information on how to lay out these new 36-foot and 60-foot courts. Perhaps the most sig- nificant change is that the only form of Match Tiebreak that will now be authorized is the 10-Point Match Tiebreak. Last year’s edition of Friend at Court was Rollie Shea’s last as one of its editors. Even after “retirement” he continues to be a valuable resource by providing constructive suggestions on how to improve the book. Where substantive changes or changes that the editors want to call to your attention have been made since the last publication of Friend at Court, there is a vertical line in the margin. For amendments that become effective after press time, please refer to the USTA website, USTA.com. Friend at Court (FAC) is not a training manual. The gray highlighted areas are a blend of commonly accepted answers to questions about the rules, officiating techniques, and officiating procedures derived from several sources, including the ATP, ITA, ITF, and WTA Tour. If you wish to learn more about accepted procedures, you should attend a USTA-approved training school. iii Summary of Important Changes for 2008 Edition of Friend at Court ITF Rules of Tennis [p. 11] USTA Comment 6.1 was revised to clarify that USTA Regulation I.E.1.a prohibits the use of “Advantage Sets.” [p. 24] Rule 27.c was revised by the ITF to clarify the proper ball change procedure when a player serves out of turn and the error is discovered after the end of a game. [p. 27] USTA Comment 27.9 was added to explain what to do when players split sets and mistakenly start a 10-Point Match Tiebreak when they were supposed to play a third set. [p. 28] USTA Comment 29.2 includes a new sentence that provides guidance as to the amount of “reasonable extra time” that a player may be allowed to correct a problem with clothing, footwear, or necessary equipment. [p. 35] Appendix II The Racket was updated to specifically prohibit the racket from including any device that could provide communication, instruction, or advice to a player. [p. 37] USTA Comment IV.2 was added to clarify that USTA Regulation I.E.1.b requires using a 10-Point Tiebreak when using a Match Tiebreak in lieu of a final set. [p. 42] In new Appendix VI Official 10 and Under Tennis Competition, the ITF approved an experiment in 2008 to allow the use of courts that are 36 feet long and 60 feet long for 10-and-under tournaments. The Code [p. 54] A sentence was added to Code §14 stating that the principles of Code §12 apply to when a player reverses a partner’s out call. Code § 12 deals with what happens when a player successfully returns a ball that has been called out. iv USTA Regulations [p. 61] Table 2 Tournament Committee Responsibilities was added to consolidate almost all of the Tournament Committee responsibilities in one place. [p. 61] A new bullet point was added to USTA Regulation I.C.1 Tournament Committee Duties addressing the substantive issue formerly found at USTA Regulation III.A.4., which required the Tournament Committee to arrange for courts so that each division could be finished on the same surface type. Another reference concerning this issue may also be found at USTA Regulation II.D.13. [p. 62] A sentence was added at the end of both USTA Regulations I.C.2 and I.C.3 that stated that neither the Tournament Chairperson nor the Tournament Director is permitted to serve as the Tournament Referee or Deputy Referee. The sentence was hard to find in its previous location. [p. 62] FAC Comment I.C-1 Tournament Committee Duties and FAC Comment III.E-1 [p. 119] were added specifically suggesting that Tournament Committee members familiarize themselves with the USTA Emergency Care Guidelines, the current version of which is available at www.usta.com. [p. 63] Table 3 Referee Responsibilities was added to consolidate almost all of the Referee’s responsibilities in one place. [p. 66] USTA Regulation I.E.1.b was amended to require that the only form of Match Tiebreak that may be played in lieu of a final set is the 10-Point Match Tiebreak. [p. 73] USTA Regulation I.H.2 was amended to require that a tournament disclose: • any clothing or shoe restrictions; and • that a 10-Point Match Tiebreak will be played in lieu of the final set if this is the case. [p. 75] FAC Comment I.H-1 was added to explain the information that auto- matically appears on a tournament’s TennisLink homepage and the information that needs to be added manually. v [p. 78] A sentence was added to FAC Comment II.A-2 to clarify that USTA Adult/Senior National Championships in the Men’s 35-80 divisions and the Women’s 30-80 divisions follow ITF Regulations. [p. 95] USTA Regulation II.B.6.d was revised to clarify the procedures for determining the order of finish in a Round Robin in circumstances involving a Walkover. The new language is meant to prevent it being an advantage for a player to not play one of the Round Robin matches. [p. 113] Table [7] Draw Sheet Terminology and Procedures was revised to: • Correct the definitions of “Withdrawal” and “Walkover” because they previously did not accurately cover the situation when a player does not play his or her first match because of injury, illness, or personal emergency but intends to play subsequent matches such as consolation matches or later rounds of a Round Robin; and • Update several TDM Codes. [p. 120] FAC Comment III.E-3 was added to clarify that a player intending to take two consecutive Medical Time-Outs should make such a request up front, and that the maximum interruption of play for both Medical Time-Outs is a total of 15 minutes. [p. 123] Table [10] Medical Time-Outs, Bleeding Time-Outs, and Toilet/Change of Attire Breaks was updated to clarify that a doubles partner may provide treatment to his or her partner during any 90-second Changeover or Set Break. [p. 129] USTA Regulation IV.C.3 was amended to remove the prohibition on wearing shoes that are not flat-soled and replaced with a prohibition on wearing shoes that damage the court. [p. 136] Table [11] Point Penalty System was updated to clarify that: • A game penalty assessed during a Set Tiebreak or a Match Tiebreak results in loss of the Set or Match. • A player who has already received a Medical Time-Out and who subse- quently delays the match because obvious cramping should be assessed a Code Violation instead of a Time Violation; and • A player who spits at a person should be assessed a Code Violation. vi [p. 139] Table [15] Guidelines for Assessing Penalties was updated to clarify that spitting directed at a person should always be penalized and that spitting on the court is sometimes penalized. [p. 169] USTA Regulation VII.A.2.c was amended to redefine the parties who decide players’ requests to reinstate their eligibility to participate in USTA Junior National Championships. [p. 178] USTA Regulation VII.A.8.j and USTA Regulation VII.A.9.h were amended to give the USTA more flexibility in choosing the format of Feed-in Championships used in USTA National Opens. [p. 180] USTA Regulation VII.A.9.d was amended to change the order of selection for USTA National Opens. The change makes it easier to get into these tournaments for players already in an age division and makes it more difficult for the players who are relatively low on the standing list of the next younger division to get in. [p. 183] Table 19 includes a new clarifying statement that Suspension Points are not assessed when a junior receives a Code Violation because of delay after a Medical Time-Out or because of obvious cramping. [p. 187] USTA Regulation VII.B.1. was amended to add Father (80 & over)-Daughter Doubles as a division in which a national championship is held. [p. 192] USTA Regulation IX Sanctioning Regulations was re-written. [p. 201] FAC Comment XI.C-1 was added to include diagrams and specifi- cations for smaller size courts that are authorized by USTA Jr.

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