WHAT IS THE REAL RULE IN HANDLING SCORING DISPUTES....

How do you handle scoring disputes when there is no USTA certified official handy to mediate.  Follow these three steps in order of preference;

• Count all points and games agreed upon by the players and replay only disputed points or games;
• Play from a  score mutually agreeable to all players;
• Spin a racket or toss a coin (RARELY, if ever used by a USTA official).

• QUESTION:  Is the server required to call the score at the beginning of each game and the point scores as the games go on in matches without officials?  '
• ANSWER:  YES.  This is required by THE CODE #30.  

• QUESTION: The players agree on who won every point except for the 2nd point.  What should you do?
• ANSWER:  You should replay the 2nd point from the AD court.  If the server wins the point, the score becomes 40-15;  if the receiver wins the point, the score becomes 30-30.  The next point would be played from the DEUCE court.

 

• QUESTION:  Same situation as above except it's now the 3rd point is the disputed point.  What do you do then?  
• ANSWER:  Everything is done the same except that the disputed point is played from the DEUCE court.

• QUESTION:  Players agree that they have played six points, but they disagree over the score because they do not agree who won the second point.  In this case the receiver acknowledges that the server called the score after each point and that the receiver did not express disagreement with the score until now.  What should happen?
• ANSWER:  The score as announced by the server should prevail because the receiver did not object.  NOTE:   However, if the receiver denied hearing the score, then an official would have to be called to court to go through the normal 3-step process in order to settle the dispute.  MORAL of this STORY:  Call out the score loudly enough so all may hear it.  This will avoid many unfriendly court disputes. If you are the receiver and you do not hear the score, ask the server what the score is BEFORE the next point is played.   If you don't, you may forfeit the point as the server's stated score will stand.

If you have questions after having read the above information, please don't hesitate to email me at:
Vickietennisnut@austin.rr.com; 

Good luck and good fun to all in your upcoming league season!