When in Doubt Call it ... IN

Often the most common feedback I receive after one of my players loses a match is "you should have seen their line calls." I have watched thousands of matches over the years, seen hundreds of missed calls at every level of play and the fact is that I have seen many of the calls the players on my team are referring to. I believe most players do their best to make the right call, it isn't always easy when you're running for a ball, lose sight of where you are and where the ball bounces, a team mate calls "out" from across the court, the serve is received but then there's a hesitation, "was it really out, did it hit the line"? These are all normal occurnces when we play the game of tennis, ... the key is knowing the rules and what to do when you're in doubt.

In the following video, legendary coach Vic Braden gives us a great explanation of how hard it is to make the correct call. The second video is how not to make a call. I have also included an excerpt from The Code provided by the USTA which is a valuable reference.

No one wants to intentionally make a bad call but it's sometimes part of the game, having the tools to know how to handle it will bring you the confidence and poise to rise above someone else's missed call. It's always good to remember that in tennis as in life, we are only responsible for our side of the court!

THE CODE: GUIDELINES FOR UNOFFICATED MATCHES-MAKING CALLS

1. Player makes calls on his side of the net. A player calls all shots landing on, or aimed at, his side of the net.

2. 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 in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will find himself keeping a ball in play that might have been out or that he discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way.

3. Ball touching any part of line is good. If any part of the ball touches the line, the ball is good. A ball 99% out is still 100% good.

4. Ball that cannot be called out is good. Any ball that cannot be called out is considered to have been good.

5. Either partner may make calls in doubles. Although either doubles partner may make a call, the call of a player looking down a line is much more likely to be accurate than that of a player looking across a line. When you are looking across a line, don’t call a ball out unless you can clearly see part of the court between where the ball hit and the line. It is difficult for a player who stands on one baseline to question a call on a ball that landed near the other baseline.

6. Treat all points the same regardless of their importance. All points in a match should be treated the same. There is no justification for considering a match point differently than the first point.

7. Requesting opponent’s help. When an opponent’s opinion is requested and he gives a positive opinion, it must be accepted. If neither player has an opinion, the ball is considered good. Aid from an opponent is available only on a call that ends a point.

8. Out calls corrected. If a player mistakenly calls a ball “out” and then realizes that it was good: the first time that this occurs, the point shall be replayed unless it was a point-winning shot (on a point-winning shot, the player’s opponent wins the point); on each subsequent occasion, the player that made the incorrect call shall lose the point. If the mistake was made on the second serve, the server is entitled to two serves.

9. Player calls his own shots out. With the exception of the first serve, a player should call against himself any ball he clearly sees out regardless of whether he is requested to do so by his opponent. The prime objective in making calls is accuracy. All players should cooperate to attain this objective.

10. Partners’ disagreement on calls. If a player and his partner disagree about whether their opponents’ ball was out, they shall call it good.

11. Audible or visible calls. No matter how obvious it is to a player that his opponent’s ball is out, the opponent is entitled to a prompt audible or visible out call.

12. Opponent’s calls questioned. A player may ask his opponent about his call with the query: “Are you sure of your call?” If the opponent acknowledges that his is uncertain, he loses the point. There shall be no further delay or discussion.

13. 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.

14. Prompt call eliminates two-chance option. A player shall make all calls promptly after the ball has hit the court. A call shall be made either before the player’s return shot has gone out of play or before the opponent has had the opportunity to play the return shot.

15. Lets called when balls roll on the court. When a ball from an adjacent court enters the playing area, a player shall call a let as soon as he becomes aware of the ball. The player loses the right to call a let if he unreasonably delays in making the call.

16. Touches, hitting ball before it crosses net, invasion of opponent’s court, double hits, and double bounces. A player shall promptly acknowledge if: • a ball touches him; • he touches the net; • he touches his opponent’s court; • he hits a ball before it crosses the net; • he deliberately carries or double hits the ball; or • the ball bounces more than once in his court. The opponent is not entitled to make thesecalls.

17. Balls hit through the net or into the ground. A player shall make the ruling on a ball that his opponent hits through the net