THE RULES GURU
The
Q | A Rules Guru
BY CHRISTINE BARKSDALE, USAPA MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION
Q: In a sanctioned event with referees, it’s the
referee’s job to call out the score. If the players call
out the score, is it an automatic fault or is it only a
fault if they serve the ball before the referee finishes
calling the score?
A: This is a great question, especially because more and
more tournaments are popping up across the country. For
many players who have never participated in a tournament
with referees, calling the score is second-nature so it
is quite common to have this happen. To answer your
question, accidentally calling the score is not a fault.
Players usually quickly remember that they don’t have
this responsibility. It is important, however, to be sure
that all players recognize that the point does not officially
start until the referee has called the score. To go one step
further, you are correct that if they call the score and then
serve, it does become a fault because the referee has not
called the score. According to IFP Rule 4.I. “Serving before
the score is called shall result in a fault and a loss of serve.”
Q: A member of our pickleball club recently told
a group the rules state that if a player hits a volley
and forward momentum causes him/her to lean into
the NVZ, his/her partner can grab the player to stop
him/her from faulting in the NVZ. Is it OK for a
partner to assist a player in this way?
A: As long as neither player is touching the NVZ (IFP
Rules 9B and 9C), there is no rule that would prevent this
action. So yes, you can save your partner if you have the
reflexes to make it happen without violating any of the
NVZ rules!
Q: We have a court with a fence only a few feet
from the sideline. Occasionally, a serve lands in
bounds and then hits the fence before its second
bounce. Is this a dead ball, or does the serving team
win the point?
A: The quick answer is that any permanent structure is
part of the court and is in play. According to USAPA Rule
3.S a permanent structure is “Any object near the court or
hanging over the court that interferes with the flight of
the ball.” Since the fence is a permanent structure, it is in
play. If an in-bounds serve hits the fence before the second
bounce, it becomes a point for the server on impact with
the fence.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2017 |
MAGAZINE
17