Q
A
&
with the
RULES GURU
By Bob Unetich
USAPA-Certified Referee
We’d Like to Hear From You!
Send your questions to
[email protected].
Q: Dear Guru,
I know if a ball slips over the net tape and strikes a horizontal
bar of a temporary net before touching the court, a replay
should happen—unless it was on a serve. Since the bar is
only on one side of most temporary nets, what happens if a
ball slips over the other side and gets deflected by the bar but
does not actually touch the bar because of the net material?
A: Prior to the 2018 Rule Book, a ball hitting a horizontal
bar was still in play (old Rule 12.J.5). The 2018 Rule Book, in
Section 11.L.5, changed this to allow a replay since a player
was prevented from making a simple shot because of the bar.
This applies to any deflection of the ball by the horizontal bar,
even if contact is through the net or appears to be outside of
the sidelines.
Q: Dear Guru,
When I lifted a short lob, I realized
it would be returned as an overhead
winner, so I yelled out, “Oh no!”
To my relief, my opponent hit the
overhead into the net. I was glad to
avoid a smash, but then my opponent
complained to the referee that my
voice distracted him. I certainly didn’t
intend to cause a distraction, but the
ref called a fault on me. Was that fair?
A: Yes! Complaining aloud about your
own shot is OK, but according to Rule
11.J.1, “A player may ask the referee
to determine if a distraction occurred
at the time the opponent was about
to strike the ball.” If a referee agrees
a distraction occurred, a fault will be
called. If no referee is present, your
opponent can still call a distraction and,
if the players do not agree, a player
may request a decision by a referee or
tournament director.
20
Q: Dear Guru,
I had a pro player autograph
my paddle. Is it still USAPA-
approved for tournament
play?
A: For the past year or so,
the USAPA has informally
instructed referees to accept
paddles with names written
on the face. The 2019 Rules,
effective February 15,
formalizes this in Sections
2.E.2.c and 2.E.5.c, allowing any
writing with a pen or marker
on the playing surface as long
as the writing doesn’t impact
surface roughness and is in
good taste. I know one player
who autographed his own
paddle! •
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