UMPIRES AND UMPIRING.
In the chapter on match play, I have already spoken of umpires. It is
a subject that is always leading to trouble, and a great deal of the
trouble is unnecessary.
We all know how hard it is to umpire, and that an umpire gets little
thanks if he makes no mistakes, and a great deal of blame if he is
wrong. You will often be asked to umpire, especially if you umpire
well, and I think that you owe it to your friends to umpire if you can.
The great secret is attention. Watch the ball the whole time. Do not
watch a line, for if the ball crosses it suddenly you will not know on
which side of the line it struck the ground. If you follow the ball
only, you will see where it strikes, and can then tell on which side of
the line.
Do not call “play,” nor “good,” nor anything else, unless the ball is
out, and then call sharply and loud enough to make it impossible for
the players not to hear. If you are appealed to in the middle of a rest
and are unable to decide, call “play it out,” and at the end of the
rest you can give your decision if one is necessary.
Do not call until the ball has touched the ground, and then call as
quickly as possible.
Remember that an umpire is an unfortunate necessity, and his first
object should be to make himself as little conspicuous as possible, and
to annoy the players as little as he can. What the players want is an
umpire who will attend to the game and will give an honest decision as
quickly and distinctly as possible. They do not want any fancy umpiring
done at their expense.
About the worst umpire that there can be is one who is trying to show
off his umpiring. I believe myself that players are as a class the best
umpires. They are more used to watching the ball, and will, therefore,
see it more correctly. Besides, they understand better what the players
look for in an umpire.
It is your duty to keep the net at the right height, and you should
arrange it before play begins, and from time to time afterwards, but
don’t get down to look at it in the middle of a game, unless it is
absolutely necessary. Look to see that the inside posts are in place,
if any are needed, and that they are not there for a double game.
Enforce the rules strictly. It is not for you to discuss them during a
match, but simply to take them as they stand. The moment that you relax
them you have no guide left. Be careful to find out beforehand how many
sets are to be played, and if they are vantage sets or not. In case of
any question arising about the rules, send at once for the referee.
No matter at what height you stand, it is impossible to see the
farther side-line properly; and the same is true in a smaller degree
of the base-lines. It is nearly impossible to call foot faults and to
watch the service-line too. You, therefore, need at least three line
umpires. If you cannot get men whom you can trust, it is better to
umpire the base-lines yourself. It is a mistake to let a man take the
side-line and one of the base-lines too. He will have to stand away
from both lines, and in such a place he cannot see the base-line as
well as you can yourself, and he cannot umpire the side-line really
well.
If a line umpire cannot decide a stroke on his own line—as when a
player comes between him and the ball, or for any other reason—give
your own decision, if you are sure that you could see the stroke; if
not, direct it to be played again.
If the same thing happens on one of the lines that you are taking
yourself, you can appeal to one of the line umpires, if he is in a
place where he could see the ball. On no account appeal to the gallery,
for you are certain to get both decisions.
If one of the players in a case of doubt tells you that he lost the
stroke, you should take his word for it, as he is almost certainly
right. You have no right to ask him, and he is under no obligation to
say anything, but if, of his own accord, he gives the stroke, I can see
no reason why it should be played again.
If the players agree, their decision should certainly be taken.