CASES AND DECISIONS.
The following Cases and Decisions are intended to meet questions often
asked at tournaments; and also to cover points apparently not provided
for in the laws. They have been prepared with the advice and assistance
of Messrs. W. and E. Renshaw, B. C. Evelegh, N. L. Jackson, and R. D.
Sears, to whom the author returns his thanks:—
I. A player standing outside the court volleys the ball or catches it
in his hand, and claims the stroke because the ball was certainly going
out of court.
_Decision._—He loses the stroke. It makes no difference where he was
standing. The return is presumed good until it strikes the ground
outside of the court.
II. A player is struck by the ball served before it has touched the
ground, he being outside of the service court. How does it count?
_Decision._—The player struck loses the stroke. The service is
presumably good until it strikes in the wrong court. A player cannot
take the decision upon himself by stopping the ball. If it is going to
be a fault he has only to get out of the way.
III. The service is delivered before the striker-out is ready. He tries
to return it and fails. Is he entitled to have it played over again?
_Decision._—No. If he attempts to return the service he is deemed ready.
IV. The striker-out calls “Not ready” for a second service. The ball
strikes beyond the service-line, and the striker-out claims that the
fact that he was not ready makes no difference since a fault cannot be
returned, and therefore that two faults have been served.
_Decision._—The second service goes for nothing. A player cannot call
“Not ready,” and then have the service count, or not, as suits his
interests.
V. A ball having been played over the net, bounds back into the court
from which it came. The player reaches over the net and plays it before
it falls. Has he a right to do so?
_Decision._—Yes, provided he does not touch the net. He has a right to
play the ball at any time from the moment it crosses the net into his
court until it touches the ground a second time.
VI. A ball is played into the net; the player on the other side,
thinking that the ball is coming over, strikes at it and hits the net.
Who loses the stroke?
_Decision._—It is simply a question of fact for the umpire to decide.
If the player touched the net while the ball was still in play he loses
the stroke.
VII. Can a player follow a ball over the net with his racket, provided
that he hits the ball on his own side of the net?
_Decision._—Yes. The only restrictions are, that he shall not volley
the ball until it has crossed the net, and that he shall not touch the
net or any of its supports.
VIII. A player’s racket slips out of his hand and flies into the net.
Does he lose the stroke for hitting the net?
_Decision._—Yes, if the ball be still in play. It does not matter if
the racket be in a player’s hand or not.
IX. A player’s racket leaves his hand, but meets the ball and returns
it over the net. Is it a good return?
_Decision._—Yes. There is no law requiring a racket to be in a player’s
hand when the ball is returned. It would unquestionably be a good
return if the racket were held against the ground by a player’s feet,
and the ball bounded back off of it.
X. A single match is played with a double net and inside posts. A
player touches the net beyond the inside posts, and claims that he does
not lose the stroke, because there should be no net more than 3 ft.
outside of the court.
_Decision._—He loses the stroke. The net where he touched it is part
of the supports of the net. He might, perhaps, have objected to the
arrangement of the net before the match.
XI. A player returns the ball, and finding that he cannot stop himself
before reaching the net, jumps over it. Is it a good return?
_Decision._—Law 5 requires that “the players shall stand on opposite
sides of the net,” and therefore the player invading his opponent’s
court loses the stroke.
XII. A ball passes outside the post of the net and strikes in court. Is
it a good return?
_Decision._—Yes. The laws have been changed to make it a good return.
XIII. A ball going out of court hits the top of the post of the net,
and bounds into the opposite court.
_Decision._—It is a good return. (N.B.—It has occurred with the regular
championship posts.)
XIV. The service or the ball in play strikes a ball lying in the court.
Can it be returned?
_Decision._—Yes; if it be clear to the umpire that the right ball is
returned; otherwise the stroke should be called a let.
XV. The server claims that the striker-out must stand in the court. Is
this necessary?
_Decision._—No. The striker-out can stand wherever he pleases on his
own side of the net.
XVI. A bystander gets in the way of a player who fails to return the
ball. May he then claim a let?
_Decision._—Yes, if in the umpire’s opinion he was prevented by an
accident beyond his control. For instance, if the ropes or the seats
are allowed to be so near to the court that a player is interfered
with by them, the stroke should not be played again, because the ropes
and seats form part of the arrangements of the ground. If, however, a
spectator passes in front of those seats, or places a chair nearer than
the original line, and so interferes with a player, the stroke should
be played again.
XVII. A player is interfered with as above, and the umpire directs the
stroke to be played again. The server had previously served a fault. He
claims the right to two services.
_Decision._—The fault stands. A let does not annul a previous fault.
XVIII. A return hits the umpire or his chair or stand; the player
claims that the ball was going into court.
_Decision._—Unless the umpire can say that the ball was in his opinion
not going into court, he should call a let.
XIX. A player receiving fifteen serves from the left court, his
opponent claims a fault.
_Decision._—It is a fault. The service starts from the right court
under all circumstances.
XX.—At fifteen all, the server by mistake serves from the left court;
he wins the stroke and serves again (a fault). The mistake is then
discovered. Is he entitled to the previous stroke? From which court
should he serve next?
_Decision._—The previous stroke stands. A fault cannot be claimed after
the next service, good or not, is delivered. The next service should be
from the left court, the score being thirty-fifteen, and the server has
served one fault.
XXI.—A player serves from the wrong court, he loses the stroke, and
then claims that it was a fault.
_Decision._—If the stroke was played in his first service it is simply
a fault, but if he serves twice into the wrong court he has served two
faults, and lost the stroke.
XXII.—The partner of the player whose turn it is to serve, serves and
wins the game. The error is not discovered until the first service of
the next game has been delivered.
_Decision._—A new game having been begun, the previous game stands.
XXIII.—The same case as above, except that the error is discovered
after two or three strokes have been played.
_Decision._—Any score made before the last service is delivered
stands—_i.e._, the last stroke does not stand unless another service
(fault or not) has been delivered. The proper server will then serve.
XXIV.—With the score at thirty-forty, the server takes a bisque, and
then serves from the right court. His opponent claims a fault.
_Decision._—It is a fault. The service must come alternately from the
right and left courts.
XXV.—A player takes a bisque after the server has served a fault. Which
court does the server next serve from?
_Decision._—From the same court.
XXVI.—The score is five games all, and the umpire directs the players
to play an advantage set. The advantage game has been won when it is
discovered that no advantage sets are to be played. What is to be done?
_Decision._—The set is won at the eleventh game. It is no part of the
umpire’s duty to decide on the conditions of the matches.
XXVII.—A player serves. He hears the umpire call, but cannot hear what
he says. He knows that the only two things that the umpire should call
are “fault” and “let,” and that in neither case can the ball be in
play. He therefore does not return it, only to find that the umpire has
called play. Has he any redress?
_Decision._—No.
XXVIII.—The umpire calls “fault” and then instantly changes and says
“play.” The striker-out fails to return the ball, and he claims that he
was prevented by the umpire, and also that the umpire cannot change his
decision.
_Decision._—The umpire should call a let and the service be taken
again.
XXIX.—A ball drops near a line, the player appeals, and the umpire
calls “play.” The player misunderstands the call, and lets the ball
fall. He then claims to have the stroke played again.
_Decision._—The stroke stands.
XXX.—A ball strikes the ground close to a line, the scorer scores the
stroke against the striker. On appeal to the linesman, the latter
decides that the ball was not out. Which decision stands?
_Decision._—The scorer has no right to consider a ball out until the
linesman has called to that effect; therefore the decision of the
latter must be accepted. The decision of a linesman affecting his own
line is final.
XXXI.—A return strikes the cord running along the bottom of the net and
bounds over. Is it a good return?
_Decision._—Yes.
XXXII.—During play a ball is thrown into the court and the ball in play
strikes it, or a player steps on it. May a let be claimed?
_Decision._—Yes.
XXXIII.—The server’s first service strikes his partner. Does he lose
the stroke or is it a fault?
_Decision._—He loses the stroke.
XXXIV.—A player serves a fault, and it is then discovered that it is
his partner’s service. Does the fault stand?
_Decision._—No. No other service having been delivered, the fault does
not stand.
XXXV.—If the umpire is appealed to, and directs the wrong partner to
serve and the mistake is discovered in the middle of the game, what
should be done?
_Decision._—See decisions XX to XXIII. The player who should have
served continues the service.
XXXVI.—In a four-handed competition one player does not to appear
in time to play, and his partner claims to be allowed to play
single-handed against the opposing pair. May he do so?
_Decision._—No.