Common Rule Situations and the Proper Call
By: Angelo Batistatos – Rules Ambassador
Some rule situations – frequently seen in doubles -- are the focus of this newsletter. With two extra players on the court, diving gets, and a lot of safety concerns, hese rules are worth discussing.
A common mistake we all make in practice is replaying a rally when a rule infraction occurs that should result in the loss of rally (penalty hinder). Or, we replay a rally because we don’t know the proper rule for the situation. For these reasons, tournament calls – especially penalty hinders -- appear harsh to the offending player. Penalty hinder calls, even when made properly, catch the offending player by surprise because that player may not know the rule or does not apply the rule in practice. Calling a replay hinder is the “safe” call to make and we tend to overuse it.
In this article, I will describe several situations that are consistently mis-called in practice as well as intournament play. Most of these situations occur more commonly in doubles but also pertain to singles. And many of these situations were exhibited in State Doubles Championships.
A. Doubles and the Service Box/Zone
Rule 4.2b – Partner’s Position – “On each serve, the server’s partner stall stand erect with back to side wall and with both feet on the floor within the service box from the moment the server begins the service motion until the served ball passes the short line. Violations are called foot faults. However, if the server’s partner enters the safety zone before the ball passes the short line, the server loses serve.”
Rule 4.4b – Ball hits Partner – “A served ball that hits the server’s partner while outside the service box is a loss of
serve.”
In a hurry to establish court position, the server’s partner exits the service box (and the server the service zone) too quickly. This occurs frequently when lob serving. Both players should wait for the serve to cross the short line before moving out of the service box/zone. The purpose of this rule is to allow the receiving team a clear view and room to return the serve. An early exit should be penalized with the loss of rally.
B. Doubles and Serving to Opposite Side/Receiver
Rule 3.15a – Failure to Move – “A player does not move sufficiently to allow an opponent a shot straight to
the front wall as well as a crosscourt shot…”
In trying to surprise the opposite receiver, the server may serve to the opposite side. If the receiver is not provided a clear shot to the front wall -- because the server’s partner is trapped in the service box or moves directly in front of receiver -- a warning should be given for the first offense and penalty hinders thereafter.
C. Safety Hold-Ups
Two situations frequently seen in doubles play are: 1) a player diving on the floor and the offensive player directly behind him attempting to strike the ball, and, 2) the ball coming off the back wall hugging the side wall -- with the defensive player trapped against the side wall -- and the offensive player attempting to strike the ball.
In both situations, the offensive player should hold up for safety, and the referee should call a penalty hinder. These calls are normally (wrongly) replayed in practice with no penalty. In both situations, an offensive opportunity was denied and a penalty hinder is the right call.
D. The Opposite Corner Shot
In Rule 3.15a, the defensive player does not have to move to allow the offensive player a shot to the opposite corner. For this reason, the defensive player can position himself in center court when the offensive player is near the side wall or back corner. If the offensive player decides to go for the opposite corner, and hits the opponent, a replay hinder is called. If the offensive player holds up, a replay hinder is also called.
In the situation where the offensive player continues to hit his opponent going for the opposite corner shot, the referee may call a technical foul (subtract a point) on the striking player. The rules that apply for this call are 1) action that could cause injury to other player, and, 2) unsportsmanlike conduct. Even when a technical foul is called, the rally is still replayed.
E. Trapping your Opponent
The offensive player is allowed to "trap" his opponent into a corner, sidewall or out of position while playing a return. The offensive player has every right to go for his shot and it is the defensive player’s responsibility to avoid being trapped. Too often, the defensive player will ask for a replay hinder. It should not be granted in that situation.
F. Stroke Interference
With four players on the court and the ball speed we encounter in racquetball, stroke interference is a common occurrence. The general rule is that an offensive player who is blocked or prevented from bringing his racquet up and back on his backswing is entitled to a penalty hinder. Therefore, on an offensive shot, hitting your opponent with the racquet, or holding up for safety, is a penalty hinder. Remember, it is the responsibility of the defensive player to allow the offensive player a clear path to the ball and room to execute a shot. Hitting an opponent with your racquet on the follow-through is generally a no-call.
Recommendations (from previous article)
To gain a better grasp of the penalty hinder, review Rule 3.15, and then start calling it with friends at your local club. I strongly recommend that penalty hinders be called in practice games for the following reasons:
- Playing them in practice fosters an understanding of the rule that carries over to tournaments.
- “Rules are rules” – whether practicing with a friend or against a tournament opponent, rules should be followed.
- “Fair is fair” – play the game the way it is supposed to be played at all times. This means being fair to the game as well as your opponent.
- Impress your practice partners by calling them on yourself in obvious situations.
- In cases where the hitting player calls a penalty hinder and the non-hitting player disagrees, discuss the rule and arrive at a mutual conclusion. Feel free to discuss the ruling with other players after the game or bring it up to me by email or in person.
If you have any questions regarding this article, or if I can assist you in a rules interpretation, please contact
me.
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