NETS - Stay Away from the Nets!!

Reminder About a Basic Rule of Tennis

At a recent Superior High School tennis match, I was dismayed while watching the #1 singles match. Dismayed, because of the following scenario.

In the second set of a very hard-fought, grueling match, the players were involved in a very good point. It was a long rally, where the opponent got drawn into the net and then retreated to continue the point.

It wasn't quite this bad, but still.

Here's the problem. When the opponent, a very good player, got drawn into the net, he actually touched the net with his body. Not just once, but twice. He ran into the net when he reached the drop shot hit by the Superior player, and then he hit the net again as he was trying to retreat back into the court to continue the point.

The first touch of the net was bad enough, but by pushing off of the net to gain momentum to move back into the court to continue the point, the player committed his second foul on the same point.

ANY player that touches the net at ANY time during the point should lose the point. Whether touching with body or racket, it is the same outcome - point awarded to the opponent.

Obviously that didn't happen in this case, or I wouldn't be writing about it.

I was most upset by the fact that anyone playing at #1 Singles for his high school team is aware of this rule. It isn't an obscure rule that only tennis geeks would know about. This young man has played the game for many years, and definitely knew that this is a rule. To wit:

Making Calls
19. Touches, hitting ball before it crosses net, invasion of opponent’s court, double
hits, and double bounces. A player shall concede the point when:

• A ball in play touches that player;
• That player touches the net or opponent’s court while a ball is in play;
• That player hits a ball before it crosses the net;
• That player deliberately carries or double hits a ball; or
• A ball bounces more than once in that player’s court.

The opponent is not entitled to make these calls. The principle of giving the
opponent the benefit of any doubt applies.

That passage comes from the Bible: Friend at Court page 38

As it says above, you are supposed to make this call on yourself. It is a violation - no gray area. If you touch or run into the net, you are supposed to call yourself on it and award our opponent the point. To not do so is a clear case of cheating.

Don't do that. Don't cheat. Follow the rules. Touch the net and you lose the point.

It's really quite simple. Okay, now go out there and have fun. And follow the rules!