A correct line call is...
If you look at the ball and the line is superimposed by the ball at the time of the bounce, then the ball is good. Even when the ball is off centered in relation to the line, if the ball is obscuring your view of the line without a color gap (be it blue or green) between the ball and the line, the ball should be called good.
Too many people call the ball out when the ball is not over the top of the line, off centered from the middle of the line. There is no telling if the ball has compressed and managed to scrape a half centimeter of the line.
Yet, in a tight moment, the person will try to feign 100% certainty (USTA) as to what actually happened and be less than charitable. I find this to be the case, especially tournament players who feel they have the years of experience to call a close ball out.
What's your experience and viewpoint of the USTA code on line calls?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Harold Bessette on
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This could go on forever....
The fact is: The human eye CANNOT accurately process an event of 1/3500 of a second, which is about how much time the ball spends on the line during a bounce. Possibly less if it's going 90+ mph. If you think it could've been good, it is.
There's a few guys I play with that their line calls are a direct reflection of the score. If I'm up, every close call is out. They'll also call it out if they can't get it or make a decent play on it, which is a very sad, but real, state of sportsmanship in amateur tennis. League play is the same story, with winning, at ANY cost being the goal. Beat me with great shots, not bad calls.
I also have a friend that thinks just because he hits 500 balls a day, his eyes are better than anyone else's.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Prapong on
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Exactly. Vic Braden used to say you are legally blind after the ball is five feet away at rally speeds. Well, line calls really do spoil alot of league and tournament play. This was why, for years, I only played racquetball tournaments. No line calls, plus you can tell most calls by the sound.
Harold Bessette said:
This could go on forever....
The fact is: The human eye CANNOT accurately process an event of 1/3500 of a second, which is about how much time the ball spends on the line during a bounce. Possibly less if it's going 90+ mph. If you think it could've been good, it is.
There's a few guys I play with that their line calls are a direct reflection of the score. If I'm up, every close call is out. They'll also call it out if they can't get it or make a decent play on it, which is a very sad, but real, state of sportsmanship in amateur tennis. League play is the same story, with winning, at ANY cost being the goal. Beat me with great shots, not bad calls.
I also have a friend that thinks just because he hits 500 balls a day, his eyes are better than anyone else's.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Dong on
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I'm actually probably a little more forgiving than I should be. Sometimes I actually see the ball out but hesitate to call it out and keep playing. I've been known to play a lot of out balls. Many times the people that I frequently play call there own ball out hahaha. I guess I'm just too nice.
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I do that quite a bit, especially on down the T serves. Doesn't help me.
Mike Dong said:
I'm actually probably a little more forgiving than I should be. Sometimes I actually see the ball out but hesitate to call it out and keep playing. I've been known to play a lot of out balls. Many times the people that I frequently play call there own ball out hahaha. I guess I'm just too nice.
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