ATP 25-second rule enforcement and Grand Slam 20-second 'flexible'

[Sallydaisy]

New Rules for 2013

NEW YORK, Sept 2012 — At its recent meetings in New York, the ATP Board of Directors approved a rule change and a trial for the 2013 season, both proposed by the new ATP Competition Committee.

The new ATP Competition Committee serves in an advisory capacity, with any recommended changes or innovations requiring approval by the ATP Board of Directors.


The six-person committee consists of two representatives designated by the ATP Tournament Council, two representatives designated by the ATP Player Council, and one at-large member and a committee chairman, both selected by the ATP Executive Chairman and President.


TIME VIOLATIONS
From 2013, on both the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour, a time violation between points (25 seconds) will be penalised in the first instance with a warning. For the second and all subsequent violations, the penalty will be a fault for the server and a point penalty for the receiver.

Currently, the rule is a warning and then point penalty for both the server and receiver.


“There’s been a lot of discussion about the amount of time taken between points,” said ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett (http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/D040.aspx). “We believe this modification will give officials a useful tool and allow for more consistent enforcement of the current time violation rule.”

[Sallydaisy]

I can't find a specific thread for this so will move related posts over later today.

However, there's a Grand Slam starting on Monday and it's run by the ITF not the ATP.
And the approach is different because whereas the ATP are clamping down but have extended the time between points to 25secs the ITF are sticking to 20secs but have said they're going to be 'flexible'.
A bit of consistency might be required here ... otherwise the players will be confused and fed up!!!

Full article here (http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/01/aussie-open-umps-will-be-flexible-time-violations/45964/#.UPKnk2d2_6M) and one or two extracts below:-

It appears as if chair umpires at the Australian Open will not be calling time violations as strictly as ATP officials have been in recent weeks. ATP tournament rules permit players to take 25 seconds in between points, while the Grand Slam events have a 20-second rule.

Australian Open tournament referee Wayne McEwen told AAP that the tournament will be flexible and that he has instructed chair umpires "to keep it fair, keep it consistent. We don't want players out there being penalized after playing a fantastic point, but then again we don't want players deliberately taking too long and that's what we really look at.

ATP Player Council representative Kevin Anderson said that his group—which represents the players—voted for the change, and the South African thinks that it was good move. ATP players were scheduled to have general meeting in Melbourne on Saturday night where they planned to discuss the issue.

"I'm a huge fan of the rule," Anderson said. "I mean, it's tough. I feel like I'm playing quicker and I'm still adjusting to it, but I think the rule's just for tennis in general, I think it's a very good rule. And just being on the council, I was part of the talks when we decided to put that through last year. We actually went through a few options. We talked about having a sort of clock on the court, and we thought that wasn't the best option. We spoke about the problem just before about umpires being really reluctant to give away a point straight away. That was another option. I can't remember what the vote was, but there are 10 of us, so there was a deciding vote to put that through."



If the temperatures reach 40degrees Celsius in Melbourne this week the players are going to need every second between long rallies to recover to be able to produce some decent tennis.

It all seems a bit muddled to be honest.

[pabbers]

Think the whole thing requires a large dollop of common sense as well as the rule. As McEwen says the purpose of the rule is to avoid deliberate delay but if both sides are suffering with the heat then it seems only fair to be more lenient and equally so to each party.

[cazza99]

Matt Cronin ‏@TennisReporters

Shocker: word is strict enforcement of time violation rule DID NOT come up at ATP Players meeting last night. After all that complaining???

[AllyB]

Thought Rafa had withdrawn? Shouldn't be a problem. ;)

[Linda]

What if it's the receiver holding up proceedings? The server is at the service line waiting to serve but the receiver is wandering around or lying flat on his back and not taking up position to receive.

[xenon21]

From Martina Navratilova


it will be interesting how much the strict 20 second clock enforcement will affect Nole...he is slower than the other guys. we shall see. I think 20 secs is too short,I would prefer 25 strictly enforced rather than a "soft" 20...

[david1610]

I was present at the Nole Rafa match in Spain a few years ago that was a best of three setter that went to four hours.
At least one hour could be put down to excessive time taken between points.
I am a fan of this new rule if used sensibly. Clearly players need a breather after lengthy, lengthy points, but there is no real need for the amount of time that some players take. Oh and if the receiver is delaying the server, then the receiver should be defaulted - common sense again!

[pabbers]

Yes - I thought the rule applied both ways.........server and/or receiver.

[Sallydaisy]

This is the new ATP rule ... so the receiver is penalised if they are at fault (and always has been).


TIME VIOLATIONS
From 2013, on both the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour, a time violation between points (25 seconds) will be penalised in the first instance with a warning. For the second and all subsequent violations, the penalty will be a fault for the server and a point penalty for the receiver.

Currently, the rule is a warning and then point penalty for both* the server and receiver.
But I'm not so sure about the ITF Rules i.e. those which apply to Grand Slams.
I'd presumed they'd still be the same as the original ATP ones i.e. as in the last sentence quoted.

[Caro]

The current rule may be point penalty after initial warning, but how often is it actually enforced?! Hardly ever, it seems to me. Can't see too much changing tbh.