Correcting Out Calls - Rule Change

Subject: 2011 Procedure Change
I understand that there has been an important change in the procedure for 2011 for correcting out calls to good.

Can you confirm this?

Jennifer, Orlando, FL

KAUFMAN: Yes, see 2011 Friend At Court, page 47, # 12. The Code: Players Guide for Matches When Officials Are Not Present

Prior to 2011, if the correction on a serve or in a rally was made immediately and the player returned the ball back into the court, then a let was played.

However starting in 2011, the USTA Tennis Rules and Regulations Committee has determined that any call on a serve or in a rally corrected from out to good is loss of point to the player or team that corrected the call, even if the ball is put back into play. An out call on any ball (on a serve or in a rally) that is corrected to good is considered to have created a hindrance to play and it is loss of point due to this hindrance.

NOTE: The only exception is on the first or second serve that is a service let (i.e. the ball hits the net before it lands in the service box).
Let serves that occur on first or second serve and called out and are then corrected to good result in the replay of the entire point, thus a first serve to the server.

We hope this does not encourage players from making erroneous calls and then not correcting them since they will now lose the point. We have always expected players to be honest. This will certainly end the action of players calling good balls out, correcting the call and hitting it back in play in order that they can then replay a point that they were likely to lose. In addition it will encourage players to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt on close balls and continue playing the point.

David SchobelUSTADirector, Competitive Play

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