Some recommendations for novice judges
Appointment of a umpire referee (inspector umpire) for each particular match.
There are several circumstances to consider:
1. Qualification of a judge. With the same qualifications, the judge is selected for a specific pair of players – their characters, relationships, etc. are taken into account.
2. The absence of conflict situations that previously arose between the judge and one of the participants in the match.
3. Place of residence. It is advisable that the judge of the tournament finals be from the same country (city) in which this tournament is held, but it is imperative that he is not a compatriot (fellow citizen) of any of the finalists (in case of loss of a compatriot, attacks on him by fans and local media).
4. A player cannot demand that a referee judge the match, but, having learned about the judge’s appointment, he may ask the chief referee or supervisor to change the judge on the tower, with a motivated justification for his request. In the case of top players, this is usually taken into account.
HIGH JUDGE
Before the match:
1. Do not drink liquids, especially drinks such as coffee and Pepsi or other diuretics (especially if you are a man and you have problems with the prostate). Visit the toilet several times, as the procedure for providing judges with a toilet break is not provided (in any case, it is not prescribed). What to do if it became unbearable? Report to the Chief Justice. He will pick up a replacement. He is forbidden to judge matches on the tower. It is advisable that the senior judge, during the substitution, be on the court. If possible, combine your temporary absence with a break during transitions or on a set break.
2. It is advisable for other judges to obtain information on the psychological portrait of the behavior of players on the court, as well as on the relationship between rivals.
3. About half an hour before the start of the match, do not start lively conversations with anyone, try to disconnect from all everyday problems and focus your thoughts on the upcoming refereeing.
4. If the participant does not arrive at the match, inform the informing judge. Let him periodically (after 3-4 minutes) call the absent participant with this phrase: “To conduct the match, _____ is called again.” After 13 minutes, you must make the following announcement: “For the last time _____ is called.” Wait another 2 minutes and remove it from the tournament for “non-punctuality” (in accordance with the player’s Code of Conduct). These announcements are made so that a late or non-appearing player has no reason to say that he was not called. You will have numerous witnesses.
5. When players come to the court, in a polite and quiet manner, each participant will ask how his name is pronounced correctly, unless, of course, you doubt it. Some tennis players are annoyed by the inaccurate pronunciation of their surname, even if the accent is incorrectly delivered. And why do you need extra irritability on the court, which can be aggravated by the unsuccessful game of a participant whose pronunciation of the surname you distort?
6. After you have taken a place on the referee’s tower (during the warm-up of the players), blink your eyes several times and “adjust” your visual concentration. Make eye contact with the line judges and nod to them to cheer them up (this creates a “team spirit”). It is also advisable to carry out such “exchanges” during breaks.
During the game:
1. Record the score in the minutes of the match only after its announcement. The announcement of the game account start with the points of the server.
2. On clay courts, immediately after fixing the out, do not announce the score. See the reaction of the loser. If you see that he is going to challenge your decision, in which you are also unsure, then go down from the tower and inspect the trail. But keep in mind that frequent “travels” to the track place cause players to doubt your professionalism.
If the player immediately circled the track, and when you arrived, you saw several tracks located nearby, then invite a line judge to determine the location of the track, and then inspect it yourself. The footprint should not be rubbed with a foot.
In the absence of line judges, you will have to pay attention to the orientation of the ellipse of the track. The large diagonal of the correct track should be on the projection of the ball’s flight path.
When it is not possible to locate the track or the track is fuzzy, then the decision you originally made remains (do not give a replay).
In any case, the player on the opposite side is not entitled to switch to half of the court where the track is being examined. If a player is trying to move, then you must warn him that this should not be done. If he did not heed your warning, then the offender shall be punished on the basis of the player’s Code of Conduct for “unsportsmanlike conduct”. He will be given the opportunity to see the controversial track only after the next change of half of the site.
