Line Calls
Calling the ball in our out should be a relatively simple affair. When the ball hits the line, the ball is considered “good”. If any part of the ball touches any part of the line, the ball continues to be played as in. Even if 99% of the ball lands “out” and only 1% of the ball lands “in”, the ball is considered to have landed in. The further away you are from a ball, the more difficult it is to judge it correctly. Because of parallax – the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points – many balls that land close to the lines may appear to be out but are in reality in. Players can honestly see the ball differently because of the angle they are looking at the ball. When a player is at the net and turns to make a baseline call, experience dictates that eventhough the ball appears to land outside the line of the court, unless the ball is seen to be out by at least 100mm (4 inches) it actually probably landed inside the court. A tennis ball does not make a nice little circular mark when it hits the surface of the court. Because a tennis ball strikes the court at varying angles and speeds, the shape it makes on the court is elongated {(100-150mm) or (4” to 6”) is not uncommon}.
Our eyes tend to see the ball at the end of the elongation – furtherest away from the first contact with the court. This skidding/elongation can be worse when a ball strikes the line. On hard courts, the ball skids on the painted lines; on synthetic grass on the inlaid lines and on clay courts on the plastic or chalk lines. Seeing ‘chalk fly’ does not necessarily mean the ball has hit the line. A ball passing over a line can draw the chalk upwards giving the appearance that the ball hit the line.
Even professional umpires, lines people and the players themselves get it wrong – what chance have we got of getting it right all the time? Spectators should resist becoming involved in giving an opinion as to the correctness or otherwise of a call.
Be generous with your line calls as required by the rules of tennis. Keep in mind that when you are playing a match, your opponents are trying to beat you. If you make them feel that you are calling the lines incorrectly, you are only giving them extra incentive to beat you. A friendly competitive game can very quickly become an unfriendly affair unnecessarily. In most cases, if you call the lines liberally, your opponents will reciprocate.
Both partners are responsible for line calls on their side of the net; however, the person closer to the line has the easier call. What to do when you and your partner see the ball differently? If one partner sees the ball in, it must be called good. Remember that you are simply calling a tennis shot. If you lose track of this and let your ego get in the way, the game will deteriorate.
Be positive with your calls and follow the rules of line calling and all should be good.
