Illegal serves at Cardiff Satellite Grand Prix

So my sons and I enter the Cardiff Grand Prix.
Wow lots and lots of blocking serves.

So what is going on when a top 50 senior england ranked player hides contact of the blade striking the ball with his arm for 4 sets against a cadet who is ranked about 700.
This was the most extreme case.
Ironically this player got knocked out by a very good player who ended up winning the whole thing.  So the illegal serving top 50 guy is complaining to the umpire about the other guy blocking his contact on serve. (do you want to be the pot or the kettle?)
This was just one case of this happening.

So I play 6 games on the Saturday and 3 of my opponents all under the age of 18 are blocking the contact on serve with their arms.  Who is coaching them to do this?
They can't be old school from when this was legal.  They are clearly being coached to do it.

So on the sunday in my Vets group I win my first match and then whilst I watch the 2 guys I have left to play they both illegal serve, every serve for whole match.

I am now exasparated so i go up to organiser and ask for an umpire for my matches and explain why.
So I am 6-4 ahead against best player in group and he serves 2 illegal serves.  So i ask the umpire why he has not called it and explain that when contact was made with the ball on serve i could not see the ball.  Umpire said serve was legal (IT DEFINATELY WAS NOT). So long story short and too his credit the guy made an earnest effort not to illegal serve and eventually won 3-1.  After game we chatted and he was pretty decent about it and said sometimes he just forgets to move his arm.

So i play the 3rd guy and he illegal serves every serve for whole of first set and wins.  i question it and umpire said his serve was fine (IT DEFINATELY WAS NOT).
So i moan a bit and next game the guy made an effort to serve legally mostly, guess what i won this set (now there is a surprise).
So eventually the guy beats me 3-1, really good game, better player than me, i played well and tryed to enjoy it.  Still 40 to 50% percent of the serves were illegal.  I dont want to say he delibaretly illegally serves when the game was tight but it felt like that.
Anyway umpire would not call them.

Now in defence of the organisers and umpires whenever i complained about the serves the organisers sent an umpire or came to watch.  Guess what sevreral times when the organiser came over the illegally serving guy changed his serve. 
Also i know several umpires there actually warned players and a few of them awarded points against for foul serves.

I have a new years resolution to make, I will always be polite and assume my opponent does not fully know the rules, however from Jan 1st im questioning all illegal serves at league and tournamnets whether myself, sons or team mates are playing.
So you better hope i dont get to umpire your game Mr Dodgy Serve Guy (or Gal).

It was pretty appalling from what I saw this weekend. Usually my gripe is serving out of hand which happens loads in our local league.
At least your opponent served fairly after you called him 3 times.

yes that has crossed my mind. my present thought is that I wont make any attempt to return illegal serves and just let opponent have point for nothing.
my other idea was to video my games, then show them and the organisers video evidence after, video evidence would undoubtedly prove the illegality

I'm not a Nascar fan, but I once heard a quote about racing- If you don't get busted for cheating once in a while, you are not trying hard enough. 

I think they are hard to call because of the relative angle of the umpire compared with the player receiving the serve. I bet it is hard to see if the view is actually obstructed. So push it to the limit, not because you want to but you have to in order to be competitive. When in Rome.....

Any videos of any of the tournament's matches ?

We could critique them

dmoney wrote: I think they are hard to call because of the relative angle of the umpire compared with the player receiving the serve. I bet it is hard to see if the view is actually obstructed. So push it to the limit, not because you want to but you have to in order to be competitive. When in Rome.....

However the rules clearly state that if the umpire is in any doubt about the illegality of a serve it is in fact illegal. it is the job of the server to leave the umpire in no doubt.
What I have noticed is a lot of players nearly hide the ball, there arm is not really blocking the ball but it is still out in front of them. However if you are left handed (like my son) the angles are different and this often blocks the ball partially.

It's up to the umpire. If he thinks it is legal - it is legal. Players cannot do anything. 

mog1111 wrote: I have a new years resolution to make, I will always be polite and assume my opponent does not fully know the rules, however from Jan 1st im questioning all illegal serves at league and tournamnets whether myself, sons or team mates are playing. So you better hope i dont get to umpire your game Mr Dodgy Serve Guy (or Gal).

mog1111 wrote: 1. yes my serves are very very legal, however I do have a very fast no toss fh serve. I have been considering making my serves so obscenely illegal, people will call me eg. serving with my hand about a foot over the table and no toss.

I have a great idea for an illegal serve. Look at something in the room, wait for the opponent to turn and look away. Then do a quick serve. Should win point every time.

That should stop the low t**sers and ball blockers!!

Wow, I wish we had strict umpires like that. I am tempted to try and become a local umpire with the sole mission of cleaning up serves in places I play. LOL
We have a highly qualified umpire locally and he often tells players quietly if they serve illegally after game (after all its only a social local league). A lot of the time they just ignore him.
It seems that illegal serves has just become acceptable, I think a lot of people don't genuinely know the rules.

I prefer 'fight fire with stopping at home and avoiding fire'.

I have sometimes seen people grasp at the idea that their opponent is serving illegally when they are frustrated at how things are going.  I agree with TTHouston here.

Wiggy, where the hell have you been?

TSUBOI'S SERVICE . Is it good or not?

FRIENDS,

Let's look into this case closely.    After getting his free hand stationary at the start of service, Tsuboi then moving his free hand horizontally a long way from the table's center line to the corner, before tossing the ball up.
Such a prolonged horizontal movement by the server's free hand does contravene the Service Rule anyway.

THE SERVICE
2.6.1
Service shall start with the ball
resting freely on the open palm of
the server's stationary free hand.

2.6.2
The server shall then project the
ball near vertically upwards ......

The Rules do require the server to throw the ball upwards, without moving the ball horizontally or sideways.

AFTERWORD.
In my own view, this Tsuboi's service is a clear FAULT and it should be treated by the umpire accordingly..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=



VIDEO (2)
FREE HAND TRAVELLING SIDEWAYS AFTER THE SERVICE STARTED..

One more player is known to use illegal service oftentimes, Elias Ranefur of Sweden.     
View this exemplary video Timer 5:00 onward.   Likewise Tsuboi's faulty service, Ranefur's should be called by umpire for the same reason -- server's free hand does not throw the ball upwards, it is traveling sideways fairly long.   This is a clear service fault, to be penalised by umpire.
Umpires' utter neglegance, this Ranefur's' bad serving never been called.     It looks like most of the international match officials unwilling (fearful??) to deal the wrong servers in exacting manner, or maybe they do not have true understanding of the rules. Who knows..   



Your's respectfully
Igor Novick
20 year's umpiring experience