Posted on 09/12/2009 7:57:00 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
Line calls are made on every point, in a sense, on every stroke of the ball. That's why they've been computerized and challenge-able.
On the other hand, foot faults are rarely called. For example. tennis shoes have an upward curve at the toe — the toe can “overhang” the edge of the line, and it's virtually impossible to detect whether the shoe touches part of the line. So you can say that foot faults occur without being called, and the standard should be “was it flagrant”?
Also, a serve and volley player gets an advantage from a foot fault, as they are trying to get to the net following their serve as soon as possible. But a baseline player (as most of the players are today)? They're not coming in anyway.
All in all, unless the foot fault was flagrant, it should not have been called. If it wasn't flagrant. then it was an example of an official taking over the game. That's why, in basketball, they “let the boys play” in the last minute — they are not going to call marginal fouls.
It's understandable, given all the pressure of singles tennis, and the “me against the world” pressure of that moment, that Serena got enraged — her entire tournament was being undercut by, effectively, an outsider. The situation was exacerbated by the felling that the line judge looked sort of clueless.
Is she the “screamer?”
That’s Maria Sharapova
very well said. do not forget that the rules are made with a purpose. foot fault rule purpose is to avoid the player to go to the net faster.. but serena is a base line player.. and it wasnt flagrant and serena didnt have the opportunity to challenge that call, she knew that.. and she went crazy and stupid childlike, inmature, uninteligent and nonsportman .
Is the audio available?
While I disagree with your entire post on this subject, what bothers me more than that is that someone who is a longtime affiliate of the number one conservative web site would think this way. We are doomed.
Um, did you ever think they are rarely called is because player don't foot fault that often?
When I took my USPTA certification test I was scored "Professional 2" on the group lesson because I did not point out that some of the group were foot faulting. Should I, as a USPTA professional, simply forget about foot faults in the heat of the moment. Absurd.
Also, a serve and volley player gets an advantage from a foot fault, as they are trying to get to the net following their serve as soon as possible. But a baseline player (as most of the players are today)? They're not coming in anyway.
So. That's a puerile argument.
It's understandable, given all the pressure of singles tennis, and the “me against the world” pressure of that moment, that Serena got enraged — her entire tournament was being undercut by, effectively, an outsider. The situation was exacerbated by the felling that the line judge looked sort of clueless.
Words fail me at the idea of defending Serena Williams in this instance. Perhaps the line judge looked perplexed because she never imagined that a woman (term loosely used) would be threatening her bodily harm because of a call.
I can't believe anyone could defend Williams in this.
You apparently, like many others don't understand the rules of tennis. Foot faults were not designed to keep serve and volley players from having an advantage to the net. It exists because that is the way the game was designed. Do you really think that the two inches gained by foot faulting is that big an advantage?
And, apparently you don't know that Serena will occasionally serve and volley - which is still beside the point.
The facts do support that the line judge was a bit clueless — you say justifiably, perhaps I agree with that.
The line judge was asked “what did Serena say to you?” It was important to be accurate. The line judge said that Serena had said “I’m going to kill you”. The tournament judge asked Serena if this was true, Serena said it was not true.
Serena was right. It’s now been fully reported that Williams said, “I swear to God I’m [expletive] going to take this [expletive] ball and shove it down your [expletive] throat, you hear that? I swear to God.”
Not sweet words, but the line judge might have been expected to repeat what Serene actually DID say, without throwing in the word “kill” gratuitously.
By the way, I have seen no replay, anywhere, that definitively shows a foot-fault. The replay angles are all too inconclusive. Have you seen something definitive — if so, please post a link. If you haven’t, are you assuming the judge was correct? Why?
When a player serves, the shoe arches forward, but if your weight is on the ball of your foot, the very forward part of the toe is still not on the ground.
I know this for sure - based on the wear pattern of my own tennis shoes, and by simple observation. The rules are clear that you can be “in the air” over the line and that is NOT a foot-fault, ie, if you service and leap forward.
so the fact that the toe is "leaning over" the line is NOT a footfault -- it has to TOUCH the line. So that means that the difference between a foot-fault and no foot-fault can be tiny fractions of an inch.
Do you support the idea that the US Open should potentially be decided by someone, 30 feet away, making that kind of decision? If you do, do you think the NBA is terribly mismanaged because they don't agree with your view of officiating?
I blame the chair for everything. She should not have called the line troll over to ask what Serena said to her. That started the whole thing. If the line judge was offended or threatened she should have reported to the chair not vice versa.
I want a camera on every serve for every match ever played. My bet is there are foot faults all the time but rarely ever called unless they are blatant and never ever called bringing a match point. I’m all for the rules but I’m only for them being applied consistently. Golf is a gentleman’s game and played differently, tennis I don’t think garners the same stature...see Johnny Mac and other chair umpires.
That said Serena was an ass. So was johnny Mac back in the day. Hello Kettle you’re black! Ohhh that reminds me! I see in the news they are making this a racist thing now? This is getting nuts!
The little troll line judge should not have said Serena threatened her unless she felt she was REALLY being threatened. And I doubt that. That I think sent everyone on tilt. I would like to hear an interview with the two spectators sitting behind the line troll on what exactly was said by Serena, that would be interesting.
Serena was classless and as you pointed out she could have apologized in her interview and she didn’t.
Go Kim, Go Woz! Two very classy ladies indeed. Why they didn’t show Woz’s match is stupid.
Nor does it prove there was no foot fault. Following your argument we should simply ignore foot faults.
By the way, you didn't respond to my point about the arched shoes. You may think it trivial, but its not.
It's worse than trivial. It's pointless. The line judge is the sole arbiter of the call. That's the way it is. If you don't like it there's nothing anyone can say to fix that.
um.....if a ball was shoved down my throat I do believe it would block my airway and put my life at risk. like it or not serena was a royal bitch attempting to physically intimidate a judge...her interview afterward was laughable.
Contempt of Court!
RIGHT ON! Before McEnroe, tennis players were sporting, like golfers. I’m sick to death of the tantrums, drugs, and lack of common decency tainting sports today. Let’s cull out the bums, and give the good guys and gals a chance to shine!
It didn’t start with McEnroe, you could even claim it started with Nastase and Connors.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.