Pickleball Magazine 1-4 | Page 36

THE PICKLEBALL GURU The Pickleball Guru RULES Q AND A In this column, Prem Carnot, The Pickleball Guru, shines the light of clarity on many confusing scenarios that can happen in the world of pickleball. His answers are drawn from the USAPA/IFP Referee Handbook & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook. You can submit your questions to [email protected] for consideration in an upcoming column. Dear Rules Guru, In a recent tournament, the serving team was routinely asking the referee if they were standing in the correct position (before serving). Although they did not do it intentionally to bother us, I did find it a minor distraction. Is there a limit to how many times the serving or receiving team may ask if they are in the correct position? - Distracted in Denver Dear Distracted, Some teams would rather be safe than sorry, so they err on the side of frequently asking if they are in the correct positions. This is probably most common with teams who “stack,” where the non-serving or non-receiving partner waits in a non-standard position. While it is to their benefit to ask often, I can see how it could be distracting for the other team! To answer your question, there is no official rule on the number of times a team can ask for confirmation that they are in the correct positions, however if the referee deems that it’s excessive or distracting, he or she MAY go ahead and issue a technical warning. In general, teams should know their positions based on what the score is. Occasionally, after a particularly long rally, it’s understandable that a team can be confused, and in that case, it’s the ref’s job to set them straight. But asking for confirmation of positioning should never be used as a tactical tool to distract or annoy your opponents. Dealing with minor distractions of any kind is a “must-have” skill to succeed in a tournament setting. You’d probably wish that I would say the referee was wrong, but in this case, it really is a matter of discretion. If the ref did not issue a warning, then the players were in the clear and it’s up to you to hone your powers of focus so the distraction doesn’t keep you from winning the match. Warmly, Prem Carnot The Pickleball Guru Prem Carnot 34 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM FROM THE IPF OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULEBOOK 14.M.6. Delay of game, either in the form of taking too much time during timeouts or between games, in excessive questioning of the referee on the rules, or in excessive or unnecessary appeals. 14.N. Technical Warning. If a player’s behavior is not severe enough to warrant a technical foul, a technical warning may be issued. In most situations, the referee should give a technical warning before imposing a technical foul. Points shall not be awarded for a technical warning.