GUIDELINES FOR TOURNAMENTS
By
Ralph Weil, Lance Lowy, Pete Tyson and USHA Staff
As
early as possible select the Chair and key members of the tournament committee
and the dates for the tournament. A year in advance is not too soon. Confirm and secure the dates with the
facility where the tournament is to be held.
Fill out application forms and contracts for the facilities and
establish costs and services that will be provided. Advise the USHA and Regional Commissioners
and State Chairs of the dates. In
selecting the facility, consider the amenities that are so dear to the hearts
of handball players, such as: sauna, whirlpool, beer and snack bar, viewing
area, childcare, and a place to sit comfortably and relax.
Six months in advance seek out proper motel/hotel rooms and set aside an estimated number of rooms required and have the motels/hotels reserve those rooms until at least two weeks prior to the tournament.
Six months in advance
work out a budget. The budget should include sources of income such as expected
entry fees, sponsors, advertising income and the like. Expenses should include the costs of the
facility which are court fees, setup and cleanup, souvenirs, meals and snacks,
parties, handballs, trophies, parking, insurance (liability and/or accident),
printing and postage, physical trainers and other costs. From this budget information an entry form
may be made. You are encouraged to give
a discount to USHA members.
The entry form should include dates, fees, brackets, a
statement that there will or will not be consolation for first round losers,
e-mail address, web site, mailing address, entry deadline, telephone contact
numbers, Chairs name, hotel/motel information, towel and lock availability, map
of the area, how to make out the entry fee check and where to mail the entry. Offer as many brackets as possible and
practical and have a statement that the brackets may be combined if there are
not eight players signed up. Use a light
colored paper or white so that the entry form can be reproduced easily. Remember
that telephone registrations, without fees being paid,
make it very easy for those who do not show up to disrupt the brackets and to
not pay for their entries.
Send the entry form to the USHA and other important people
in the area and distribute the form at tournaments. Mail the entry form to players two months in
advance and again one month before the tournament. You can post the entry on your web site and
you can use e-mail attachments to send out entry forms. There are certain
players who can be counted upon to attend your tournament and the difficulty is
in recruiting new players to attend. Personal contact often works. Try it.
Two to three months before the tournament order handballs,
score cards and draw sheets from the USHA.
Call USHA for the current prices.
Make decisions as to what will be the type of trophies; plaques,
standard trophies, gym bags or something different. Place the order for the trophies as soon as
you have determined exactly what the brackets will be. (This may be a last week decision). Do the same for the souvenirs; such as
shirts, shorts, bags, towels, sweat shirts or a unique item. Place the order for the souvenirs as soon as
the wording has been decide upon. Be sure to include the word
"Handball".
Begin to assemble local players for working committees for
food, registration, tournament control, publicity and hospitality. Place posters and entry forms at court clubs
and YMCAs.
The Tournament
Chair is responsible for the selection of the chairs of the committees, the
budget, the site selection, seeding and everything mentioned or omitted. Prior to the tournament, (this may be two
weeks and up to three days) do the seeding and use a game setup sheet (court
control sheet) and make out the draw sheets so that the players will have their
starting times a day or two before they start.
A Tournament Chair checklist is included.
Tournament Control Chair is responsible for the
running of the matches. A "court use chart" must be kept to show who
is playing on which court. Having someone at the tournament control table to
act as a runner to keep track of how soon courts will be available is a great
help in assigning courts. The tournament
control chair is responsible for assigning referees. The usual method is that the losing player
referees the following match. A
guideline for referees is included with this report and is useful to pass out
to all players at registration.
An alternative method is pre-assigning courts for each
match so that when a player checks in, the player knows which court he will be
playing on. This way
players will congregate at their assigned court rather than in the
Tournament Control area. If an assigned
court becomes unusually backed up, and another court opens up, a switch can be made
by Tournament Control. It is the
Tournament Chair’s responsibility to be imaginative and inventive as far as
what format to use, always trying to maximize the number of matches for the
players. Many innovative approaches can
be used when setting up a tournament and maximum play will make the players
want to come back to play in your tournament.
The Registration
Chair is responsible for checking in players as they arrive. Make sure that all fees are paid and be firm
about collecting fees prior to the player participating. The Registration Sheet is handy to keep
accurate records. Various column titles
will help to stay organized. Some
tournaments require losers to referee and withhold their souvenir until after
refereeing. If you choose to do this,
get a color and size request when players check in so the players will get the
souvenir of their choice. Make sure that
each player signs the waiver on the entry form or the separate waiver form. Hand out souvenirs, pass out welcome and
instruction sheets and "goody bag" of gifts from contributors and
sponsors and booklets about "Things to do" in our great city. Check each player for USHA membership and try
to sign up those who are not current members.
Include the Referees Guide in the package. If there is a dispute about fees, call the
Tournament Chair to rectify the dispute.
Some tournaments require name tags for the players for identification
for meals and other amenities.
The Consolation Chair is responsible for running the
consolation brackets. One idea for
seeding the consolation brackets is to use the same relative seed as was used
in the championship round. Preliminary
and first round losers are eligible for the consolation brackets. The first
round starts when all seeded players are playing. There will be those who do not wish to play
consolation but it should be remembered that “consolation is for winners who
come in second”. It is a good idea to
have a sign up sheet for those who want to play consolation.
Food and Refreshment Chair is responsible for
planning meals, snacks and parties. The
larger this committee is, the better the food will be and your tournament will
be held in the highest esteem and remembered longer. Players remember how well they were fed
longer than how well they played. You
may want to check players in for lunch and dinner on the registration
sheet. The Food Chair should have a
group of people to setup, serve and cleanup the food and drinks. Be prepared to satisfy the family and friends
by establishing a price for meals or figuring these loyal fans as part of the
handball family. The regular meals are a
light repast for Friday night. Since the
players will be coming at all hours, some will have already eaten and no formal
dining time can be established.
Saturday morning orange juice, coffee and bagels will
suffice. Saturday lunch is important
because there will be quite a number of players ready to eat. The lunch should start early and remain late
so that those who are playing during the hours of eleven to two are able to
partake of the lunch. Snacks should be
available at all times and should be such things as bananas, oranges, cookies,
chips, pretzels, candies and a few healthy snacks like granola bars and bagels. The Saturday night party can be informal at
someone's home or a banquet. This is
determined by your budget as well as the purpose of the tournament. It is important to try to have sponsors for
your meals and to have the restaurants in the area provide meals at reduced
prices. Some food chairs are very
resourceful and set a magnificent and bountiful table.
The Publicity Chair is responsible for sending out
the entry forms, contacts with newspapers and sending by fax, e-mail or calling
in the results daily, asking television stations for coverage with a reporter
and camera crew and asking radio stations for coverage. The Publicity Chair is in charge of printing
of the entry forms, posters, sponsor signs, maps to the playing site, direction signs inside the building including the way in and
the way out and directions to toilet facilities and telephones, signs over the
tournament control table and registration table. The publicity chair should write a
comprehensive report with pictures and send it to USHA for Handball Magazine.
Appoint a committee person to be in charge of trophy
presentation and taking photographs for Handball Magazine and local publicity.
Another amenity is having handballs, gloves and wearing
apparel for sale. These can be obtained
from USHA at reasonable prices.
Depending upon the size of the tournament, each of these
chairs should have a group of people to help with the tasks assigned. In addition volunteers will be needed to
secure door prizes, take care of home hospitality, and some people for general
help at the tournament. It may be
necessary to have a Transportation Chair to take care of airline
passengers, car rentals, and bus or van service between the tournament site and
hotels and for special events.
Everything mentioned in this guide has a place in very large tournaments and naturally some of the tasks will be performed by a very small group of volunteers in more modest tournaments. It is up to the Tournament Chair to select and assign those things that are germane to the tournament.
And finally, it is the
Tournament Chairs joy and duty to write thank you notes
to every member of the committee and the sponsors and
all who contributed to the success of the tournament.
Six months in advance
___Secure, confirm and hold
motel/hotel reservations
___Prepare a budget and include a
calendar
___Prepare an entry form with a USHA
member discount
Four months in advance
___Contact USHA for mailing labels
___Order souvenirs
___Meet with your chairmen/chairwomen
Two months in advance
___Order handballs,
draw sheets and score cards from USHA
___Meet with your chairmen/chairwomen
One month in advance
___Request alpha membership list and
membership forms from USHA
___Prepare the site (finish floors, clean walls)
___Meet with your chairmen/chairwomen
___organize volunteers for specific tasks for the
days of the tournament
___Have a seeding party and do the draws
___Committee members should visit the tournament
site
___Registration list compiled with pertinent
information and
starting times
___Thank you notes to tournament volunteers,
chairmen/chairwomen and sponsors
___Send registration list, results and pictures to
USHA
Expenses
Facility fees
Court time $______ Towel service $______
Set up $______ Physical
trainer $______
Clean up $______ Extra
personnel $______
Postage $______ Insurance $______
Handballs $______ Beer $______
Soft drinks $______ Gatorade
$______
Orange juice $______
Snacks
Bananas $______ Potato Chips $______
Pretzels $______ Cookies $______
Bagels $______ Coffee ______
Friday night meal $______ Saturday
Saturday night party $______
Paper plates, cups, napkins, knifes, forks, spoons $______
$$ for extra souvenirs
Mark the amount collected in the paid
column.
Check USHA membership.
Have player fill out and sign waiver
form.
Give out the souvenir, welcome letter,
and “goody” bag.
Send the player to tournament control
for starting time.
Add the amount paid at registration, if staying for lunch and/or dinner, check that he did receive the souvenir (shirt), and USHA dues paid.
The column headed ‘shirt’ may be ‘souvenir’. The size and color may be noted.
The last column is for USHA membership.
On
the court chart place the name of the players and referee in the court square.
When
the match starts draw on line through the square.
When the match is over draw a second line to form an ‘x’.
When
the score card is returned mark the winner and score on the draw sheet.
Make
out a score card for the next round after both players have been determined and
place a small check mark on the draw sheet next to that match.
The success of every tournament and the reason we have them
is to bring together players of all degrees of skill. It is the courteous thing for each player who
expects to compete in a coming tournament to send in the entry form as early as
possible. This way the committee will be
better able to plan for the event. Most
tournaments will refund your entry fee up until the time that the draw has been
completed so you will not be out the money that you sent if you find that you
are unable to attend due to an injury or unforeseen commitments. Pay up front with your entry, do not expect
to charge and receive a bill at a later date or for the committee to accept
your IOU. It is a good idea for you to
follow your mailed entry with a phone call considering the state of the mail
service. When you arrive at the
tournament site, report to registration as soon as possible. Pay all fees due and work out any conflicts
with the Tournament Director rather than the persons doing the
registration. Advise about your expected
attendance at meals, parties and special events. Check the draw sheets to determine when and
whom you play and that there has not been a change that you are not aware
of. Report to Tournament
Control thirty minutes before your scheduled match. Unless there is an overwhelming reason do not
badger the Tournament Control for an early start, late start, special court, or
a special referee. If you do need
special attention, a courteous request will do just fine. After you have lost a match, report to
Tournament Control for your assignment to referee. Remain in the area or advise
tournament Control where you can be found.
If you are unable to referee, it is your responsibility to secure an adequate
replacement. After you return home send
a note to the Tournament Chair with your complements, complaints and suggestion
about the tournament.
Points of emphasis:
·
Send entry and
fees as early as possible
·
Be dressed and
ready to play thirty minutes before your starting time
·
Perform your
refereeing duty to the best of your ability
By Pete Tyson
BASIC PHILOSOPHY
The referee is the
scorekeeper,
·
an interpreter
and enforcer of the rules,
·
the administrator of fair play.
The first "Law of
Refereeing" is to know the rules.
Most problems that arise during the match are because the referee
and/or the players do not know the rules.
Read the rule book often and become familiar with where the rules for
various situations are located.
A good referee must
understand the responsibility of the job,
§
have a good
knowledge and awareness of the game,
§
be able to
exercise mature judgment in evaluating play situations,
§
be consistent in the calls.
The referee must
understand the mechanics of refereeing in order to establish the pace of the
game. The pace and being consistent will
aid greatly in the referee's ability to control the match.
Remember that the
referee is not a tyrant or a dictator.
The referee should not be the center of attention, just the opposite, the referee should be almost invisible. After the match is over, if everyone in the
gallery knows the referee's name (even people who didn't know it before the
match) the referee probably did a poor job.
ESTABLISH THE PACE
This has to do with
when to call "point" or "side out" and when to call the
score.
After the rally is over, the referee should immediately call “point” or “side out”. The receiver then has ten seconds to assume a ready position, but the server should only have reasonable time to get set. The server should not be allowed to stall by slowly retrieving the ball. As soon as the receiver is ready and the server has had reasonable time to retrieve the ball, the referee should call the score, at which time the server has ten seconds in which to serve.
If the receiver is in
the ready position and the referee believes that the server is taking too much
time retrieving the ball and assuming the serving position, the referee should
call the score. The server will then
have ten seconds in which to serve.
If the receiver is not
in the ready position after ten seconds have elapsed from the time the referee
has called point or side out, the referee should call the score and the server
may serve immediately or may take up to ten seconds, whether or not the
receiver is ready.
There should be a set
pattern in the manner in which the score is announced. “12 serving 8” or “12 serves 8” would be
correct ways. After a fault,
"second serve" is the proper call in order for the server to know
when ten seconds begin. It is not
necessary to call the score after the fault.
The referee should
call the score after any hinder or time out.
After a screen serve
or fault serve, announce “first serve” or “second serve”, whichever is
appropriate. It is not necessary to call
the score.
When a player loses
service, the correct call is “side out”.
When the first player on a doubles team loses service, correct calls
would be “one hand out” or “one down” or “one out”. “Side out” is the proper call when both
players on a team have lost service.
When the score for one
player reaches 20 serving "n", call the score and do not add that
this is a "game point" or "match point". Handball players are knowledgeable enough to
know that the game ends when one player reaches 21 points.
Make calls crisply and
clearly. The speed of the call depends
on the situation. Sometimes it is better
to NOT call some hinders or screens too quickly. (More about this later).
The less you talk to the
players the better.
Officials can become
too concerned over minor details about play situations. Time is wasted in digging up technicalities
that are of little or no significance.
Some situations might happen once in a lifetime. And if they did happen, and no ready solution
was at hand, no great harm would be done.
As the rules state..."on all questions and situations not covered
by these rules, the decision of the referee is final". Try to think what would be the FAIREST
call. It might be simply calling for a
replay.
Remember, a referee
can change the call. If the referee
feels a bad call was made, the call should be changed.
Players are expected
to call their own double bounces, skip balls and wrist balls. This is the essence of FAIR PLAY and most
important to the game of handball.
PROTESTS AND APPEALS
A player may not
appeal a judgment call of a hinder, an avoidable hinder, or a technical.
A player may question
a rule interpretation. It is a good idea
to have a rule book handy. If a player
is discovered to be right in the protest, the correct call should be made. If a player is wrong, he should be charged
with a timeout. If the player is out of
timeouts, a "technical" should be called. (The player loses one point from the score).
When linesmen are
used, the server may appeal a short serve or a foot fault called by the
referee, if the server thought it was a good serve. If both linesmen disagree with the referee's
call, the server is awarded the serve over.
If the server had one fault, the call would cancel the previous fault
call, and the server would be awarded two serves, because the server was judged
to have made a legal serve. If, in the
opinion of the referee, the receiver could not have returned the ball, a point
should be awarded to the server. If the
appeal was not upheld, the call would be two faults and thus a side out.
On rally ending calls,
either player may appeal on a double bounce call or kill shots called not
good. The outcome may result in a point
being awarded, a side out, or a replay, depending upon the linesmen's opinion. If both linesmen disagree with the referee's
call on a double bounce, the call is reversed or replayed. A rally ending appeal is permitted for a court
hinder. No other hinder or technical
calls are appealable.
After the rally,
either player may appeal a double bounce, wrist ball, carry call (or no call),
kill shots called good or not good, short serves, foot faults or skip serves.
Appeal responsibility. Players make
appeals to the referee only. The referee
then requests the opinion of the linesmen.
A linesman's opinion is based on agreeing or disagreeing with the
referee's call. If a linesman is
uncertain, the linesman should abstain from expressing an opinion.
Procedure. The linesman's
judgment is conveyed by a visual signal of "thumbs up" if in
agreement with the referee's call, or "thumbs down" if in
disagreement, if abstaining, a horizontal extension of the open hand, palm
down, is given.
If one or both
linesmen agree with the referee's call, the call stands. If both linesmen abstain from an opinion, the
referee's call stands. In case of a tie
(one linesman disagrees and one abstains), the referee has the final
decision. The referee may make the call
stand, call for a replay, or reverse the call.
If both linesmen disagree with the referee, the call is reversed or
replayed, depending upon the situation.
The referee may appeal
to the linesmen if uncertain of the call or may reverse or nullify the call.
FORFEITURES Games cannot be forfeited, the MATCH is
forfeited.
§
Flagrant
unsportsmanlike conduct.
§
Player refuses to
abide by the referee's decision.
§
A player receives
three technicals in a match.
§
A player refuses to
wear and refuses to secure proper eye guards.
§
A player leaves
the court at a time not allowed by the rules without
§
permission of the referee.
§
A player is ten
minutes late for the match, or is ten minutes late
§
after a time out, glove change or between games. The opponent
§
shall be awarded
one point for each minute of delay up to ten
§
minutes forfeit time.
TECHNICALS
If an argument develops or
if too frequent complaints are made against the referee's judgment calls or if
a player is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct, a "technical" will be
called. A point will be deducted from
the offending players score. If, in the
opinion of the referee, the appeal privileges afforded the players are being abused, the technical can be utilized. A warning may proceed
the penalty of a technical, but is not required or necessary.
BROKEN BALL
After a rally has ended, if
the referee determines that the ball is broken, the preceding rally may be
played over. It should be pointed out
that the ball does not have to be completely broken in order to have the point
replayed. A ball that is starting to
crack will often have an erratic bounce.
The referee should call for a replay only if he determines that a ball
has cracked sufficiently to cause an erratic bounce. If a player suspects a ball has cracked, he
should immediately toss the ball to the referee for inspection. The player should not squeeze the ball. This is the referee's responsibility and the
referee will make the replay call if necessary.
COURT HINDERS
If, in the opinion of
the referee, an erratic bounce caused by a court obstruction affected play, it
should be called a "court hinder".
The player should not stop play in anticipation of a call.
Included in court
hinders is the unplayable, wet, skidding ball that hits a wet spot on the
floor, walls or ceiling. This is the
referee's call, not the players.
Balls that skids on wet walls are
court hinders, assuming that the player was in position to make a return had
the ball bounced true. However, a
"house rule" may prevail for courts which tend to be very humid,
causing the ball to frequently skid on the walls. In such circumstances, hinders should not be
called for balls skidding on walls. The
referee must inform the players before such a house rule will apply.
Balls which skid on a
wet floor will always be called hinders, regardless of the condition of
the court, assuming that the player was in position to make a return had the
ball bounced true.
TIMEOUTS
·
Three timeouts
are allowed in each game. Two time outs
in a tie breaker game.
·
Timeouts are one
minute. The referee should give players
a "20 seconds" warning before resuming play.
·
Timeouts may be
called consecutively.
·
Timeouts may
not be called after the referee has called the score. Either the server or the receiver may call
timeout.
·
Two minutes are
allowed for glove change. The referee
should give a "20 second" warning.
·
Five minutes are
allowed between games. The referee
should give a "one minute" warning before starting the next game.
INJURY
An injured player
shall not be allowed more than a total of 15 minutes of rest or first aid. Injury timeouts are allowed only for injuries
which occur accidentally during the match.
Cramps are not injuries.
SCREEN SERVES
The receiver standing
in the center of the rear court should have a clear view of the served ball as
it rebounds from the front wall when it passes the service line.
This is a difficult
call because there will be instances in which the receiver will be screened but
the ball has been hit so high or hard that it is going to result in a back wall
setup and the receiver will have time to get into a good position to attempt
the shot. The screen serve, like any
other hinder, is based upon interference affecting the play. In the case just mentioned, there is initial
interference, but the receiver still has time to get into a good position so
that the momentary screen will not affect the play. If the referee feels that the receiver
hesitates getting into position, a screen should be called. If, however, the receiver moves quickly and
obviously is going to have time to get into good position for a back wall shot,
the screen should not be called.
The receiver should be
given the benefit of any doubt so long as the receiving position is in the
center of the court. However, if the receivers position is to one side of the center or the
receiver anticipates the serve is going to be hit to one side and moves in that
direction too quickly, and the serve is hit to the opposite side, a screen should
not be called.
It is also important
that the referee attempt to find a position in the middle of the balcony in
order to have the same angle of view as the receiver although sometimes this is
impossible because of the nature of the court construction. A referee's position at the side makes it
difficult to judge a screen on the opposite side of the court. The best answer to this dilemma is: "When in doubt, call a screen".
A screen does not
cancel a previous fault.
Two screens prior to a
legal serve are equal to one fault.
HINDERS
Calling or not calling
hinders is the most difficult part of refereeing.
Interference of one
kind or another often happens during the game, but interference should not be
called a "hinder" unless the interference affected the play. In other words, could the player have made
the play had the interference not occurred.
A player is entitled
to a clear and unobstructed view and path to the ball as well as an unimpeded
swing. This includes the follow
through. Many hinder problems occur in a
situation of partial obstruction. If the
player holds up on the swing or obviously is distracted, then the hinder call
should be made. If the referee does not
feel the obstruction justified a hinder, do not allow the player to
accept the winning shot if good or take the hinder if bad. If the obstruction is borderline
and the player feels it is substantial enough, the player should hold up the
swing. Make every effort to give a
player the shot, especially when in an offensive position.
Whenever safety
becomes a factor, call a hinder immediately.
Contact does not
automatically mean a hinder, only if it affects the play.
BACK SWING HINDERS
The player hitting the
ball is the only one entitled to make this call, besides the referee, but the
call should be made immediately. If it
is not, the shot must stand. Do not
give options. Sometimes these back swing
hinders are caused by the opponent moving in too quickly and should be called AVOIDABLE.
Another close play
sometimes occurs when a player dives for a retrieve, and the ball rebounds right back at the player. Give the offensive player every opportunity
to take a shot. Even if the swing is
slightly obstructed, most players want this shot. The player should hold up the swing if there
appears to be too much obstruction. If
the player who dove for the shot creates interference in efforts to regain
footing, an avoidable hinder should be called.
If the defensive
player has time to move to any court position but chooses to move directly
behind the player who is hitting the ball, the defensive player should not
get the benefit of the doubt on close plays .
In other situations the player attempting to make the retrieve should
get the benefit of the doubt.
PLAYER HIT BY THE BALL
If the referee thinks
the ball would have reached the front wall, a hinder should be called.
If the referee is
unsure whether or not the ball would have reached the front wall, a hinder
should be called and the point replayed.
If the referee is
positive that the ball would not have reached the front wall, a point or side
out should be called.
A ball rebounding back
from the walls and passing between the defensive players legs is not an
automatic hinder. Since in many cases
this is only a momentary screen, this becomes a judgment call. A serve passing through the server’s legs is
a screen and is always a dead ball.
AVOIDABLE HINDERS
Avoidable hinders
MUST be called when they occur. There are NO warnings.
Avoidable hinders do not imply
intentional, but intentional hinders are avoidable hinders and in the most
extreme circumstances may be unsportsmanlike.
If a player does not
try to avoid interference, or creates interference, an avoidable hinder is the
proper call.
This is the most controversial
call in handball. Make this call in a
cool, calm, collected manner as if it were any other call. Do not add to the seriousness by exaggerating
it. Referees do not make this call often
enough. Either the referee is not
knowledgeable enough to know when to make the call or overlooks the obvious as
feeling it may upset the offending player.
Unfortunately many players feel that they are being criminally indicted
if an avoidable hinder is called against them.
Nevertheless it is the referee's responsibility to make this call
whenever appropriate.
When in doubt, do not call an avoidable hinder.
The avoidable hinder
results in an out or a point depending upon whether the offender was serving or
receiving.
Avoidable hinders fall
into one of the following categories:
·
FAILURE TO MOVE
·
BLOCKING
·
MOVING INTO THE
PATH OF BALL
·
PUSHING
·
VIEW OBSTRUCTION
·
DISTRACTION
FAILURE TO MOVE
A player must move out
of the way of the opponent even though it may mean moving to an undesirable
court position. It is not an excuse that
the player claims not knowing where the opponent was. The player must move. This is also the case when a player gives the
opponent a back wall setup. It is the
obligation of the player to look over a shoulder and move out of the way. A player can not line up directly in front of
the opponent's back wall shot. If a
player assumes such a position and there is a collision, or if the player is
struck by the ball, the hinder is avoidable.
BLOCKING
This is just the
opposite of the "failure to move" hinder. When a player creates a hinder by movement, it is
avoidable. Sometimes a player in the
effort to get into a better court position will cause contact with an opponent
who is about to hit the ball or a player will move in so close to an opponent
who is hitting the ball as to cause a possibility of body contact. In either case an avoidable hinder should be
called.
A player is entitled
to an unimpeded swing. This includes the
FOLLOW THROUGH. Even though the ball has
already been hit or missed, an avoidable hinder MUST be called for safety
reasons. Serious arm injuries have
happened because a player moved in too quickly and too close to the offensive
player. AVOIDABLE period
It is an avoidable
hinder in doubles if one player, just as the players partner is hitting the
ball, moves directly in front of an opponent.
MOVING INTO THE PATH OF THE BALL
This happens when a
player is hitting a back wall shot, and just as the ball is hit, the opponent moves
into the path of the ball and is struck by the ball. This is avoidable. In this case the referee must use judgment
and not call an avoidable if the referee thinks the ball was mis-hit and that
the defensive player was moving into a non-hindering position at which the
player would not have been hit if the ball had been hit true.
If a player has an offensive opportunity and the opponent is trapped close to the wall and the opponent in efforts to get into a more favorable position is hit by the ba