My 13 year old son plays in tournaments
Q. My 13 year old son plays in tournaments where there are no “officials”. What can he do when his opponent makes several questionable “out” calls? We had one who hit a ball that had double bounced and my son let him have the point. Afterwards I told him he had to hold his ground on such things.
A. First of all, your son sounds like a gentleman. Choosing to not argue a judgment call indicates that he possess maturity and perspective. He may also feel a little shy or intimidated during tournament play, and this is normal (and will eventually subside).
My best advice on “bad calls” during tournaments is a three step process:
– On the fist questionable call, always give your opponent the benefit of doubt. (You, not he, could be wrong!)
– On the second questionable call, ask the opponent firmly but politely: “Are you sure?”
– If a third questionable call occurs and you feel cheated, stop the match and request a line judge.
If he is playing a tournament with NO available line judges or maybe an un-officiated high school match, then he needs to deal with the adversity of some missed calls. The way he reacts to questionable calls is almost always more crucial then the calls themselves.