Lawn Tennis Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 23

Lawn Tennis Notes

THE ADMINISTRATION OF UMPIRING

ASSOCIATION TO BE FORMED

The proposal advanced, at a meeting of tennis, enthusiasts .on Wednesday night that a Lawn Tennis/Umpires' Association should -. be formed 'in Wellington is one which should be given the fullest '- possible support. The proposal is not a new one, but in the past ' the difficulties incidental to the formation of such an association have-always been found to be insuperable. Besides enthusiasm and a, willingness to work on the part of those forming the asso-." ciation, there is also necessary the maximum co-operation and support on the part of the officials responsible for the management of the sport. Many questions must arise between a L.T.A. management committee and. a.new umpires', association in which the rights of the two bodies may appear to conflict, an example being the exact delimitation of the rights and privileges of umpires in any particular tournament. The new organisation proposes to remain separate both from the W.L.T.A. and from the N.Z.L.T.A. The Wellington Association, however, realises the need for an umpires' association, and will .no "doubt'give every possible encouragement and assistance. . .

The British Umpires' Association recently held its annual meeting, and set before itself two main aims O) to increase the prestige of the association, and (2) to foster the efficiency-of members. A motion was unanimously passed, authorising the council to approach the proper authorities, with the object of securing a greater measure of control of their work at tournaments. Steps were to be taken to increase efficiency, by varying the composition of the panels sent, to open tournaments so that as large a number of members as possible should gain experience and so,graduate into the class capable of undertaking championship work. ; The spirit of . organisation and unionism is apparently progressing in the English Association. The report states that organised umpiring has made fair strides ■ during 1936. More than half the umpires at the championships, Wimbledon, were members of the association. One of the members said that.the association should have a voice in its own work at open tournaments and championships, and suggested that the necessary steps should be taken with ,this end in view. He contended that the most proficient umpiring -was seen at fixtures where the association had full charge of umpiring arrangements, and if on representation to the proper authorities the L.T.U.A. were to be given full control over the umpiring at the championships it would strengthen the prestige of the association; any proficient umpires who were non-members would be invited to join the association and do their work under the one organisation. At present umpiring at Wimbledon was undertaken by members and non-members of!-.ttie L.T.U.A. Mr. Furber's other suggestion was that they should be allowed to appoint a representative to advise the authorities in the matter of allocation of umpires. The ep'eaker added that it was not the aim of his resolution to attempt to force ■ the authorities', hands in any way. The resolution was carried, unanimously. Anyone who has had to 'do with tournaments in New Zealand will agree that the task of obtaining umpires for a large number of simultaneous matches, is a very onerous one, which might well be left to an efficiently organised umpires' association. The present system has . two . results. The necessity of providing umpires for matches results in players agreeing to officiate when they should be resting, and in members of the gallery being "roped .in" when their knowledge of the rules is not really adequate, for. the purpose. Players realise that such an umpire will be as fair and as just to one as to another, but an ; erroneous decision, especially when a player does not care to appeal, will often upset his game. ■ There was a. very obvious breach of the rules (unknown to. the umpire) during a match on the centre court ai Miramar, in the recent Wellington championships. The player who should have been awarded the point found it awarded- against him. It is doubtful that there are half a dozen men in Wellington at the present time who could pass an examination on the rules of tennis, without first consulting a book of rules. Questions such as striking the ball immediately above the net would probably catch several players. During a rally, a

player who is- not playing the:- ball accidentally strikes the net. What should be done? Two different decisions were seen at Miramar in one afternoon.

The association1, as Mr. Neale pointed out during the inaugural meeting,'can also do a lot of good by interesting explayers, unable to participate actively in .. tennis, in returning to the fold as umpires. There are some older players1 now more interested in controlling the game, than in- fierce competition. A further meeting of those interested in the new association i will be held on Tuesday next, when the constitution will be discussed. '