Edge or Net Rule Change?
Rules
andrew brand Asked 13 years ago
Happy new year! i am curious to know your opinions on whether you think it would be a good idea for a new rule to be able to call a let if you lose a point because of a net clip or an edge ball. Would this ruin the game or make it more interesting?
Jeff Plumb Answered 13 years ago
Hi Andrew,
Happy new year! Great question to start off 2011. I'm quite used to the rules as they are and am happy for them to stay. Having said that we already have the let rule for the serve, so why not extend it to during the rally? Why do we have a let rule when the ball hits the net on the serve but not the edge? This certainly wouldn't be a bad rule and would take any "luck" out of the game.
I still think though that edges and nets don't play a big part in the result of a game and so there is no real need to change these rules.
Thanks for the discussion starter Andrew. Now everyone else let's hear your thoughts on Andrew's suggestion for a rule change.
Thoughts on this question
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andrew brand Posted 13 years ago
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 13 years ago
Hi Andrew,
I have seen some games that have been decided by nets and edges but it is not that common. Also with regards to the games up to 11, it does make the nets and edges more important but in the overall context of the match but you generally get an extra couple of sets since the rule change which more than covers that problem. Having said that I still do prefer games up to 21.
I guess the key is to always try and be ahead in the game so that a net or edge won't really hurt you. And if you are the better player this is generally what happens.
What do other people think? Is Andrew's suggestion one that should be implemented? Would it make the matches fairer and help the best person win?
andrew brand Posted 13 years ago
Tevia Sapire Posted 13 years ago
Hi everyone
The only thing about having lets in the middle of the rally is that if ,for example, a player is going for a kill shot and its a winner, but the ball touched the net ever so slightly, then the losing player can have a repoint, which isn't really fair. This is especially bad if the winning player played a really good rally and a great winner, and then the point is just thrown away, just like that. This will over time make players more scared to go for the big shots and slow the game down, making it less fun to play and watch. Nets and edges are a part of the game, and in general they are not that influential. The let serve rule is there so that players would not learn to keep hitting let serves and making them impossible to get back. I like the rules the way they are, except I would also prefer games longer than 11.