Question regarding service error, score and the LAW

Discussion in 'Rules / Tournament Regulation / Officiating' started by prophet, Sep 18, 2004.

  1. prophet

    prophet Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2002
    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    teacher
    Location:
    San Francisco/Mountain View
    I had a situation come up tonight, and reading through the Laws, was still unsure of the correct interperatation/answer. Please clarify for me if you know.

    Background: Playing Doubles, score is 13-7, my partner and I are losing, just lost serve and now became the receiving team.

    Serving team: Person A is even (right side), Person B is odd (left side).

    On service, person A served to us from the even side, even though the score was 13-7 (i.e. should have been odd and Person B should have served first). We won the point and it become second serve. Person B began to serve, then realize the score was 13-7 and he should have been the first person serving from the even (right) side.

    According to law 12.2.2 under service court error, if a service court error is discovered before the next service is delivered: if one side made the error and lost the rally, the error shall not be corrected;

    [Initial interpertation]
    So I told them the first serve counted and that they lost the rally. They are on second serve with Person B serving. But I also said that they should be deducted a point (be at 12) because otherwise they would be in the wrong service position on the court (versus their initial starting positions of Person A being even and Person B being odd). We continued with Person B serving from the odd side, with score 12-7.

    But 12.4 states that: if a service court error is discovered after the next service has been delivered [ in this case I take it to mean the first serve by person A] ther error shall not be corrected and the play in that game shall proceed without changing the players' new service courts nor the new order of serving.

    [Revised interpertation]
    If I am reading this correctly, then the score should have remained 13-7, the opposing team lost their first serve, the second serve is still by Person B and is still on the odd (left) side BUT the team will continue with this service rotation till the game is over (in other words, Person A and Person B would have switched service rotation with Person B now in the even position).

    Is this revised interpertation correct? Or is my initial first interpertation correct? Or is there a another correct answer out there? Help please. :D
     
  2. badmad

    badmad Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2003
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    santa clara, CA & India
    whoa!! I never bothered to read the laws so seriously before this. :rolleyes: But this one seemed to be an interesting one.

    as per the rule 12.2.2 cited by you, I say that this situation (service court error discovered before the next service) shall follow this rule. and hence your revised interpretation is fine. Game should proceed with 13-7 and other side player's position unchanged.
    though sad for you... :p

    but in case, opponent started with service court error and won the rally, then what does the rule say to correct this?
     
  3. Sliced Drop

    Sliced Drop Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2003
    Messages:
    70
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Boston, USA
    Your initial interpretation was definitely wrong. As long as the score really was 13-7 then regardless of court errors the score should have remainged 13-7. You don't change the score to fix a court error!

    Now you have recognised that ;) , you second interpretation is correct. _The play stands_. That includes court positions (and the second server always serves from the opposite court to that in which the first server lost serve.)
     
  4. kwun

    kwun Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2002
    Messages:
    41,043
    Likes Received:
    2,066
    Occupation:
    BC Janitor
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA, USA
    i agree with Sliced Drop on this one. under no circumstance should a point be deducted in a badminton game.
     
  5. loverlionus

    loverlionus Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2002
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Philippines
    May I clarify what the correct interpretation should be. Does this mean that there will now be a change of the base (or even, Person A in this case) player? Will person A and B now be odd and even respectively? From what I know and see being done at games (not a lot), what is usually done is that the players just change places to correct their positions. That is, since it is 13-7, person B goes to the even position (right side from their view) and then proceeds with the second serve. Your comments please...thanks.
     
  6. kwun

    kwun Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2002
    Messages:
    41,043
    Likes Received:
    2,066
    Occupation:
    BC Janitor
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA, USA
    yes, according to the rules, player A will now be odd and B will be even.

    most casual players don't know about this rule and don't do the "correct" thing.
     
  7. prophet

    prophet Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2002
    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    teacher
    Location:
    San Francisco/Mountain View
    Makes sense, makes sense. Thanks all for the confirmation of the revised interpertation. In most cases, someone catches the error in service position before the first serve. It was just interesting that it happened in between first and second serves on this occasion. Thanks! :)
     
  8. aznphi1osopher

    aznphi1osopher Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2004
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    alameda
    even though, the question has been answered... if it wasnt a tournament match, thus meaning no ref , it is up to you to call the fault, during play. If you dont call it, it is considered you "played" on it, and thus the game runs as normal.
     
  9. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2002
    Messages:
    2,908
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Cannock, UK
    If the side guilty of the service court error won the rally, the score would have been called as 14-7. If the error was only noticed after that, and before the next service, the previous rally would then have to be declared a Let, and the score returned to 13-7.
     
  10. badmad

    badmad Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2003
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    santa clara, CA & India
    i think that answers my doubt too.. ;)
     
  11. prophet

    prophet Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2002
    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    teacher
    Location:
    San Francisco/Mountain View
    In this case, the serving team would get a (first serve) re-serve at 13-7? Does person A and person B switch positions before the re-serve to get back into their correct positions or stay in their (mixed-up) position?
     
  12. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2002
    Messages:
    2,908
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Cannock, UK
    law 12.3
    if there is a let because of a service court error, the rally shall be replayed with the error corrected.

    so score would be 13-7. All players should adopt their correct sides for the score. If it was first serve before the let, it is still first serve after the let.
     

Share This Page