By Mark Peifer, USA Pickleball Certified Referee; Past Chairman, USA Pickleball Rules Committee
QUESTION: My opponent’s serve landed well inside the NVZ line, but the referee did not call it a ‘short serve.’ It was so apparent that my partner and I stopped playing and lost the rally. When the referee would not call for a replay because of their error, we asked the referee to ask our opponent whether they saw that serve as short. The referee would not do so. Is there some reason the referee would not at least ask the opponents what they saw?
ANSWER: You believe the referee missed a ‘short serve’. The referee thought differently, and because of that, they had no reason to change the call. I trust you will agree that the referee has the best chance of getting this call right. They are looking down the line, parallel to the NVZ, while the serving and receiving teams are looking across the line from several feet away. That’s why we entrust the referee to make short-serve calls; they have the best perspective.
Can you appeal directly to your opponents? Referees should step in and not allow that. Why? Because we’ve seen too many instances where such questions can be construed as bullying the opponents. If the referee has a reason to question calls the referee makes, then the referee could ask your opponents. But that is a very rare circumstance, especially in this case because the referee could be accused of coaching your opponents to override the call to their disadvantage. Besides, if they feel the referee missed the call, Rule 6.C.11 allows the opponents, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, to override the referee’s call (or no call in this case) and call their own serve ‘out,’ i.e., not good.
