The Uncertainty Principle

By Barry Faguy, WSF Referees and Rules Committee

Well, there’s a catchy title stolen from the lexicon of quantum physics—hinting that maybe we’ve at last found a unified field theory of officiating—and so ending all of our problems. Not likely. Instead, this article is more an attempt to make you feel better about the doubts you might have when confusing situations arise while you’re refereeing—and maybe to give you a couple of hints about how to deal with them.

One way to minimize uncertainty by everyone involved in the game, including the players, is to make your decisions authoritatively. Nobody wants to be perplexed.
One way to minimize uncertainty by everyone involved in the game, including the players, is to make your decisions authoritatively. Nobody wants to be perplexed.

Uncertainty in the Rules
The rules use ‘uncertain’ in more than a dozen places—and more often than not, those provisions require a replay of the rally. They are generally found in the sections relating to Marker calls. (e.g. ‘Out’, ‘Down’, etc). There is, however, a stand-alone reference (Rule 13.2.3) meant for interference situations—the focus of this treatise. That rule requires that a Let is to be played if the Referee is unable to make a decision. Now, some people really don’t think that rule should ever be used, claiming that, when it comes to interference situations, a Referee should never be uncertain and thus never use the ‘uncertainty’ rule since it appears weak, and might potentially be troublesome. I cannot agree.

Certain of Uncertainty
There are three ways that uncertainty can come into play regarding interference: The Actual Occurrence
Unlike quantum mechanics, this area is far from one of mathematical precision and there will be countless times where a Referee (no matter the experience) will have doubts about what exactly went on there. That’s no surprise, given the speed of everything in play—two people, two racquets, and one ball in a constant whirlwind of often-frantic, high-speed movements and ever-changing relationships, all happening within what seems like fast-encroaching walls. Questions inevitably come up: What the heck happened? Did the ball actually hit the floor before the front wall? Was the player hit by the racquet? Was that actual turning—or just shaping? Was that an excessive swing—or was the non-striker crowding? And, given close-quarter play, blistering ball speed, and blurring racquet swings, had the change from striker to non-striker occurred?The Definitions
Then we have a problem about the meaning of the words that are supposed to guide us in decision-making, such as ‘every effort’, ‘reasonable’, ‘deliberate’, ‘ample’, ‘minimal’, ‘significant’, ‘affecting’, ‘prevent’, etc. They are, for the most part, unaddressed in the rules, and even if a couple are, it’s with generous leeway about the parameters. On top of that, even with the same Referee, those definitions will vary with player level, player fatigue, and the pressure associated with crucial moments of play.
The Knowledge of the Rules
Finally, we have uncertainty about the rules themselves—both in your actual knowledge of them, and then in their interpretation. This is the area where you have the greatest control in minimizing uncertainty. There is a provision for just about everything—including what to do when you are uncertain (as you can see)—but do you know it? Uncertainty about a given rule itself should be the least-used of your rationales. To confirm your ignorance about a rule as an explanation is the surest way to embarrassment.

Minimizing Uncertainty

  1. Live Life On The Edge Get out there and officiate! The more matches you referee, the fewer instances of doubt you’ll have. Your ability to see the real pertinent details will sharpen and subtleties that would have escaped you in the past will become obvious. The more information you have, the easier the job.
  2. Read The Rules OK, OK—they might not make for great bedtime reading—but they are a fascinating study in fairness and structure, and applying them appropriately is a worthy challenge. Actually studying them becomes an eye-opening venture.
  3. Decide Authoritatively If you do have genuine confusion as to the facts (direction of the ball, turning or not, etc), then make your decision with certainty even in the face of this uncertainty. That sounds like a strange piece of advice—but what is needed is an honest and authoritative approach, as in: “I’m not sure where the ball was headed. We’re playing a let”. Boom! End of story. That’s the application of Rule 13.2.3.

And by the way, questions can play an important role with interference situations. Firstly, if it happens that you don’t know the ‘reason’ why a player is appealing, then you should ask so you can render a fair decision. Secondly, there is nothing wrong with a judicious question to the opponent when the other player makes a crucial claim. The classic example is unseen racquet contact—which if confirmed by the opponent, can drastically affect your decision.

Conclusion
So, I hope that helps somewhat to avoid your feeling bad or your having fear when it comes to encountering doubts or confusion. There can indeed be a form of certainty—even in the face of uncertainty.