Brian Dimsho is a USTA certified official and the resident official of the Orange County Grand Prix.

by Anonymous

Q: My USTA team was serving at 30 love, and called the score incorectly 15 all. Upon tossing the ball to serve, a spectator called out the correct score. The opposing team automatically took the point, saying hindrance from the crowd. Our team gave in, but was that the correct thing to do, even though it was our first serve?

A: No, In order to receive a loss of point for a hindrance it would have had to be a deliberate hindrance and to be a deliberate hindrance according to the rules of tennis, your team in this case would have had to pre plan to have someone in the crowd call out the correct score when and if your team called the incorrect score during the match at a time that it would cause an hindrance to your opponents. And I doubt that your team had pre planned that. In your case you would have corrected the score by calling (30 Love) and if your first serve was a fault it would than have been second serve. In most cases first time crowd noise is not cause for a hindrance and certainly it would not be a cause for the loss of a point. Brian