LET’S GIVE A CHEER (CHAIR) FOR THE UMPIRE
By Charles E. Vasoll

I have long been an advocate of the fifth man on the court, the umpire. A couple of recent experiences have lead me to once again write about this critical, but often unappreciated, part of our sport. It is mostly about a piece of equipment that is an integral part of the “work”, the chair.
The first incident I witnessed was in the final of the Women’s Long Island Invitational on November 30th at the Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove. All the conditions that make the job of being an umpire miserable were present. First, there was no chair. This forced the umpire to be on his feet for the entire match, approximately two hours. Second, it was cold. It could have been worse, of course, but it was around the freezing mark. Finally, it was a three set match with many long points. Is there any question about why it is so difficult to recruit capable volunteers to this assignment?

Now in this case, all of these problems were more or less expected. But a new one arose. By holding a meeting between the partners after every point, the length of time of the match was considerably drawn out. It was almost like they were playing together for the first time. This was certainly not true. Players on both teams have played together for a considerable period of time and should know how to approach the opposition without a conference after every point. The Official Rules provide for a 20 second period after each point for the next serve. I am not stating that this rule was violated but it certainly was closely approached after every point. I understand that platform tennis is a “team” sport and both players must be on the same page. However, pity the poor umpire without a chair, standing in cold weather for over two hours.

In the second incident, the problem was a first, to my knowledge. Again it was during the final. This time it was the men competing in the Long Island Invitational at the Huntington Country Club. This time a chair for the official was provided but one of the players requested that it be removed stating that he was concerned about running into it.. Graciously, the umpire agreed to the request. Once again he was on his feet for the length of the match, which was long but mercifully a two setter. I contend that this was an improper request and should have been denied. It really deprived the official of a better view of the court to agree or disagree on such matters as foot faults and in or out calls. But once again, without a chair, pity the poor umpire.

There is no requirement in the Official Rules, or elsewhere that I know about, that a chair should or must be provided. However, it certainly seems like the proper thing to do for both the umpire and the players. In addition to the improved comfort that it provides, it also gives the official a far better view of the court. On he other hand, if the umpire is only a scorekeeper, it can be done from the comfort of a nearby warm-up hut.

I remember the arrangement at the first National Championship that I witnessed in the early 1980’s at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale. Not only was there an umpire in the chair but there were lines persons seated at both ends of the court to determine foot faults and out calls on service and end lines. Also vividly in my mind is the sight of Brook Kindred unloading his chair from the roof of his car upon arrival for a match. Most clubs did not have an umpire chair or if they did it would not fit on the court, so he brought his own. Yes, pity the poor umpire especially one who is “unseated” in a tournament!

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