Guideline 17 - SINGLE OFFICIAL

Idea by Clive Pollard

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G17. SINGLE OFFICIAL

If it is not possible to have two Officials for a match, a single Official acts as Marker and Referee. The Official calls the play and the score as Marker and answers appeals (and keeps control of time and player conduct) as Referee.

When there is a single Official, the decisions which the Referee normally makes directly - such as when the ball strikes a player or answering appeals under Rule 12 - present no problems. However, there are limitations in the appeals process related to the Marker's decisions. Specifically, a Marker making an affirmative call (e.g., "Out") is unlikely, as Referee, to reverse that decision on appeal. On the other hand, in the event of the Markler's failure to call (e.g., a suspected service fault), an appeal may be worthwhile because the Referee's response shall be either "Good" or Uncertain". In the latter case, the Referee shall allow a let

It is important for a Referee to realise that the decision should be made according to the play - if both players agree that the Marker called incorrectly, we don't advise you to stick to what you, as Referee, must see as an incorrect call. Failure to be flexible in this area is one of the main reasons for a match getting 'out of hand' with respect to appeals and complaints.

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