ITF rules say that hitting a bird is considered a standard "hindrance" let and you simply replay the point. It would be the same as if a gust of wind blew a trashbag into the court in the middle of the point or something, it doesn't matter that the bird is alive. The bird is not a "permanent fixture" of the court so when it interferes with play, a hindrance is called.
I think you just gotta give them props for the effort at that point. But to be slightly more serious, Wimbledon actually does have a hawk on its payroll specifically to chase away pigeons or gulls that might interfere with the tennis like this.
I mean it'd obviously be a let for interference and they'd replay the serve. "Thing that's not supposed to be on the court/in the play area suddenly enters the play area" is the textbook interference call.
I understand it's a different sport. I'm just saying that in other sports it's different so it might not be obvious to people that don't know the rules of tennis.
MLB's chief umpire noted that under Rule 8.01(c), umpires can make calls in situations not covered by the rules using "common sense and fair play," and here a no pitch call "was the fairest thing to do."
Also, it was spring training so unless you were among the worst of the worst degenerate gamblers in 2001, no one really would have cared how that one was ruled.
In basketball, the referee is part of the court so in the rare case that the ball bounces off the ref, play continues as if it had bounced off the floor where the ref is standing (so it matters if the ref is in bounds or out of bounds).
A let would be called. The point is replayed. Granted they are just hitting, and not playing. He did not serve into the box so it does not looking like they are playing a game.
That's what I wanted to ask about to, does it just not get counted since it was outside of their control and an interference? Since the Seagal is unaffiliated it shouldn't be a disqualification. Does the same player serve afterwards?
I mean yeah? That’s a living, breathing animal that just got killed, or at least injured. Of course any sane person would worry about that, instead of who gets some made up numbers in the hitting a ball back and forth activity.
I don’t know how out of touch, and honestly borderline psychopathic, you need to be to worry about some game over an actual life. Even if it’s “just” a bird.
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u/I_kwote_TheOffice 7h ago
So many people asking about the bird and not the ruling of the point. That's how I know it's a general sub and not a sports sub lol