ATP Corona Rules Catalog - Penalties up to $ 20,000
ATP has published a 30-page compendium for the restart of the tour, which gives players and organizers a narrow framework.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jul 25, 2020, 04:37 pm
"Unsportsmanlike Conduct", the unsportsmanlike behavior, has so far only existed in tennis on the court during the matches. But in times of a global pandemic, many things are changing, including in the professional felt ball industry, where play is scheduled to start again on August 14th. Not as planned in Washington, but at least at the Challenger level in Prague and Todi.
Under what conditions, the ATP has now published. In Challenger tournaments, players are only allowed to accompany one person, in ATP tournaments there are at least two. From now on, there must also be a person there who gives the "Tournament Infection Control Officer" for the organizers. As probably the one who is responsible for the proper execution of the COVID-19 tests.
Ball children freed from the towels
The contact options among the players should be massively restricted. Go straight to training or to the fitness room, social distance is the top priority here too. It almost goes without saying that a protective mask is usually worn.
If the players violate the rules, it can be expensive: The ATP penalty catalog provides for up to $ 20,000 if the social distance in the player hotel is not observed. Which also applies, the players should decide to leave this hotel.
The good news for the ball children: Their job is actually limited to distributing the balls until further notice. If a player needs a towel, it is their responsibility to store and collect it.
No linesman
First of all, ATP judges do not use line judges, as was already tested at the #NextGen Finals or the show fights in Berlin last week. This is technically flawless on hard and turf fields, problems could arise on ashes, if you can believe experts.
Finally, the ATP also reserves the right to adjust the number of places in a tableau according to the prevailing COVID 19 situation. Typically, there are 28 players in the ATP Tour 250 tournaments, 32 in the 500s and either 64 or 96 in the Masters 1000 events.