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Paul Kovac	See if you can Stump the Ump... E-mail questions to Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire. Please note: Questions which have answers that are easily found by consulting the rules may not merit a reply.

Q: If a barrier is knocked into the playing area (during a rally) by a player in another court can either player call a let?

- submitted by William M. Mason

A: A let is normally not declared for occurrences due to hazard, circumstances or events present at the start of a rally. Thus, the player who was not able to make a good return because he tripped over a surround will not be granted the benefit of a let, because the surround was present there at the beginning of the rally. However, in the adjacent court, the same event constitutes a disturbance which may affect the outcome of a rally in progress, and a let should be called immediately.

- answered by Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire