Public tennis court etiquette ?

[bad dancer]

So I have recently begun playing tennis again.
All courts in Vancouver state that there is a 30 min playing time when people are waiting.
Seems pretty simple to me. Show up, tell the people who are playing they have 30 mins and I will just sit outside with my partner and hang out until your time is up.

I am a very reasonable and tolerant person.
Since starting back into this game I have been in a few heated arguments about waiting times.
I have always been able to resolve the exchanges eventually but what the fuck ? I am not a dick but I seriously want to murder some people. Maybe I am out of line but I think I am correct in my interpretation of "the rules" Help a mag out.
Here is my scenario most evenings although not always the case. There are some people who are great and wont argue but it seems they are few and far between.

Most courts I go to have anywhere from double courts to 4 courts. There are parks that have many more.

I arrive, kindly check in with 1 court and ask, do you know who is due to be off next ?
Always get the "we just got here" reply.
Go to next court. "we just got here but I think those guys were here before us.
And so on.

So last night I just said fuck it because I did not want to walk around and talk to all 4 courts in play. I chose my favourite court and politley said, "Hey we are going to wait for your court and give you guys 30 min"
"Well we just got here so........"
Well that's cool, you have 30 of play when people are waiting is my response.
He then starts spouting off to me about who was on before them etc...

What says the collective on waiting etiquette ?

I get if there are 2 courts, its pretty easy to determine who is off next but some courts in the city have 8-16 public courts in one spot. No fucking way I am going to go around checking who is off next.

For context, here is the official guidelines as per city of Vancouver

With the exception of six courts in Stanley Park, casual tennis play operates on a first-come, first-served basis under the following rules:

2 - 4 players shall wait facing a court to claim it
30 minutes maximum play if players are waiting
rubber soled shoes must be worn
players must avoid interference with play on adjoining courts
tennis club may exceed 30 minutes playing time on permitted courts during club and league play.
Please note: Tennis courts are not lit for evening play.

[Cruiser]

Huh, I thought canuks were overly polite about technical stuff like this. Reminds me of a picture with 4 people at a 4 way stop all just waving each other through and nobody actually going.

[SkiBall]

If you can get someone with a shoe violation, you might not have to wait the 30 min.

[seano732]

#firstworldproblems?????

[east or bust]

I think you’re in the right here. If cunts don’t want to share a public court they can go build one in their yard or go to a paid club.

[bad dancer]

If you can get someone with a shoe violation, you might not have to wait the 30 min.

This might be worth pursuing. Thank you

[old goat]

The rules you cite seem pretty clear. Wait by a court, after 30 minutes get up and tell them to leave. I'd suggest waiting by the court with the worst players--the most likely to be polite about leaving. If the people are friendly give them a 5 minute grace period.
If there are different rules, follow them. If there are no rules wait until someone leaves. And play somewhere else next time.
30 minutes is pretty short. Courts with reservations or at least sign up sheets are nice.

[skuff]

30 minutes is a pretty short period of time to play tennis. The public courts (group of 5) I used to play on had a signup sheet and you would get an hour.

[warthog]

Reminds me of a picture with 4 people at a 4 way stop all just waving each other through and nobody actually going.

Ughh- That was Boulder in the late 90's. Used to piss me off so bad, being from New England. I just started going first and not waiting for the waves. Last one to the 4 way stop, and first to leave it. Strange place.

[stuckathuntermtn]

That is some really fast tennis and some really aggro players. Is it like summer hockey for you guys? You get to not be polite and it's 30 minute periods? Wait, isn't hockey 3 20's? Whatever. Weird big city problems.

[Art Shirk]

I’ll be the guy who takes some heat for being a bit contrary to what you are hearing in here. I’ve been playing tennis my whole life, played on public courts for 35 years and continue to. I have never ever told anyone to leave a court after an allotted time regardless of posted rules. Part of that is to say, I’ve never really seen a rule like this, much less one that is for as short as 30 minutes. The tennis code has always been, at least in and around cities, that sometimes it’s tough to get courts and we all love the game, so if you get one, you play to
your contentment but try not to be a dick - keep it reasonable.

Depending upon what sort of tennis you are playing, 30 minutes cuts right into the middle of something as short as a set or a pro set depending. I couldn’t imagine booting someone off a baseball diamond in the 5th inning because of some letters on a sign.

I always go to a court knowing I may be waiting awhile and that’s my penance for getting to have a blast once it’s my turn.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[stuckathuntermtn]

Also, not enough Q's in the title. You could have gone with "Racquet Etiquette" or been really epic and gone for "Racquette Etiquette," but now it's about as epic as a half hour tennis match.

PS, any of you ever see 7 Days in Hell? Great HBO Sports mocumentary.

[Core Shot]

If you can get someone with a shoe violation, you might not have to wait the 30 min.

WTF?

Are canucks playing tennis in leather dress shoes? Or is it a barefoot tennis issue?

[bad dancer]

WTF?

Are canucks playing tennis in leather dress shoes? Or is it a barefoot tennis issue?

They were hockey playing in moccasins obviously.


I do think 30 min is very short however when you want to play a quick evening rally after work, it may be all you can get on a busy evening. I have always given a bit of grace and not super sticky on the time. Usually end up being 45 or so. The shitty players do tend to leave earlier as well. This is true.

[Toadman]

I thought this thread might have been about urinating on the court, you know, marking your territory type thing. My bad, carry on.

[Marshall Tucker]

art's response I believe is pretty much how it works here for our public courts. Truthfully I play 2-3 times a week, maybe as much as 4 in season, and i've never played on a public court except for a team match 30m would never fly here; that's barely a set. I'd suggest looking into a tennis club if you're serious. Here they are very cheep to join and up there in the frozen tundra we picture canada being (deep south here) would likely get you indoor access.

BTW hope you son is well.

[waxman]

cue the SNL skit "scottish soccer hooligans" with Mike Myers, David Hyde Pierce and Mark McKinney. I'd post it but the forum gods hate me.

[DBdude]

Find courts that aren’t heavily used


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[ex-powderbroker]

in greenpoint the agro polish dudes just wander into your court and start aggressively stretching and waving their rackets. they’ll get in the doubles lane and if you don’t defend the court start warming in the service box. they’re there to fight or play tennis and they don’t particularly care about the order. glad i never got into a fight with an old man though.

in nyc you had to pay for tickets or get a season pass to use the courts at paragon which i thought was bullshit when everything else in the parks was free. and paragon was annoying, with their fleet of groomer skis.

anyway, i put some photoshop skills to work and made a fake id tennis pass for a few years. eventually one of the checkers noticed it and suggested i leave without making a scene. i liked her, she was cute, but i don’t think i’ve played tennis since.

[retirwntm]

they’re there to fight or play tennis and they don’t particularly care about the order.

This is the first time in history anyone has ever said this...even about the Polish dudes in Greenpoint.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vt-Freeheel]

If you're having trouble staking your place on a tennis court this summer the covid reduced chair capacity liftline will leave you for dead. Practice aggression tactics now.

[RootSkier]

in greenpoint the agro polish dudes just wander into your court and start aggressively stretching and waving their rackets. they’ll get in the doubles lane and if you don’t defend the court start warming in the service box. they’re there to fight or play tennis and they don’t particularly care about the order. glad i never got into a fight with an old man though.

in nyc you had to pay for tickets or get a season pass to use the courts at paragon which i thought was bullshit when everything else in the parks was free. and paragon was annoying, with their fleet of groomer skis.

anyway, i put some photoshop skills to work and made a fake id tennis pass for a few years. eventually one of the checkers noticed it and suggested i leave without making a scene. i liked her, she was cute, but i don’t think i’ve played tennis since.

quality post. thanks.

[The AD]

I’ll be the guy who takes some heat for being a bit contrary to what you are hearing in here. I’ve been playing tennis my whole life, played on public courts for 35 years and continue to. I have never ever told anyone to leave a court after an allotted time regardless of posted rules. Part of that is to say, I’ve never really seen a rule like this, much less one that is for as short as 30 minutes.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember signage mentioning something like this at the lower Woodland Park courts in Seattle. I assume if they have signs like this there then they probably do at other busy courts in the city.

Honestly, I can see this from both sides. It sucks when you have to wait for a court, but it also sucks when you've just started playing and someone decides to wait at your court even though others have been playing longer. Personally I'd give them at least 40 minutes before telling them to wrap it up.

[billyk]

Seems like the 30 minute rule was made up by some Parks and Rec bureaucrat who doesn’t actually play tennis. They should have a sign-up sheet to reserve particular time slots.

[old goat]

I played a lot of tennis in HS--public courts in Detroit. You signed up on the list. You waited until a court opened. Top of the list got it. Like a restaurant that doesn't do reservations. Fortunately there were enough courts you rarely had to wait and I used to play all day with anyone who showed up. I bet it's not that easy now.

But whoever owns the courts makes the rules. You don't like the rules find somewhere else to play. If you don't like the rules anyplace maybe you're the problem.