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[BlitzkriegBob]

Freshman tournament this past weekend. Fed rules. Had three incidents I would like clarified.

First, last match of the day. Team A played the previous match on the same court. Team B is coming over from the next court. We give both teams a few minutes to get settled in and/or take a quick break. When we're ready to begin, I let Team B coach know to get her captains for the prematch conference. Immediately go over to Team A coach and inform him I need him and his captain. After a minute, Team B coach and captains are ready, but Team A coach is still immersed in his clipboard, with no sign of anyone from his team inside the gym. I remind Team A coach that we're ready to start and ask him where his captain is. He doesn't say anything but points in the general direction of the locker rooms. I say one last time "Coach, we need you and your captain now". He stands up and throws his clipboard to the ground. I immediately access a yellow card. My question regards the timing of the card. Was I okay to access it then and there, or should I have informed him of the card and waited for the beginning of the match to "formally" access it?

Secondly, same match. We are going to a third and deciding game. We call captains up to the net for the coin flip. Let me note now that the stands were set up on the same side of the court as the benches. I'm up in the stand when I notice that Team B coach has joined the captains while my partner is reviewing the options. I quietly tell Team B coach that we only need captains. She apologizes and goes back to her bench. Was I correct in not allowing her to participate?

Thirdly, same match still. Team B coach has fallen asleep at the wheel and has not turned in a lineup even as the three minutes elapses. Team A is out on the court and my partner comes over from the scorers table and announces that he does not have a lineup from Team B and is assessing a loss of point. Is there a signal for this? I gave Signal 17 for point to Team A and we made sure the scoreboard read 1-0 before we started the third game, but I would like to know the correct mechanics for handling this situation.

[MCBear]

1) Since this was prior to a match, you would let the coach and captain know once the conference begins that a YC has been issued to the head coach and will be shown at the beginning of the first game of the match for the minor unsporting act that took place. Remind the coach that with the card, the coach is restricted to the bench for the remainder of the match and may only be off the bench as they have in previous years.

2) Correct procedure. The coin toss for a deciding game involves the team captains only.

3) Currently there is no specific signal to be used for the situation where the coach fails to turn in the line-up prior to the deadline. What I have done when this situation has arisen is to indicate a Loss of Rally (the old "side-out" signal) followed by the "Point" signal (Signal 17) on the side of the team receiving the penalty point. Remember that this penalty is not indicated by a Red Card.

So, when all of the things you are asking are put in proper sequence:

1 - show the yellow card that is given to Team A's coach for the action during the pre-match; then

2 - show the Loss of Rally signal (Side-out signal) folllowed by the point signal (Signal 17) on Team A's side of the net. If they were receiving, they get the penalty point and the ball to serve.

Hopefully, that clears up some issues.