Two sports questions from Sunday

Factual Questions
1

  1. What is the rationale for the rule that taking your helmet off on the field is unsportsmanlike conduct? I heard that referred to as the “Emmitt Smith” rule, but I don’t know what the history is.

  2. In tennis, there used to be a judge who sat with his hand on the net cord, to detect net serves. They haven’t done that for several years. How do they detect net serves now?

2

The rationale is that a player doing this is trying to show up the other team; I think it has a lot to do with taunting, which is verboten. A player taking off his helmet while the game is ongoing is either celebrating or trying to instigate a fight with a member of the other team.

3

  1. I always thought it was the “Brett Favre” rule. Regardless, the NFL didn’t like it, so they banned it.

  2. I don’t know. I assume that it would not be hard to put a sensor on the net cord.

4

Tennis doesn’t need a net cord judge because they have a mechanism attached to the cord that rings when vibrated by a net ball. The only problem with this, which you would have noted if you watched the US Open, is that it can be set off by things other than a ball, such as a gust of wind blowing an object on the cord. I’ve seen matches where they had to shut the damn thing off and use human resources. If a person such as Jimmy Connors complains, they will shut if off. After all, he got a referee fired once. If even McEnroe (Johnny not Pat) complains, they’d do the same. If I complained, they’d tell me where to go. Then again, I’ve never played in a match with anyone calling anything except the players…unfortunately.l:(

5

A quick web search suggests that Cyclops, the device using infrared beams to detect shots outside the service lines, also operates as a net cord detector. I haven’t been able to confirm whether it’s this system or a separate one.

6

It’s an entirely different system. You can see on TV on some shots the device attached to the net cord, and in spite of what your search reveals, I don’t think it’s an infrared system. Cyclops only works on the service line, not the other lines, and only works if the serve is close to the service line. If the serve is more than an inch or two out, Cyclops won’t register. The device on the net is clearly a different system and appears to work by vibration.

7

I can recall a few occasions where helmets have been thrown and injured others. Perhaps that is the motivation behind the rule.

my first post on straight dope

8

Mr._Garrison

Welcome to the SDMB!

While safety is indeed a concern with players flinging helmets around, you can also be penalized for taking off your helmet on the field at any time either to celebrate or to complain. Part of it is considered taunting.