GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
The 2-Referee system uses two officials only. They are known as the Referee and the Appeals Referee. The Referee performs all of the duties carried out by the Marker in standard officiating and most of the Referee functions.
The officials sit (or stand) together in the same manner as a Marker and Referee in standard officiating. The Referee in the 2-Referee system calls the play and the score, rules on all appeals for interference, makes decisions when a player is struck by the ball, allows and disallows lets under Rule 13, and exercises the refereeing control required for warm up, continuity of play, and injury.
An appeal to the Appeals Referee may be made by either player against any decision of the Referee. The Appeals Referee takes no part in control of the match until an appeal is made by one of the players. Such an appeal should be directed to the Appeals Referee with the words "Appeal please".
The decision of the Appeals Referee is final. When: the Appeal's Referee has made a decision, the Referee repeats the decision and then calls the score.
Conduct on Court
Both the Referee and the Appeals Referee are empowered to invoke Rule 17 and impose any of the provisions against either player. Since either official may do this, no appeal is permitted.
Interference
A "Let please" or equivalent appeal for interference is decided by the Referee, and if there is no further appeal by either player the Referee calls the score.
If there is a further appeal by either player the appeal is answered directly by the Appeals Referee, and the Referee then repeats that decision and gives the subsequent score. The decision of the Appeals Referee is final even if significantly different to that of the Referee.
Note: A call of "unsighted" is not regarded as an acceptable decision of either official in an interference decision.
Appeal Against Referee Call
The Referee calls the play, and a player whose serve or return is called not good may appeal. This appeal goes directly to the Appeals Referee because the decision of the Referee is already known.
The decision of the Appeals Referee is made using the procedures used in standard officiating by the Referee under Rules 11.1. 1 and 11.2.1
Appeal Against Referee Non-call
An appeal at the end of a rally against the serve or a previous return of the opponent, not called by the Referee, is dealt with initially by the Referee, whose decision must be either "Good" or "Uncertain, let." If this decision generates a further appeal by either player then that appeal is dealt with by the Appeals Referee, whose decision must also be either "Good" or "Uncertain, let. "
Note: The Appeals Referee is obligated to intervene in the Referee's calling of the play, if certain that the Referee has made an error in allowing play to continue. This would include cases of a ball being down, not up, out, or a fault, and not called by the Referee, or if the Appeals Referee notices a fallen object or unsafe condition not noticed by the Referee. If either official is unsighted and an appeal is made the decision should be given as "Uncertain, let".
Player Struck By Ball
If the non-striker is struck by the ball, the Referee makes the total decision on the outcome of the rally. If this decision generates a further appeal by either player then the further appeal is dealt with by the Appeals Referee who also decides the total outcome of the rally.
If the striker is struck by the ball, the Referee calls the play. An appeal would not be relevant unless the strike is coincident with interference, in which case the provisions appropriate to interference apply.
Other Cases
Both officials record the score which is called by the Referee. The Appeals Referee does not correct the score unless there is an appeal on the score by one of the players.
Any decision in relation to continuity of play and injury situations is made by the Referee. Any aspect of these rules requiring a decision by the Referee including injury categories may be appealed to the Appeals Referee.
Important Points
The role of the Referee is, for practical purposes, identical to that described in Guideline 18, Single Official. The Referee should call the play and respond to most initial appeals (the exception being a not good call to a serve or return where any appeal goes directly to the Appeals Referee) but should delay calling the score if an appeal is directed to the Appeals Referee.
With the exceptions described under ‘Conduct on Court’ and ‘Appeals Against Referee Non-Call’, the Appeals Referee, although the final arbiter in any decision, must not give any decision until the appropriate appeal is made by a player.
Players should be prepared to accept the fact that, occasionally, the decision of the Appeals Referee will be different to that of the Referee and that, as a result of either their own or an opponent's appeal, they may be worse off than if no appeal had been made. It is unrealistic to expect, particularly in borderline interference cases, that two officials will always reach exactly the same decision.