Hindrance
A hindrance is an interruption to the rally caused by something outside normal play - a ball rolling onto the court from a neighbouring match, an unexpected shout, a piece of clothing on the floor. Under FIP rules, an involuntary hindrance leads to the point being replayed; a deliberate hindrance loses the point.
What is a hindrance?
A hindrance is anything that interferes with play during a rally - a ball from another court rolling into the play area, a sudden loud noise, a piece of equipment falling onto the court, or a player making an audible noise that distracts the opposing pair. The FIP rulebook distinguishes between involuntary hindrances (replay) and deliberate hindrances (lose the point).
When does a hindrance call apply?
A hindrance call applies any time the natural course of a rally is interrupted by something the players cannot reasonably control. The call is usually made by the affected player at the moment the interference happens; if both pairs agree it was a genuine hindrance, the point is replayed from the serve.
Involuntary vs deliberate
Involuntary hindrance - the ball from another court, the falling ball-can - leads to a replayed point. Deliberate hindrance - shouting during an opponent’s swing, lobbing a ball at the opposing pair’s feet to block their movement - is a fault and the offending pair loses the point. Repeated deliberate hindrance can lead to a code-of-conduct sanction.
Coach tip: If you are unsure whether something counts as a hindrance, call it at the moment it happens, not after the point ends. Calling “hindrance” mid-point lets both pairs agree on a replay; calling it after a lost point looks like an excuse and creates friction.
Common mistakes
The biggest hindrance-related mistake at amateur level is using the call to overturn lost points. Hindrance is for genuine, immediate interference - not for retrospective claims that someone breathed too loudly. The other common mistake is failing to control your own noise around opposing pairs.
