LCTA FALL 2011 LEAGUE REGULATIONS
BELOW ARE THE 2010 LOCAL FALL LEAGUE REGULATIONS - AS THE 2011 FALL SEASON APPROACHES, THESE REGULATIONS WILL BE UPDATED WITH CURRENT RULES.
Rev 9/10
LOWCOUNTRY
TENNIS ASSOCIATION
LOCAL
LEAGUE REGULATIONS
FOR THE
FALL 2010 USTA LEAGUE TENNIS PROGRAM
INTRODUCTION
0.01 The following are
the regulations for the 2010 Fall USTA League Tennis
Program in the Lowcountry Tennis Association of the
South Carolina State of the Southern Section, and they
apply to both the Adult League and the Senior League.
These regulations augment the USTA League Tennis 2010
Regulations, the USTA Southern Sectional Regulations for
USTA League Tennis for League Year 2010, the USTA South
Carolina State Regulations for USTA League Tennis for
League Year 2010, the Lowcountry Tennis Association
Constitution and the Lowcountry Tennis Association
By-Laws. For the most part, Local League
Regulations do not repeat rules and regulations found in
the other documents. In those instances where a
regulation is repeated, it is repeated verbatim.
For a person to understand the full set of regulations
that apply to the Lowcountry Tennis Association, it is
necessary to have copies of all of the Regulations
mentioned above.
0.02 USTA League
Tennis, Southern Sectional, and South Carolina State
regulations take precedence over the Lowcountry Tennis
Association Local League Regulations. If any
conflicts occur, the Local League Regulations will be
overruled by the other regulations.
0.03 It may be
necessary to correct or change the Local League
Regulations in order to react to changes in USTA League
Tennis, Southern Sectional or South Carolina State
regulations.
0.04 Paragraph
numbering for the Lowcountry Tennis Association Local
League Regulations is done according to the numbering
and lettering scheme for the USTA League Tennis
Regulations, and topics addressed in specific paragraphs
in these regulations relate to the same topics in the
same paragraphs in the USTA League Tennis Regulations.
As such, paragraph lettering and numbering in the
Lowcountry Tennis Association Local League Regulations
may not be consecutive.
0.05 Although the USTA League
Tennis 2010 Regulations have separate sections dealing
with the 2.5 and 5.0 Adult Levels and the Senior League,
the LCTA regulations address all Adult and Senior League
Regulations in the same section with paragraph numbering
based upon the USTA League Tennis 2010 Regulations for
the Adult League.
1.07 TENNIS BALLS.
The home team must furnish one can of unopened yellow or
white Ball Type 1 (fast-regular felt) or Ball Type 2
(medium-heavy duty felt) tennis balls for each
individual match to be played. If both
players/teams agree prior to the start of an individual
match, a can of unopened Ball Type 3 (slow-larger ball)
may be used. The Penn pink tennis balls are not
approved by the USTA and thus cannot be used for League
Tennis play.
1.18 SECTIONAL LEAGUE
COORDINATORS. The Southern Section has appointed
Holly Goddard as Sectional League Coordinator to
implement and administer the USTA League Tennis Program
in accordance with the USTA League Tennis Regulations.
1.19
STATE LEAGUE COORDINATOR (SLC).
a.
The following person has been
appointed to implement and administer the South Carolina
State USTA League Tennis Program: Mary Goins, P.
O. Box 386, Easley, SC 29641 864-855-0881
mggoins@charter.net
b.
The following person has been
appointed to implement and administer the South Carolina
State USTA Senior League Tennis Program: Jimmy
Sain, 510 Jameson Drive, Piedmont, SC 864-269-5419
rxtennis@charter.net.
1.20 LOCAL LEAGUE
COORDINATOR (LLC). The following
person has been appointed to implement and administer
the Lowcountry Tennis Association USTA League Tennis
Program, and to interpret the Lowcounty Tennis
Association Local League Regulations:
Ken Edwards 2 Ocean Point Drive, Isle of Palms, SC
29451, 843-886-6648, ken@lctatennis.org.
The local league coordinator also has the
authority to change the dates for registering a team
and/or adding players to a team.
1.21 TEAM CAPTAIN. Each
team shall appoint a team captain to handle
administrative affairs and to represent the team in
Lowcountry Tennis Association matters. It is
recommended that the team captain be a playing member of
the team but, in no circumstances, may an individual be
a team captain of more than one Adult League team at the
same level of play or more than one Senior League team
at the same level of play, though an individual could be
the captain of one Adult League Team and one Senior
League Team at the same level of play, or of multiple
Adult League teams and/or multiple Senior League teams
at different levels of play. The team captain, or
an acting team captain, must be present at every match.
Each team may also appoint a co-captain.
1.24 LOCAL LEAGUE
SEASON. The season for the Lowcountry Tennis
Association Local League shall be from September 1,
2010, to December 31, 2010.
1.25 ASSIGNED TEAMS.
If teams are assigned from other leagues and/or tennis
associations to play in the Lowcountry Tennis
Association, those teams will play all of their matches
at Lowcountry Tennis Association sites. Such teams
may, if they desire, establish a home site at one of the
Lowcountry Tennis Association facilities.
1.26 COURT FACILITIES.
Each team participating in the Lowcountry Tennis
Association must guarantee the use of three courts at
one location for all LCTA regularly scheduled and
make-up matches. Any approved USTA surface is
permissible, including indoor and outdoor (clay or hard)
surfaces. The choice of surfaces is the
prerogative of the home team, and more than one surface
may be used for a single team match. The home team
must identify which individual matches will be played on
which surfaces prior to either team turning in the
line-up for that day’s play. The home team is
responsible to have courts available and playable at
match time.
1.27 COACHING AND
SPORTSMANSHIP.
A. There is no coaching
allowed in the LCTA Senior League. In the LCTA
Adult League, coaching is allowed only between the
second and third sets, and only if there is more than a
two minute break between the two sets.
B. There are no
linesmen or referees for LCTA matches. If a
conflict occurs during match play over line calls, the
players involved may request their captains to appoint a
linesperson for the remainder of the match.
C. Foot faults are
illegal. Constant and blatant foot faulting giving
the server a definite advantage should be politely
brought to the attention of the server. If the
foot-faulting continues, the players involved may
request the captains to appoint a linesperson for the
remainder of the match.
D. Players should call
the score after each point to avoid confusion. If
there is disagreement over the score, players should go
back to the last agreed upon point.
E. Spectators may not aid
players in making a line call or in determining the
correct score. Spectators should not participate
in the match in any way and should refrain from doing so
even if asked by the players.
F. Spectators may
quietly watch a match in progress. They should not
sit or stand at the end of the court immediately behind
the servers or receivers if it is distracting to the
players. Spectators may quietly clap for points
well played. It should be remembered that the
well-played point should be applauded regardless of who
won the point. It is poor tennis etiquette to clap
for unforced errors.
G. It is the
responsibility of the team captain to control the noise
and behavior of team spectators. Loud, boisterous
or unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable. If a
problem arises with a spectator, both players should ask
the spectator to refrain from the offensive behavior.
If the behavior persists, the team captains should be
summoned to handle the situation. If necessary, a
grievance should be filed.
H. Coaches and club
professionals must not interfere in discussions or
negotiations between players or captains unless
specifically asked by both captains for advice.
Even then, it is the responsibility of the two captains,
not the coach or professional, to decide on the
appropriate resolution.
I. Disputes should be
settled between players as soon as they arise. All
points played in good faith stand. Players should
be able to resolve any dispute by themselves. If,
however, they cannot, they should do the following:
(1) The player should
inform the opponent of the problem and intention to
leave the court to obtain the assistance of the team
captain. When leaving the court, the racket should
be left on the court.
(2) The captain should
contact the opponent’s captain and they should try to
resolve the dispute. If the captains are involved
in playing a match, the players may have to postpone
their play until the captains are available to assist
them.
(3) If the captains and
players cannot agree on a resolution to the conflict,
the offended player(s) may either:
(a) Continue to play
the match, but to do so under protest. The score
and who was serving at the time of the protest will be
indicated on the scorecard with the annotation, "played
under protest." At the conclusion of the match,
the offended player(s) may or may not file a grievance.
If no grievance is filed, the results of the match stand
as completed.
(b) Stop play,
ensuring both captains and the opponent know why.
Indicate on the scorecard that the match was stopped in
protest and indicate the score and who was serving at
the time the match was stopped. The offended
player or the player’s captain should file a grievance.
If no grievance is filed within the required time frame
(see para. 2.02B), the match will be scored as a
retirement by the offended player.
2.01 GRIEVANCE COMPLAINTS.
2.01 GRIEVANCE COMPLAINTS
DURING LCTA REGULAR SEASON PLAY. Grievance complaints
may be filed not only for infractions of the regulations
but also for failing to abide by good conduct, fair
play, and good sportsmanship. Such grievances must be
filed in writing with the chairman of the Lowcountry
Tennis Association Grievance Committee prior to
commencement of the next team match involving such
player or team, or within 24 hours after the end of
local league play, whichever occurs first, except a
complaint based on ineligibility may be filed at any
time after learning the person is ineligible.
With the approval of the
State League Coordinator, the Lowcountry Tennis
Association Grievance Committee consists of five
Lowcountry Tennis Association members appointed by the
Lowcountry Tennis Association President/Local League
Coordinator. The chairperson and at least two of the six
members will meet to decide any grievance appeal
submitted to the Committee.The members are:
Chairperson-Nancy Pitcairn; Members- - Jim Nista, Bill
Bailey, Renee Holoubek, and Dee Mack.
The decisions of the
Lowcountry Tennis Association Grievance Committee may be
appealed. With the approval of the State League
Coordinator, the Lowcountry Tennis Association Appeal
Committee consists of five Lowcountry Tennis Association
members appointed by the Lowcountry Tennis Association
President/Local League Coordinator. The chairperson and
at least two of the four members will meet to decide any
grievance appeal submitted to the Committee.
The members are: Chairperson-Art Welling; Members-
Meg Farrelly, Steve Wilson, Terra Burke, Betty Randolph.
2.02 GRIEVANCE
COMPLAINTS CONCERNING LCTA LEAGUE ADMINISTRATION.
All grievances against the Lowcountry
Tennis Association administration of the USTA League
Tennis Program wherein the complaint alleges that a
coordinator or committee has violated National,
Sectional, State or Local Regulations will be handled by
the USTA Southern Section Leagues Grievance and
Grievance Appeal Committees.
2.03
NTRP ELIGIBILITY GRIEVANCE
COMPLAINT.
Self-rated players who enter the USTA
League Tennis Program by misrepresenting their actual
skill level are considered to have violated the
standards of good conduct, fair play, and good
sportsmanship, and may be subject to a grievance
complaint and possible disqualification.
Grievances against such players may be filed by
the Local League Coordinator, a team captain, or a
tournament committee. Such grievances
will be reviewed and decided by a NTRP Eligibility
Grievance Committee appointed and convened by the
Section League Coordinator. These complaints should be
first delivered to the Local League Coordinator, who
will forward them to the State League Coordinator, who
will forward them to the Section League Coordinator who,
in turn, will forward them to the Southern NTRP
Eligibility Grievance Committee Chairman.
3.00 LOCAL LEAGUE
REGULATIONS
3.01 LOCAL LEAGUE.
3.01A Number of Teams.
The Lowcountry Tennis Association shall consist of a
minimum of two teams in a specific level of competition
or division. In order to accommodate scheduling
considerations, the Lowcountry Tennis Association may
establish two or more flights within a division.
The decision to establish two or more flights will be
made by the Level Coordinator for that Division in
consultation with the Local League Coordinator and the
applicable Men's/Women's/Seniors' Coordinator.
Flights will generally not be established where it
results in a flight of fewer than five teams and flights
will not generally exceed 13 teams. Assigning
teams to flights will be done as follows:
(1) Teams desiring to
play during the day will be in separate flight(s) from
teams desiring to play in the evening.
(2) If there are two or
more flights within the day or night groups, the make-up
of a flight will be the result of either a random
selection or on the basis of geographical location, as
determined by the level coordinator. When using
the random selection alternative, the level coordinator
may elect to split, to the maximum extent possible, the
teams from a single tennis club among the flights.
3.01B Team.
(1) An Adult League
team in the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 divisions shall
consist of a minimum of eight players of the same sex
eligible to compete at a specific level of competition.
(2) An Adult League
team in the 2.5 and 5.0 divisions shall consist of a
minimum of five players of the same sex eligible to
compete at a specific level of competition.
(3) A Senior League
team shall consist of a minimum of six players of the
same sex eligible to compete at a specific level of
competition.
(4) Team members may
have an individual Dynamic National Tennis Rating
Program (NTRP) rating below but not higher than the
maximum NTRP rating of the level in which they are
competing.
(5) Teams in the
Lowcountry Tennis Association are limited in the number
of players on the roster who have an NTRP rating
(whether computer-generated or self-generated) that is
lower than the level of play. Adult
teams, except for 4.5 teams playing in the LCTA Fall
Adult League are limited to four players that are
“playing up,” while all senior teams are limited to
three players playing up. Teams that
believe they should be given an exemption from this rule
may submit a well-justified request to the Local League
Coordinator. An LCTA Committee will review
the request and determine whether or not an exemption
will be granted. Teams with more than
the authorized number of players “playing up” will be
required to remove one or more players from the team
until the authorized number is not exceeded.
Adult 4.5 teams are allowed an unlimited number
of players playing up as long as there are at least four
players on the team with a 4.5 rating.
(6) If a team
desires to have on its roster players who live in
another state (as defined by the player’s address in the
USTA database), prior approval must
be obtained as described in paragraph 3.01H(5)c(2) of
the USTA South Carolina State USTA League Tennis
Regulations for League Year 2010.
Forms for requesting such approval are available from
the LCTA Local League Coordinator. A
player playing out of his/her home state without
obtaining prior approval will be subject to sanctions,
including, at a minimum, defaulting of all matches
played prior to receiving approval. Sanctions may be
applied to the team captain as well.
A player whose primary residence is not in South
Carolina, who previously received approval to play in
the LCTA, and who has played in the LCTA every year
since that approval was granted need not reapply for
approval to play in the LCTA in the same division (Adult
and/or Senior) as played in 2009.
3.01D Entry.
(1) Players with a computer rating must play at that NTRP level or higher.
(2) Players without a computer rating but who self-rated within the past year must play at that level or higher.
(3) Players who
do not have a computer rating on file in TennisLink
shall self-rate in accordance with the National Tennis
Rating Program (NTRP) Guidelines and complete the
self-rating process on TennisLink when registering for a
team. Failure to provide accurate
information regarding a player’s tennis history will
subject the player, the captain and/or others who
condoned inaccurate self-rating to sanctions and
disqualification. Important note:
After a player self-rates, the player must play
at that NTRP level or higher; i.e., the player may
self-rate at a level lower than the level at which the
player intends to play.
3.01E. Levels of Play.
The Lowcountry Tennis Association Local League has
determined that for the Fall 2010 league, the following
levels shall be available if there are at least two
teams for the level.
Adult Men:
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, Open
Adult Women:
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, Open
Senior Men:
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5
Senior Women:
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5
3.01G Scoring and Rest.
(1)(a) All matches in the Adult League will be the best of three sets with regular scoring and a set tie break (i.e., first team to win at least 7 points and with at least a two point margin over the opponent) at 6-all in a set. (Note: In the State, Sectional and National Championships, the third set, if a third set is necessary, will be a match tie break (i.e., first team to win at least 10 points and with at least a two point margin over the opponent)). )). If a set tiebreak is needed, all adult matches in the LCTA will use the Coman Tiebreak Procedure. (Note: In the Local League, State, Sectional, and National playoffs the scoring will be will be the best of three sets with a match tie break used in lieu of a third set.)
(1)(b) All matches in the Senior League will be the best of three sets with a match tie break (i.e., first team to win at least 10 points and with at least a two point margin over the opponent) in lieu of the third set, and with set tie breaks (i.e., first team to win at least 7 points and with at least a two point margin over the opponent) at 6-all in the first two sets. If either a set tiebreak or match tiebreak is needed, all senior matches in the LCTA will use the Coman Tiebreak Procedure.
(2) There will be a 2-minute break at the end of each set. This break may be extended, in the Adult League only, to a maximum break of 10 minutes, between the second and third sets only, if requested by any of the players involved in that individual match. In the Senior League, there will only be the 2-miute break between all sets.
(3) There will
be a changeover, but no break, at the end of the first
game of each set.
3.01H Competition
Format.
3.01H(1) Schedule
Format.
(a) Regular Season.
(i) Each division shall
consist of one or more flights as discussed in paragraph
3.01A above.
(ii) To the extent
possible, each flight in each division shall play at
least one round robin competition wherein every team
plays every other team; however, in the Fall league, if
there is more than one round robin within a flight or
sub-flight, it is not necessary to schedule a complete
round robin for the last round robin—i.e., teams will
not necessarily play all other teams an equal number of
times. In the Fall league, it may also happen that
there will not be a complete round robin even in those
instances wherein there is a single flight.
(b) Play-Offs.
There will be no play-offs for the Fall 2010 season.
3.01H(2) Team Match and
Scoring.
(a) Each team match in
the Lowcountry Tennis Association shall consist of:
(i) 2 individual
singles matches and 3 individual doubles matches for men
and women in the Adult League 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and
4.5 flights.
(ii) 1 individual
singles match and 2 individual doubles matches for men
and women in the Adult League 2.5 and 5.0 flights.
(The format for the 5.0 divisions may be revised by vote
of a majority of the captains of the teams
participating, and if so approved by the LCTA Local
League Coordinator.) flights. (iii) 3 individual
doubles matches for all flights in the Senior League.
(b) The team winning
the majority of the individual matches in a team match
shall be awarded one team point.
(c) Flight standings at
the end of the regular season shall be in the order of
the number of team points won, i.e., the winner of the
flight competition shall be the team with the most team
points at the end of the season, etc. In the event
that two or more teams in a flight have the same number
of team points at the end of the season, the tie shall
be broken in the following manner:
(i) Winner of the most
individual matches during the season.
(ii) Loser of the
fewest number of sets during the season.
(iii) Loser of the
fewest number of games during the season.
(iv) Winner of
head-to-head competition between the two teams who are
tied.
(d)
During play-off round robins, the positions of
the teams at the end of the round robin shall be
determined in the same manner as during flight
competition except that only matches played during the
playoff round robin will be used to determine team
points, individual matches won, sets lost and games
lost.
(e) Recording and
Reporting Scores.
(i) Match scores are to
be entered into TennisLink within 48 hours of the end of
the match. While either team may enter the score,
it is recommended that the captain or co-captain of the
winning team enter the score.
(ii) If match scores
are not entered into TennisLink within 48 hours, a team
will receive a warning. Any additional occurrences
of not entering the score within 48 hours of match
completion will result in the match being excluded when
determining the division/flight standings.
(iii) The captain of
the losing team (or the team not entering the results in
TennisLink) will verify that the scores have been
entered correctly. The verifying captain will
either confirm, through TennisLink, that the match score
as reported is accurate, or will dispute the score if
he/she believes an error has been made and that the
reported score is incorrect.
(iv) The verification
of the match score must be completed within 48 hours of
the score being entered into TennisLink. After 48
hours, the reported score will be assumed to be correct,
and there will be no opportunity to correct a score even
if it is wrong.
(v)
It is strongly recommended that the two captains
compare notes at the end of the match in order to
decrease the probability of an erroneous score being
entered into TennisLink.
3.01H(4) Team Lineups.
(a) Strength sheets
will not be used in the Lowcountry Tennis Association.
(b) The two team
captains shall exchange their team lineups in writing
simultaneously, prior to the beginning of the team match
but no later than the scheduled start time of the match.
No substitution may be made in an individual match after
the lineup has been presented, except for injury to,
illness of, disqualification or no-show of a player.
In the event of illness, injury, disqualification, or
no-show of a player prior to the start of an individual
match (once the lineup as been exchanged), a team may
substitute a player in the affected position within the
15 minute default time, using a player not already
listed on the lineup. If no substitution can be
made, the affected position will be defaulted.
(c) Starting Match
Play. All individual matches will begin (i.e., the
first serve will be made) within fifteen minutes of the
scheduled start time. All warm-ups, including
service warm-ups, must be concluded prior to fifteen
minutes after the scheduled start time.
(Exception: All players will be allowed a
five-minute warm-up even if this means starting the
match after the mandatory start time.)
(d) Defaults.
(i) A default occurs
when a team captain cannot field all positions for a
team match.
(ii) Defaults must be
given "from the bottom" except as provided for in
paragraph 3.01H(4)(b) above.
(aa) Singles. The No. 2
singles must be defaulted before the No. 1 singles may
be defaulted.
(bb) Doubles. The
No. 3 doubles must be defaulted before the No. 2
doubles, and the No. 2 doubles must be defaulted before
the No. 1 doubles may be defaulted.
(iii) To receive a win
by default, the non-defaulting player or players must be
present on court, ready to play; however, if a team
captain advises his/her opponent in advance of the
default, he/she, in effect, waives the requirement for
the non-defaulting player(s) to be present in order to
receive the default.
(iv) If a captain is
advised prior to the match that the opponent must
default one or more positions and that captain knows
that he/she would also have had to default a position,
it is incumbent upon that captain to demonstrate good
sportsmanship and declare a double default rather than
to accept the win.
(v) If a team defaults an
individual match during or prior to the line-up
exchange, and inclement weather forces the match to be
postponed before a point is played in any individual
match, then the default is cancelled.
(vi) If both teams
default the same position, neither team will receive a
win and the scorecard will indicate a double
default.
(vii)
If an Adult League team playing in the 3.0, 3.5,
4.0, and 4.5 flights defaults an excessive number of
matches, i.e., more than twenty percent of its scheduled
individual matches, during the season, none of that
team’s individual matches for the entire season--both of
those matches already played and those matches yet to be
played--will not count in the league results.
(Example: If there are ten
scheduled matches for a 3.5 Adult League team, there
will be fifty scheduled individual matches.
If a team were to default 11 or more individual
matches, none of the team’s individual matches for the
entire season would count except for determining
computer ratings.)
(viii) If an Adult
League team playing in the 2.5 or 5.0 flight, or if a
Senior League team defaults an excessive number of
matches, i.e., more than one-third of its scheduled
individual matches, during the season, none of that
team’s individual matches for the entire season--both
those matches already played and those matches yet to be
played--will not count in the league results.
(ix) By joining the Lowcountry Tennis
Association, a team is making a commitment to play every
match. If, however, circumstances
dictate that a team cannot field at least three
positions (two positions for 2.5 and 5.0 adults, and two
positions for all seniors), then the entire match (i.e.,
all positions) must be defaulted in accordance with
rules 3.01H(4) and 3.03L of the 2010 USTA League Tennis
Regulations. If it is determined by
the Flight Coordinator in consultation with the Local
League Coordinator, at any time during the season, that
such a team default will affect the league standings in
a material fashion, then none of the team's individual
matches for the entire season will count in the final
standings. This will pertain even if
the team has not defaulted an excessive number of its
individual matches as described above.
(x) A grievance may be filed against any team which defaults an excessive number of its individual matches or which defaults an entire team match. The situation will be assessed by the Grievance Committee and penalties imposed as appropriate. Penalties could include barring the team and/or its players from participating in future Lowcountry Tennis Association league tennis play for some specific period of time.
3.01H(5) Player Participation
Individuals may not play at the same level on more than one team in the 2010 Fall Lowcountry Tennis Association Adult League nor at the same level on more than one team in the 2010 Lowcountry Tennis Association Fall Senior League. Individuals, however, may play on multiple teams in the Lowcountry Tennis Association, or on teams in the Lowcountry Tennis Association and teams in other leagues in South Carolina, in either the Adult League or the Senior League, as long as those teams compete at different levels of play. An individual may also compete on both an Adult League team and a Senior League team at the same level of play.
(a). The above rule
not withstanding, the LCTA Local League Coordinator may
bar a team from playing in the LCTA, without a return of
registration fees, if more than 40 percent of the team’s
players do not reside in the Lowcountry area (Berkeley,
Charleston, Dorchester, and Colleton counties) unless
such team is assigned to the LCTA by they State League
Coordinator, and the team must play its home matches at
a Lowcountry tennis facility.
3.01J Inclement
Weather.
3.01J(1) Inclement
Weather During Regular Season.
(a) It is the
responsibility of the home team captain to determine
whether weather conditions warrant the postponement of a
regular season team match. If teams
have assembled and have started play or are waiting to
start play, they should be prepared to wait one hour to
determine if the courts are playable.
It is recommended the home team captain consult with the
visiting team captain prior to making the "play/no play"
decision, especially if match play has already begun.
(b) If match play has
not begun (i.e., no individual match has started), the
team captains will decide, within 48 hours, on a
mutually agreeable make-up date and inform the level
coordinator. This make-up date must be within two
weeks of the scheduled date of the postponed match
(within 72 hours if at the end of the season and it
affects who will participate in the local league
playoffs). If the two captains cannot mutually
agree on a make-up date that will be within the 14 days,
the match is automatically set by the league for the
first following Saturday at 2:00 PM at the Home Team
courts location. Captains are encouraged to play
all positions at the same time, just as they would in a
regularly scheduled match; however this is not a
requirement. Team lineups on the make-up day do not have
to be the same as they were on the day of the
postponement even if the lineups had already been
exchanged, and any defaults given during or prior to the
line-up exchange are cancelled. Once the make-up dates
are established and the level coordinator is informed,
those are considered to be the official match dates and
they are not postponable unless there is inclement
weather on those dates. If one team shows for a team or
an individual match and the other does not, the match
will be recorded as a default by the team that did not
show. If neither team shows for the agreed upon
make up date or the league set date, the match will be
scored a double forfeit. If the two teams double
forfeit the entire match in this manner, this will
result in both teams losing one team match, three
individual matches; six sets, and 36 games. If one
or more individual positions are double forfeited (while
others are played), it will result in both teams losing
one individual match, two sets and twelve games for each
double defaulted match. If it rains on Saturday,
the match is rescheduled for the following Saturday at
2:00 pm unless both captains agree to another day and/or
time prior to that. Coordinators have the
responsibility to ensure these requirements are met.
(c) If match play has
begun (i.e., at least one point played in one individual
match), completed matches will stand as played,
incomplete matches must be resumed by the same players
at the exact set, game and point score as when play was
halted, and matches not started will be played by the
individuals listed on the line-up without any
substitutions. Defaults given prior or during the
line-up exchange will stand. The incomplete
matches or unstarted matches do not have to be played at
the same time and date, but can be arranged by the
individuals involved in each of the individual matches.
The decision when individual matches will be resumed
must be made within 48 hours and the matches played
within 14 days (within 72 hours if at the end of the
season and it affects who will participate in the local
league playoffs) or the match will be set by the league
automatically on the first following Saturday at 2:00 PM
at the Home Team courts. Once the make-up dates are
established and the flight coordinator is informed,
those are considered to be the official match date and
it are not postponable unless there is inclement weather
on those dates. If one or both teams in an individual
match do not show to play on the agreed upon or league
established make-up date, there are three possible
outcomes:
- If an individual match
had started prior to the inclement weather and if
one team shows for the make-up match and the other
does not, that position will be recorded as a
retirement by the team that did not show, with the
score being entered as it was when play was
interrupted;
- If an individual match
had not started prior to the inclement weather and
if one team shows for the make-up match and the
other does not, that position will be recorded as a
default by the team that did not show;
- If neither team shows
for the match, the individual match will be scored
as a double forfeit. This will result in both
teams losing one individual match, two sets and
twelve games.
If it rains on Saturday, the
match is rescheduled for the following Saturday at 2:00
pm unless the players involved agree to another day
and/or time prior to that. Coordinators have the
responsibility to ensure these requirements are met.
3.01K Registration.
3.01K(1) Teams will
register for play in the LCTA 2010 Fall Tennis League by
entering their rosters in TennisLink no later than
September 7, 2010. No new teams may
be established after that date unless a waiver is
received from the Lowcountry Tennis Association
President/Local League Coordinator.
3.01K(2) In order for a roster to be considered valid on September 7, 2010, it must have at least eight players if the team will be competing in the Adult 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5 flights; five players if competing in the Adult 2.5 or 5.0 flights; and six players if competing in the Senior League.:p>
3.01K(3) A player may
be added to a team roster until the date of that team’s
last scheduled match in the regular season.
3.01K(4) A player may
not play for a team until the player has been entered on
the roster. If a player is not on the roster at
the start time of a match and plays in that match, the
individual match will be considered to be a default.
3.01K(5) To be listed
on a roster, a player must:
(a) Be a paid-up member
of the USTA. (In accordance with USTA/SC
regulations, all players for the 2010 season must have
their memberships paid-up through the LCTA local league
season, i.e., December 31, 2010.) TennisLink will
not allow a player to be added to the roster if this
requirement is not met.
(b) Pay a $12 fee
through TennisLink. This fee is collected each
time a player’s name appears on a roster. This fee
is not refundable for any reason.
(c) Be on a team that
plays at or above the player’s current rating as
indicated in TennisLink. A player may play at a
level higher than his/her rating. Players without
a rating in TennisLink must self-rate, using the
National Tennis Rating Program standards, before
registering for a team. Those self-ratings will be
in effect for one year or until the player generates a
computer-based rating.
3.01L Rescheduling Due to
Conflicting Events. During the fall, it is quite
possible that a team will have a scheduled match that
conflicts with championship play (i.e., LCTA playoffs,
State Championships, Sectional Championships, or
National Championships) or play on a team that is
representing the LCTA in tennis competition (such as the
Southern Cities Championship). In such
circumstances, if the team has three or more players
(two or more players if an Adult 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5
team with 10 or fewer players on the roster or a Senior
team or an Adult 2.5 or 5.0 team with 7 or fewer players
on the roster) participating in such championship
level play or on a team representing the LCTA, then the
captain of the team may request that the match be
rescheduled and the request must be granted by the
opposing captain. When that occurs, the captains
should make every effort to reschedule the match to a
date prior to the originally scheduled date.
If that is not possible, then the rescheduling must
occur as indicated in paragraph 3.01J(1)(b) for a match
that is totally postponed due to rain. (If a
league match is scheduled to be played in the morning
and the competing event is a local league playoff match
to be scheduled at 5:00 p.m. or later, that does not
constitute a conflict for the purposes of this rule.
Neither does this rule apply to conflicts with local
sanctioned or unsanctioned tournaments though captains
may opt to reschedule such matches if mutually agreeable
to both captains.)