MID-ATLANTIC SECTION RULES
For All Divisions
(Mix-Adult-Senior)
2.
At a minimum, each District in the Mid-Atlantic Section shall publish
written rules governing (a) the information necessary for a local league
to be recognized by the District and organized in TennisLink; (b) the
progression of local league winners to District championship events, and
District championship participants to Sectional championship events; and
(c) the filing, investigation, and adjudication of grievances and appeals
arising out of Local League or District Championship play within its
jurisdiction.
3.
Players with a valid computer rating established according to USTA-approved
computer methodology must enter a USTA League Tennis division at that
rating or higher. Any player who circumvents this requirement by acquiring
multiple, false or misleading (e.g., variants on the same name) USTA
membership numbers shall be disqualified from further participation in any
USTA League Tennis program for a period of 12 months from the date of
disqualification and all matches played by such persons will be declared
forfeit.
4.
When first entering the Leagues program, players without a computer
rating are required to answer questions on-line regarding their player
history and then declare a self-rating on TennisLink. In making their
self-rating decision, players should consider the NTRP Guidelines posted
on the TennisLink website; their on-court performance against established
league players; relevant tennis history including frequency of play and
instruction; and general fitness. Once made, the self-rating declared by
the player shall apply to all Divisions until superseded by a
computer-generated rating established according to USTA-approved
computer methodology.
5.
TennisLink is the official and exclusive system for registering teams
and players, and reporting match scores and standings for the USTA League
Tennis program. No person may participate on a League team, and no local
league may commence, without first registering via TennisLink. All local
league seasons must start and finish in the same calendar year. No
local league winner may advance to championship level competition until
all scheduled matches have been recorded in TennisLink.
6.
Match results must be
reported on TennisLink within 72 hours of the completion of the team
match. This may be done by
either the winning or losing team captain, or their designee. Failure to
do so shall cause the local coordinator to instruct that the match be
scored as a Double Default. The
non reporting captain, or designee, must
log in to TennisLink and confirm or dispute the
reported match scores within 48 hours after they have been
reported. After that time, TennisLink automatically blocks any attempt to
edit or otherwise contest reported results, which are deemed final and
complete with no further right of challenge.
7.
A team match should not remain uncompleted for more than seven days
after its scheduled date or the deadline for completing local league match
play, whichever occurs first. (This does not preclude a local coordinator
from formally re-scheduling a match date/time where local circumstances
require, so long as established dates for completing local play are not
violated.)
8.
Player Dynamic NTRP ratings are automatically recalculated in the
national database on a daily basis throughout the season unless
some unforeseen technical problem prevents it. As a result, inputting
match results in proper chronological order (the order in which they are played) is essential. If as a
result of system-driven recalculations, a player's Dynamic NTRP rating
reaches disqualification level three times:
a.
During
local league:
that player shall be disqualified, and if the player is self-rated, all
matches played at that level shall be forfeited. If the player is computer
rated and ONLY competing at that level and not a higher level, then only
the last match played shall be forfeited. If the computer rated player is
also playing at a higher level, then all matches played at disqualified
level shall be forfeited. The player may register on a team at the higher
level if otherwise eligible to do so. The Sectional office shall issue
notice of NTRP disqualification promptly to the player and the Team
Captain as designated on the TennisLink team roster, with a copy to the
District League Coordinator. (Captains and players are encouraged to
provide e-mail address information when registering on TennisLink, and to
update such information as necessary, to facilitate timely notice in the
event of disqualification.)
b.
During
District or Sectional Championships:
computer calculations shall be run and new ratings produced after each
team match. Players who accumulate their “third strike” (considering
all matches reported in the database to that point) shall be immediately
disqualified, and the championship tournament matches played by such
players shall be considered 6-0, 6-0 wins for the opposing player or
doubles team pursuant to Rule 3.04D(2)a-b. In the event that the
Scorekeeper is unable to connect to TennisLink in "real time"
during a championship event, upon notice to that effect the Tournament
Committee may make an irrevocable election to suspend Rule 3.04A(2)a and
instead follow the procedure outlined in Rule 3.04A(2)b for the event in
question. Whenever such an election is made, Rule 3.04D(2)c shall likewise
be in effect.
9.
The Mid-Atlantic Section delegates to each of its Districts the
authority vested in it by Rule 3.01B to limit the number of players that
appear on a team roster.
10.
USTA
League Tennis Regulations
Rule 3.01H(5) authorizes players to participate on more than one team
under certain conditions. Specifically
in Mid-Atlantic Section and for any Division (Adult, Senior, or Mixed
Doubles):
a. Same league, same level:
a player may play on only one team at the same level within the same local
league.
b. Same league, different levels:
a player may play on more than one team in the same local league, so long
as each team is at a different NTRP level.
c.
Different
local leagues:
a player may play on more than one team, regardless of the NTRP level, if
each team is in a separate local league.
d. Player
limitation:
In local level leagues of: four or more teams, only two players who are
registered on the same team may be members together on any other team in
the same Division during the same season. three or less teams, three
players may be members together on another team in the same Division
during the same season. The infraction occurs at registration.
Where violations of this rule occur, penalties are established as (a)
immediate disqualification from the second (or any subsequent) team of all
players who are members together on another team, except for the first two
(or where authorized, three) such players, the order of registration as
recorded in Tennislink being the determinative factor; and (b) forfeiture
of all matches played by the disqualified players on behalf of the second
(or any subsequent) team. The disqualified players may continue to
participate on their other team(s) without penalty, and to register for
additional teams consistent with this Rule #10 and any District or local
registration deadlines.
11.
All matches played prior to District Championships are considered to be
local league matches.
12.
The Mid-Atlantic Section will use the scoring format described in Rule
3.01G (match tiebreak in lieu of a third set) at all
Sectional league championship tournaments, including the Coman
tiebreak procedure. In addition, for the Mixed Doubles Division only, the
Sectional Championship tournament shall be organized using combination
ratings of 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0.
13. The team certified by each District Leagues Administrator as its District Championship winner at each NTRP level is entitled to advance to the Sectional championship tournament. Where the SLC has determined that a full draw is appropriate but not available using the District entry procedures described above, a wildcard entry may be extended to a District (in order of descending size counting the number of teams at the affected level of play) until the draw is filled. No District may receive the benefit of more than one "wildcard entry" per level. To be eligible to advance to Sectional championship competition, a team must have registered the minimum number of players required by Rule 3.01B and played the minimum number of matches required by Rule 3.01H(1) by:
June 10th for Mixed Doubles championship competition;
July 8th for Adult league championship competition;
August 19th for Senior league championship competition.
14.
Winning teams not able to participate in the corresponding Sectional
Championship tournament must notify the Sectional League Coordinator and
their District Coordinator of their intention not to participate at least
ten (10) days prior to the start of the Tournament. Teams who violate this
rule shall be reported to the Chairman of the Section League Grievance
Committee for investigation and appropriate disciplinary action.
Penalties will be severe, up to and including being banned from
league play for the following league year. Upon notification that a
winning team is unable to advance, the second place team may advance in
its place. If the second place team is unable to participate, the
Sectional League Coordinator shall determine whether that District shall retain its right to
place an entry in that specific level or flight.
15.
In the event that a person is a captain of or player on more than one
team at the same level in the same division advancing to the same
Championship event, that captain or player shall transmit written notice
in advance to the District or Section office (as appropriate) declaring
which ONE team (s)he will represent at that event. Such declarations are
binding only for the duration of the event where the conflict arises.
16.
Players/teams leaving a Sectional Championship tournament before
completing their entire schedule of assigned matches and without the Tournament Director’s
approval shall be reported to the Chairman of the Section League Grievance
Committee for investigation and appropriate disciplinary action. Penalties
will be severe, up to and including suspension or other sanctions
for the following league year.
17.
At all Mid-Atlantic Section League Championship tournaments, match
line-ups are due to the Tournament Desk 30 minutes prior to the scheduled
start of each team match. Failure to turn in line-ups on time shall result
in an automatic $50.00 cash fine for each such occurrence. Any such fine
must be paid before the offending team will be allowed to play its
scheduled match. Match times are tentative and play will be on a
“followed by” basis. The Tournament Desk has the right to call a match
to begin play up to 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, assuming
courts are available to do so. Once
a match has been called, the USTA’s Point Penalty System applies and
will be strictly enforced.
18.
In the event that a player is not notified of his/her disqualification
before the deadline for submitting the team's next line-
up, and the Team Captain has scheduled the disqualified player to
participate in that next match, the Team Captain may substitute an
eligible player into the position vacated by the disqualified player. No
other line-up adjustment (reorganizing doubles teams or repositioning
players, etc.) is permitted.
Approved by MAS Leagues Committee: October 16, 2006 Approved by MAS Board of Directors: December 11, 2006