1.
The Maryland
District will enforce all National and Sectional USTA League rules/regulations.
The principal responsibility for enforcement of the rules lies with area league
coordinators (ALC).
2.
Any rules proposed
by local leagues (whether to reinforce an existing rule, or establish a new
one) must be in written form and submitted annually for approval to the
Maryland District Leagues Administrator (DLA). The deadline for filing such
rules is 3 weeks before local league
play begins.
3.
ALC’s must
transmit to the DLA area league’s written rules or written certification that
no separate rules will be issued and a USTA League Registration form at least 3 weeks prior to the commencement of
area league play. ALC’s must coordinate the
DLA area player registration dates and commencement of area league play.
Without this information, team codes and match numbers cannot be assigned. One
cannot begin player registration via TennisLink without this information.
4.
The Mixed Doubles
Districts will be June 20, 21, 22, Adult District July 18, 19, 20, Senior
District August 29, 30, 31 and Combo District October 17, 18, 19. At the Mixed Doubles, Senior and Combo districts, a minimum of six (6) team members who were
on the final roster of their area league team at
the conclusion of local league play must be available and eligible to compete. At the Adult
districts, a minimum of eight (8) team members who were on the final roster of
their area league team at the conclusion of local league play must be available
and eligible to compete. Where the DLA has determined that a full draw
is appropriate but not available, a WILD CARD ENTRY may be extended to a local
league with 10 or more teams or in the order of descending size counting the
number of teams at the affected level of play until the draw is filled. No
local league may receive the benefit of more than one “wildcard entry” per
level.
5.
Local league
winners shall advance to a Maryland District League Championship Tournament.
The winners will earn the right to compete at the corresponding Mid-Atlantic
Section League Championship Tournament.
6.
Winning teams not
able to participate must notify the DLA 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 District 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 DLA shall determine whether that area league shall retain its
right to place an entry in that specific level or flight.
7.
At all
District 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 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.
8.
Players/teams
leaving a District 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 Tournament 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.
9.
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 number of
matches required by Rule 3.01H(1) and Mid-Atlantic Rule 13:
June
8th for Mixed Doubles championship competition;
July
6th for Adult league championship competition;
August
17th for all Senior league championship competition, except
August
29th for Super Senior league championship competition
The end date for league play is May 1st for
Mixed Doubles, July 11 for Adult, August 22 for Senior, and October 9th
for Combo.
10.
Players without a
computer rating are required to declare a self-rating when first entering the
Leagues program. 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. Penalties may be imposed
for incorrect or incomplete information, or failure to complete the form. Once
made, the self-rating declared by the player shall apply to all Divisions until
superseded by a computer-generated by a computer-generated rating established
according to USTA-approved computer methodology. Players who have a computer rating from 2004
or before must self-rate. A computer rating is valid for three (3) years for
those individuals 59 and under and two (2) years for those individuals 60 years
and over or until another rating is generated.
11.
Team captains and
coordinators are required to review player rosters, league standings, and other
TennisLink administrative reports on a regular basis. Coordinators are required to secure and
retain Player Deletion forms sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the
Maryland District’s Rule, which limits roster size to no more than 20 players
for Mixed, Adult, and Senior, Combo leagues (12-player maximum on any 5.0 and
2.5 level team).
12.
A person is
allowed to captain and/or co-captain only ONE team in the same division, in the
same level and in the same local league.
13.
League players may
be added to a TennisLink team roster at any time throughout the local league
season subject to a local league rule otherwise limiting roster additions. No
player is eligible to progress to Championship level competition unless he/she
has played on that same team in at least two matches during its local league
season with no more than ONE default. A defaulted match shall count as a match
played for the player(s) receiving the default, but not for the player(s) who
defaulted. A retired match shall count for all player(s) involved. DEFAULTS
cannot count towards the 3-match minimum needed to establish eligibility to
participate at National Championships.
14.
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 ALC to instruct that the match be
scored as a Double Default. The non-reporting captain or designee must log into
TennisLink and confirm or dispute the reported 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.
15.
As governed by
Mid-Atlantic Rule #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 an ALC from
formally rescheduling a match date/time where local circumstances require, so
long as established dates for completing local play are not violated.)
16.
Each local league
shall appoint a Local League Grievance Committee consisting of no less than
three (3) persons, including a chairman, responsible for adjudication of the
grievance. All members of the Grievance Committee must first be approved by the
Mid-Atlantic Section League Coordinator. Local league Grievance and Grievance
Appeal Committee members must be listed in the local league rules. Per USTA
League Tennis Regulations, all complaints alleging a violation during local
league competition shall be in writing with the chairman of the Local League
Grievance Committee prior to the commencement of the next team match in that
flight involving such player or team, or within twenty-four hours after the end
of local league play whichever occurs first. At the time a complaint is filed,
a copy of such complaint shall be sent to the party (ies) against whom the
complaint has been made. A copy of its decision shall be promptly sent to the
DLA.
17.
Each local league
shall appoint a Local League Grievance Appeal Committee consisting of no less
than three (3) persons, including a chairman, to consider appeals from the
Local Grievance Committee, the members of which must first be approved by the
Mid-Atlantic Section League Coordinator. No member of a Grievance Appeal
Committee may be a member of a Grievance Committee. The Grievance Appeal
Committee shall have the power to affirm, modify or reject the decision of the
Grievance Committee. Per USTA League Tennis Regulations, the Grievance Appeal
Committee’s decisions are final and binging on all parties. A copy of this
decision shall be promptly sent to all interested parties and to the DLA.
18.
If a grievance is
filed against the administration of a local league, that grievance is to be
heard by the Grievance Committee at the District level.
19.
Complaints
alleging NTRP violations must be filed with the Mid-Atlantic Section League
Coordinator. Original complaints are limited to a request for “Player Review”
to confirm whether a player has met the requirements for disqualification under
the Dynamic NTRP methodology. Appeals of any player disqualifications are
governed by USTA League Tennis Regulations, Rule 3.04.
Grievance
Committee:
Grievance Appeal Committee;
Jim
Lawson, Chair
Julie
Seanz