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AMENDED 3-2-10 - REMOVAL OF ORIGINAL
RULE #9
2010 Mid-Atlantic USTA League
Tennis Rules For All Divisions
1. The 2010 USTA League Tennis Regulations, together with such
supplemental rules as may be promulgated by the various Districts and Local
Leagues and approved by the Sectional League Coordinator, constitute the rules
of USTA League Tennis in Mid-Atlantic Section.
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 individual 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, or any other appropriate penalty determined by the Section League
Committee.
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 must 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apply to all Divisions until superseded by a computer-generated rating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. If a player arrives late for a local league match, local
league penalties for lateness apply. However, the player is still
entitled to a 5 minute warm-up.
9. 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, and if
that player has an A, S, M, T or D rating:
9a. During local league: all matches played at
that 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.)
9b. 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.
10. 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.
11. USTA League Tennis Regulations Rule 3.01H(5)
authorizes players and captains to participate on more than one team under
certain conditions. Specifically in Mid-Atlantic Section and for any
Division, whether or not that division results in Sectional Championship
competition:
11a. Same league, same
level:
a player/captain may play on or captain only one team at the same level within
the same local league.
11b. Same league,
different levels: a player/captain may play on or captain more than one team in
the same local league, so long as each team is at a different NTRP level.
11c. Different local
leagues:
a player/captain may play on or captain more than one team, regardless of the
NTRP level, if each team is in a separate local league.
11d. Player limitation
for leagues which advance to Sectional Championships: In local level
leagues of:
11d1. 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.
11d2.
three or less teams, three players may be members together on
another team in the same Division during the same season.
11d3. exception - three players may be
members together on another team in the same Division during the same season in
the Super Senior, Super Duper, Senior Mixed and Super Senior Mixed Divisions
only, regardless of the number of teams in their local league.
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, unless a player has not
played a match for either team, then the player may select which team to be
removed from; 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.
12. For purposes of qualifying, all matches played prior to
District Championships are considered to be local league matches.
13. 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 5.0,
6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0. The 5.0 level will comprise of 2.5 players
only, with no combined ratings allowed.
14. 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. The Districts must certify their winning
teams to the SLC by July 12th for Mixed Doubles, July 25th for Adult, September
4th for all Senior Divisions except Super Senior, which must be certified by
September 15th. 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 based on a random draw,
being made proportionately to the number of teams at that level in each
District, until the draw is filled. No District may receive the benefit of more
than one "wildcard entry" per level, except where the SLC has
determined that it is appropriate. 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 7th for Mixed Doubles championship competition;
July 5th for Adult league championship
competition;
August 16th for all Senior league championship competition, including Super
Duper and Senior Mixed;
August 30th for Super Senior league championship competition.
15.
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.
16. 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, and must be received at
the appropriate District or Section office at least 3 days before the start of
the tournament. All Declarations received will be considered confidential
to other teams. In the event no Declaration is received and a person
captains 2 teams, or a player competes for 2 teams at the same level, in the
same Division, then all matches played/or captained for the 2nd team will be
disqualified.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. Super Senior Move-up/Split-up. Super Senior teams who
advance to National Championships may move up one level as a team or must
disperse to form new teams, using the following formula: Of the players who
participated at Nationals, no more than 3 may stay together the following
year. The exception is, if their local league had 3 or less teams, then 4
players may stay together.
Approved by MAS Board of Directors: 3-2-10