WYOMING USTA LEAGUE TENNIS
DISTRICT OPERATING PROCEDURES – 2009
USTA League Tennis in the Wyoming District follows national and sectional regulations.
1. A LEAGUE SHALL CONSIST OF A MINUMUM OF TWO (2) TEAMS PER LEVEL OF PLAY. A local league shall play at least one series of round robin competition wherein every team plays every other team. Each team must play a minimum of three matches.
2.Accommodation League Rule:
If an area (local or state) does not have enough players for two teams at a certain level, the District League Coordinator may ask for approval from the Sectional League Coordinator to allow the league to be run as an accommodation league if there are 16 or fewer players rated at that level for six person teams and 20 or fewer players rated at that level for eight person teams. All matches played as part of an accommodation league format must follow all national, sectional, and district regulations. All players are subject to the same NTRP guidelines and disqualification procedures in effect for the regularly scheduled League championships. New for 2009: Out of state teams wanting to participate in USTA League Tennis in Wyoming must play regular and/or accommodation matches in the state of Wyoming at a time convenient for the District League Coordinator.
3. If players entering the USTA League Tennis Program do not have a computer NTRP rating generated within the last three years (two years for age 60 ), such player shall self-rate in accordance with the National Tennis Ratings Program (NTRP) guidelines and declare their self-rating on TennisLink regardless of the NTRP level they are entering.
4. In the Adult Division, a player may play on two teams at two different NTRP levels during the same local league season.
5. For the Adult Division, a team consists of a minimum of eight (8) players (all levels except 2.5, 5.0, Open) or five (5) players (2.5, 5.0, Open). For Senior, Super Senior, USTA Mixed, and ITA Fall Mixed, a team consists of a minimum of six (6) players. No individual may be added to the TennisLink team roster after the close of registration, as set by the District League Coordinator. ONLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS LISTED ON THE ROSTER MAY PLAY FOR A TEAM.
6. Team match format. Adult Division: Two singles and three doubles for all levels except 2.5, 5.0 and Open; one singles and two doubles for 2.5, 5.0 and Open. Senior, Super Senior, USTA Mixed Doubles, ITA Fall Mixed: three doubles matches. The team winning the majority of matches will be awarded one team point. A defaulted match for any reason is scored as a win for the opposing team by scores of 6-0, 6-0. All match scores will be entered into the computer; therefore the scorecard should indicate that the match is indeed a DEFAULT as opposed to a 6-0, 6-0 win. A retired match shall count for all players involved.
7. All matches will be the best of two sets, with regular scoring and a set (formerly 12-point) Coman Tie-break at 6-all in each set. In the event of split sets, a match Coman Tie-break (first team to reach ten [10] points by two (2) shall be played in lieu of a third set, with no rest period or coaching allowed. The point penalty system will be enforced by the umpires.
8. All matches will be scheduled and played according to the District League Coordinator. The only exceptions will be matches postponed because of rain (not wind). The District Championships Committee may make alternative plans to complete the Tournament on schedule in the event that weather or other conditions interfere. Such plans may include pro sets and no-ad scoring. Rained Out Matches: All players must be present at match time, even if a rain out is obvious. Completed individual matches will stand as played. If suspended, match play must continue with the same players and resume at the exact point where it was discontinued (game, set, point). If play is suspended, players must report scores to the DLC immediately.
9. Team captains have the responsibility to be familiar with 2009 USTA National, Sectional and Local Regulations and Operating Procedures as provided to them by the District League Coordinator and available at http://www.intermountain.usta.com/home/default.sps . Captain shall provide all players with the opportunity to read and become familiar with said regulations.
10. Each team must have a Captain or acting Captain present at every match. Captains must check in and turn in line-ups to the Tournament Desk 15 minutes prior to the posted match time. Teams are considered ready for play once the line-up has been turned in. Captains must verify and sign scorecards upon completion of each match. A forfeit may be called 15 minutes after the established start time. Warm up is limited to 10 minutes.
11. In the event of a tie when round robin competition has been completed the tie shall be broken by procedures stated in the 2009 USTA League Tennis Regulations on page 14, section 3.03I.
12. Each team that wins at the District level shall be entitled to advance to the Sectional competition. The Intermountain Tennis Association requires that each team attending the Sectional championship must have at least eight qualified (8) players who were on the final roster of the team during the regular league season (Adult Division - all levels except 2.5, 5.0, Open), five (5) qualified players of the rostered players (Adult Division - 2.5, 5.0, Open), or six qualified players of the rostered players (Senior, Super Senior, USTA Mixed Doubles, ITA Fall Mixed Divisions). Attending the Championships with less than the required number of players must have the approval, by majority vote, of the Sectional Championships Committee. All teams advancing to Section Championships shall complete on-line registration through the ITA webpage - at http://www.intermountain.usta.com/home/default.sps . Team captains should be aware of Section Regulation 18. F. 7 - Notice of Intent to Play.
13. In order to be eligible for the Sectional Championships, all players must have played a minimum of two matches on the same team during the local season. A maximum of one default received by the player during the local league competition shall count for advancing. A player is eligible to advance to national championship if that player has played on that same team in at least three matches through sectional championships with no defaults.
14. NTRP Disqualifications. DNTRP ratings will be calculated after each round of match play at the District play-offs. Any player that reaches the disqualification level three times shall be disqualified and may not progress to the next level of competition. In the event of such a disqualification during round robin play, all matches played by the disqualified player or doubles team shall be considered 6-0, 6-0 losses for that player or team, and shall be considered wins for the opponent(s). If the team captain of the disqualified player desires to appeal the disqualification, the team captain, within 30 minutes of such notification may request a review before the District NTRP Review Committee through the District League Coordinator. The Committee will hold a review before the next scheduled match for that team or before the conclusion of the District championships. The Committee shall follow all guidelines set forth in the USTA League Regulations 3.04. The decision of the District NTRP Review Committee shall be by majority vote. The affected players and/or team captains shall be notified in writing immediately of the decision
15. All matches will be played under the USTA Rules and “Code of Conduct”. When players are calling their own lines, the code, among other things, gives players responsibility to call lines correctly on their side of the court, and the right to be free from interruptions and distractions such as spectators on the court, coaching, etc. Roving officials are required at District play-offs.
16. Grievances. See USTA Reg. 2.02. A complaint against a player or team must be filed in writing by the team captain of the team which has competed in the match in which the alleged violation occurred or by a member of the District Championships Committee. The grievance must be filed prior to the team’s next match or within 24 hours after the end of league play, whichever occurs first. Self-rated players who enter the USTA League Tennis 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 Self Rate Grievance – see USTA Reg. 2.02. A District League Coordinator or member of Championships Committee may file a grievance at any time. Grievance appeals. See USTA Reg. 2.03. Grievance appeals must be filed within 24 hours.
17.All match play for the 2009 league season must be completed by the following dates:
USTA Mixed Doubles- June 7, 2009
Seniors - June 21, 2009
Adult - August 2, 2009
Fall Mixed- Oct. 6, 2009
Super Senior- Aug. 16, 2009