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Tennis Ladder Rules and Guidelines
SETTING UP MATCHES
Players are responsible for issuing challenges to other
players. It is both players’
responsibility to reconfirm match time and location particularly when matches
are arranged more than several days in advance.
Tips for playing lots of matches:
- Don't wait for players to call or e-mail you. They're all
anxiously waiting for you to contact them!
- Don't wait until the last minute to try to set up a match. A
lot of potential opponents will already be on the court by then.
- Contact multiple players. Use the email function on GTN to
email many players or use your personal email. The players email address is available in their “Player Info”.
- If a player doesn't respond to your challenge don't assume
they aren't interested in playing you. It's more likely that they simply
missed/neglected your message or already had plans. If you receive a challenge
but can't play, it's good courtesy to reply and suggest a possible alternative
time.
- Players must make every effort to make and accept proper
challenges both upward and downward.
MATCH PLAY
Although most matches are played on free public courts, if
there is a charge for court time, it will be split between the two players. Be
sure your opponent is aware of court time charges before you set up the match
or get to the court.
Both players will bring a new can of balls to the match. The
winner of the match will receive/keep the new can while the loser
keeps/receives the used can. If it is
decided to do something other than this regarding balls, both players must
agree prior to starting the match.
Scoring should be conventional: 2 out of 3 sets, regular
scoring with a 12 point tie breaker (first to 7 points by a 2 point margin)
used at 6 games all.
If both players agree, a tie-breaker in the format of their choosing can be
used in place of a third set. However, the score of the tie-breaker must be converted
to that of a conventional set to be accepted by the ladder scoring software.
If a match can't be played to completion, it must be finished
at a later date or forfeited. Both
players must agree on which option.
If a match is interrupted for any reason, it may be
continued to completion at another time agreeable to both players from the
point at which it was suspended. Players should attempt to complete suspended
matches before they initiate or accept new challenges. Tip: It's a good idea to e-mail a player the day before
playing a match to confirm that you're both on the same page regarding the time
and place for the match. This is particularly important if the match was set up
far in advance.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Unless otherwise stated, all competition will comply with USTA playing rules and the Code of Tennis.
If you can't be bothered to read these, at least to the following:
- If you have any doubts as to whether a ball is out or good,
you must give your opponent the benefit of the doubt and play the ball as good.
You should not play a let.
- It is your obligation to call all balls on your side of the
court and to help your opponent make calls when the opponent requests it, and
to call against yourself (with the exception of a first service) any ball that
you clearly see out on your opponent’s side of the net.
- Any “out” or “let” call must be made as quickly as
possible.
- Do not enlist the aid of spectators in making line
calls.
- If you call a ball out and then realize it was good, you
should correct your call.
- To avoid controversy over the score, the server should
clearly announce the set score (e.g. 5-4) before starting a game and the game score
(e.g. thirty-forty) prior to serving each point.
- If the receiver cannot hear the server's announcement of the
score, he must ask the server to speak louder. You can't wait until the server
believes he has won the game to try to reconstruct the scoring point by
point.
- If players cannot agree on the score, they may go back to
the last score on which there was agreement and resume play from that point or
they may spin a racket.
- Do not stall, sulk, complain, or practice gamesmanship. Try
to look like you're having fun, even if you're playing badly. Your opponent
does not want to see you looking miserable, at least in a friendly match, and
you're likely to play better if you try to present a positive state of mind.
- Many of our matches are played at public parks and schools
where children are present. Loud
cursing/swearing is not acceptable in these places. Repeated offenders of this rule will be
removed form the ladder.
AFTER THE MATCH
The winner should enter the match results on The Global
Tennis Network within twenty four hours of completing the match.
The match results and subsequent new rankings will be
computed and displayed immediately.
If a match score is entered incorrectly, or is duplicated, a
player cannot correct the error themselves. To make the correction, send an
e-mail to sortennis@gmail.com
explaining the error and what change needs to be made.
Once a match is entered in Global Tennis Network it will not
be deleted if one or both players later decide they want the match "off
the books." Players should agree before they set up and play a match
whether it's on the record or just practice.
TENNIS LADDER "SEASONS"
The South of Raleigh Tennis ladders are run in 4 month
seasons (Mar-Jun, Jul-Oct,
Nov-Feb). You can sign up for a ladder at any
time during the season. We run the seasons to determine who is eligible
for the end of season prize raffle. To
be eligible for the prize raffle you must meet the requirements in the “Prizes”
section.
At the end of the season we will put the eligible ladder
participants names in a raffle and draw a winner. The prize(s) will be
different each season.
PRIZES
Rules for eligibility in the end of season prize raffle:
- Sign up for any South of Raleigh Tennis Ladder.
- Comply with the Tennis Ladder
rules on this
- Play (and record scores) at least 10 tennis ladder matches
in the season. If you play in multiple tennis ladders, all matches will
be counted towards your total.
There is no prize for the winner of a tennis ladder at the
end of the season but the leader of the South of Raleigh Tennis Ladder should be
addressed as the "Master of the Universe and Supreme Ruler of the Cosmos”.
SPORTSMANSHIP
There are very few restrictions for ladder play. However I
recommend that participants not play the same opponent in back-to-back-to-back
matches. While this recommendation cannot easily be enforced, it is contrary to
the spirit of ladder participation to play exclusively with only one or two
partners. Obviously, any system can be abused if participants attempt to
"beat the system." The main goal here is to have a good time and
reward personal accomplishment with some small public recognition. Let's have
fun!
THE "LOCAL RULES"
Although South of Raleigh Tennis and the ladder sponsors
will work hard to make the South of Raleigh Tennis Ladder as enjoyable and
rewarding as possible, we assume no responsibility for any actual or perceived
negative consequences befalling anyone choosing to participate in the ladder.
By participating in the ladder you agree to abide by all
ladder rules and procedures posted on South of Raleigh Tennis Web site (ie. the
page you are reading now). Changes in rules will be promptly posted on the Web
site but may not always be communicated to you individually.
We will keep track of legitimate player complaints. Players
that have multiple complaints lodged against them will be advised. If
complaints continue, the player will be disqualified and removed from the
ladder. Player disqualification is at the sole discretion of South of Raleigh
Tennis and cannot be challenged or appealed by the disqualified player. By the
time a player is disqualified they will have received ample warnings.
RESOLVING DISPUTES
All players are urged to amicably settle disputes between
themselves. If you can not resolve a
dispute and absolutely need someone to help with it, both players should email
the facts of the dispute to sortennis@gmail.com. South of Raleigh Tennis will make a decision regarding the dispute
that will be based only on what is presented from each
player. The South of Raleigh Tennis decision in
resolving the dispute will be final and cannot be appealed by either player.
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