RULE CONTENT:
1. Match format:
2. Court Surface & Footwear:
3. Match Start Time:
4. Match Balls:
5. Fixture Dates:
6. Huddersfield Open Tournament:
7. Scorecards and Playwaze:
8. Light:
9. Nominated Players:
10. Fulfilment & Concession of Rubbers & Fixtures
11. Scheduling of Matches:
12. Club Representation:
13. Player Eligibility:
14. Suppers:
15. Playoffs
16. Disputes:
17. Levies & Fines:
18. Decision of the Executive Committee shall be final
SENIOR LEAGUE RULES
1. (a) Match format:
- Teams shall consist of three couples each
- The match is decided by the best of 18 sets (9 rubbers)
- The first team to 10 sets wins the match
- Each rubber consists of 2 tiebreak sets. A tie-break is played at 5-all (see below)
- Drawn rubbers to be halved
- Three points will be awarded for a win, one point for a draw
- All matches are played using the ‘Sudden Death Deuce’ (see below)
Tie-break Procedure:
The pair who first win 7 points shall win the game and the set, provided they lead by a margin of 2 points. If the score reaches 6 points all, the game shall be extended until this margin has been achieved. Numerical scoring shall be used throughout the tie-break game.
The player whose turn it is to serve shall be the server for the first point. Thereafter each player shall serve in rotation for 2 points, in the same order as previously in that set until the winners of the game and set have been decided.
From the first point, each service shall be delivered alternatively from the right and left courts, beginning from the right court.
Players shall change ends after every 6 points and at the conclusion of the tie-break game.
The pair who served first in the tie-break game shall receive service in the first game of the following set.
Sudden Death Deuce Procedure:
When the score reaches deuce in any game played, one more point is played and the winner of that point wins the game.
The receiving couple decide who is to receive the final serve and the serving couple must serve to the nominated receiving player.
Whoever wins that point wins the game and the match continues in the normal fashion with the serve being taken by the next player in the usual order of play.
Order of play:
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| V1 v H1 V2 v H2 V3 v H3 | V1 v H2 V2 v H3 V3 v H1 | V1 v H3 V2 v H1 V3 v H2 |
- Visiting team stay on the same courts for each match
- All the rubbers in Round 2 must have started before the starting of any rubber in
Round 3.
- When a court is vacant and there is a choice of eligible rubbers that can be played on that court, the away team captain shall have the choice.
(b) Safeguarding: as HADTL is an open age league, it is each club’s responsibility for safeguarding any under 18’s playing in the League.
(c) Injury: In the case of injury, it is the responsibility of the injured person to concede the sets which would normally have been played on that night.
2. Court Surface & Footwear:
(a) The Home team has the right to decide on the court surface for the match, however, the visiting couples have the right to play on the same surface for all rubbers, unless mutually agreed. The courts must be maintained to a suitable standard in accordance with guideline 3, as set out in the ‘guidelines’ for clubs applying to join the league. Any complaints as to the standard of courts will be investigated by the Committee.
(b) The decision of the fitness of the courts for play shall be made by mutual consent (of the Team Captains) and a minimum of 2 courts must be available for the start of play, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
(c) Matches may be played under floodlights if mutually agreed at the start of the match. Play will stop at 10.30 pm, unless both sides agree to continue after that time.
(d) Court Footwear: Training shoes or non-marking soles not allowed at certain clubs – see “Match Captain and Court Information” section for details.
3. Match Start Time:
- Play should commence promptly at 6.30pm, with a maximum 15 minute warm up.
- Match play must start by 6.45 pm.
- Players not commencing match play by 6.45pm concede 1 set, by 7.15pm one rubber (ie 2 sets), and a further set for every 30 minutes thereafter.
4. Match Balls: Balls must be purchased by clubs from HADTL for match play. Home teams to provide a minimum of 4 balls per couple.
5. Fixture Dates:
(a) All matches to be played on dates and venues as stated in fixtures. In the event of play being suspended, the following result should stand:
i) If 4 sets or less have been completed, then the match will be rearranged in accordance with rule 5(b)
ii) If in-between 5 and 9 sets have been completed, then a draw should be declared.
iii) If 10 sets or more have been completed, the team with the most sets would be considered the winners.
(b) When adverse weather conditions prevent play, both teams should be present to rearrange an alternative fixture date, unless mutually agreed by both captains to rearrange by telephone. Rearranged fixtures must be played within 21 days and the Match Secretary notified immediately by email of the new fixture date.
(c) In case of dispute, the Match Secretary must be informed immediately and, if necessary, the date and venue will be fixed by the Executive Committee.
6. Huddersfield Open Tournament: Any home matches for Huddersfield Tennis Club during the week of their Open Tournament will be played on an alternative week. See fixtures.
7. Scorecards and Playwaze:
(a) Scorecards are to be submitted by the winning team or the home team (in the event of a draw) within 7 days of the completion of the match. Scorecards can be scanned and e-mailed to the match secretary or they can be posted on the WhatsApp group, however, doing so does not relieve team captains of the responsibility of uploading the scorecard to Playwaze within 7 days of the completion of the match. Failure to submit a card may result in the forfeiture of points.
(b) Incomplete sets do not count and should not be entered onto Scorecard or Playwaze
(c) All captains are responsible for the registration of their members in Playwaze before they play in any match.
(d) Recording the pairings and scores in Playwaze within seven days of the completion of the match is mandatory. Pairings should be recorded with both Forename and Surname.’
(e) If no results are entered into Playwaze after 7 days from the scheduled (or rearranged) fixture date and no explanation or extension request made to the Match Secretary, then the winning team will lose the advantage and no points will be awarded for that win. Where the result is a draw, the home team will receive a nil return and only the away team will receive 1 point.
(f) Non-compliance will be dealt with by HADTL Committee. The first non-compliance for a team will incur a fine of £25. Each subsequent non-compliance will incur a 3 point deduction.
8. Light: when bad light threatens continuation of play and a mutual decision is not reached by both captains regarding further play, play will stop at the following times*:
9.00 pm – April & 1-14th May
9.30 pm – 15th-31st May
10.00 pm – June
9.30pm – July
9.00pm – August
*this does not apply to clubs with floodlights, refer to club details section for floodlight times.
If match stops as result of bad light, Rule 5 applies.
9. Nominated Players:
(a) Before the third match of the season, each Club having 2 or more teams in the League shall inform the Match Secretary by email of the names of 4 players for each team other than the lowest who took part in at least one of those matches. These nominated players shall not be eligible for lower team matches. At any time during the season nominees may be changed if a request is made to the Match Secretary 3 days prior to the fixture and permission granted by the Executive Committee. Failure to provide these names will result in the first 2 couples from the teams in the first match being taken as nominees.
(b) Any player, having played for his/her Club’s A Team shall not be eligible to play for a team below his/her Club’s B Team. Any player, having played for his/her B team shall not be eligible to play for a team below his/her Club’s C Team, Ditto C – below D, D – below E, E – below F (Explanatory note: this in effect will prevent, for example, an A team player turning out for a lower team in matches where promotion or relegation may be an issue).
(c)Any proposed new players joining a team for the last 3 matches of that league must be submitted to the Match Secretary for prior approval.
10. Fulfilment & Concession of Rubbers & Fixtures
- Clubs with more than one team in the league should always field a full team to higher matches and, if necessary, conceded the lower team match or matches e.g. ‘B’ or ‘C’ matches should not take place if ‘A’ team match has been conceded due to lack of players.
- Rule (a) applies equally to situations where a higher team has failed to field the required number of couples and where a higher team has fielded a player who is, for any reason, ineligible.
- When an individual player is deemed ineligible for a match the penalty is:
i. the concession of all six sets that the player would have played in the match, regardless of the actual number of sets played; AND
ii. the automatic forfeiture of lower teams of the same club.
Illustrative example: If a club with four teams fields an ineligible player in its B team the result of the A team match is unaffected, the B team result is assessed after the forfeiture of the six sets played by the ineligible player and the C and D teams concede.
- The League recognises the difference in playing standards between divisions and if there is a gap of greater than one division between teams at the same club (for example, the A team plays in division 1 and the B team plays in division 3, the club can request an exception to concede the higher team match and continue to fulfill the lower team fixture. Requests must be made to the match secretary at least five days prior to the fixture and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If permission is granted all other rules (including the playing of nominated individuals) apply.
11. Scheduling of Matches: When there are more or fewer than 8 teams in a division or limited court availability (eg Huddersfield Open week), it may be necessary to schedule matches on other days of the week than Monday (ladies) or Tuesday (men). A player cannot play for 2 different teams in matches originally scheduled for the same week, unless the player’s second match is for a higher team.
12. Club Representation: A player cannot represent 2 separate Clubs in tournaments organised by the League within the same season.
13. Player Eligibility:
All players representing a Club in any League event must be a full playing member of the Club concerned and registered on Playwaze. If a player is ineligible to play for the team they are representing, the determination of penalty to that team and other teams in a club set-up is as per Rule 10.
14. Suppers:
- Mens League – supper must be provided.
- Ladies League – supper is optional.
15. Playoffs
- In considering whether play-offs should occur when two teams have the same number of points at the end of the season a review will be taken of the point scores of the 2 matches played between these 2 teams. So that where 1 team has an advantage of 2 matches to zero OR one and a half matches to a half, then no match play-off will be required, and the team with the advantage will be given the higher position in the division.
- In the event of a play-off being required, this will take place on the first SUNDAY in September at 2:00pm, an earlier date or time will be permitted by mutual arrangement of the respective Team Captains. In the event of inclement weather on that date, a new date and time will be set by the Executive Committee.
- Players must have played in at least one-third of the matches for the team concerned in order to take part in any play-off promotion or relegation matches, unless prior consent from the Match Secretary has been received.
- In the event of a 3-way or more tie, or in the event of a situation where teams finishing on the same number of points have played each other only once during the season, the Committee will decide upon the format of the play-off if they deem a play-off to be necessary.
- The venue shall be decided by agreement between the teams or by toss of a coin, either by them or by an independent member of the Committee.
(f) Where a play-off has been deemed necessary, which results in a drawn result in terms of sets, then a count of games won will be used to determine the winner.
NOTE: If more than 2 clubs are involved in play-offs in any division, the dates will be fixed by the Committee and may involve Saturdays.
16. Disputes: In the event of failure to mutually agree on any dispute, reference in writing only should be made within 10 days to the Executive Committee, whose decisions on all matters will be final.
17. Levies & Fines:
(a) There will be an annual levy per team participating in the league – the amount to be reviewed at the AGM of the league.
(b) A fine will be imposed on Clubs in respect of the following:
(i) Non-attendance at League AGM – Fine £25
(ii) Clubs winning trophies and not represented at presentation dinner – Fine £50
(c) A Club failing to pay any monies outstanding prior to the commencement of a new season will be automatically excluded from the following new season’s fixtures.
18. In all disputes not covered by the above rules the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.