GSTL Announces Key Deadline Dates for Mixed Doubles
Team captains and players should be aware of the key dates below for the 2009 Mixed Doubles League. Captains should download the state, sectional, and national mixed doubles league rules from the appropriate web sites. Captains must register their teams on TennisLink. GSTL Rules, days and times of play, important dates and League Forms may be found on www.grandstrandtennis.net under the League Info—Mixed Doubles tab.
April 24 – Mixed Doubles information posted to web site
April 28 – Captains Meeting – Conway – 6:30 PM
April 29 – Captains Meeting – Grande Dunes – 6:30 PM
April 30 – Captains Meeting – Litchfield – 6:30 PM
May 19 - - - Team Registration Starts
June 1 - - - Team Registration Ends (must have three eligible positions registered to be included in the scheduling)
June 2 - - - LLC starts working on scheduling
June 5- - - Schedules Posted on TennisLink no later than 8:00 PM
June 11 - - - Season Begins (for larger levels)
July 22 - - - Rosters Closed To Add-ons (except with LLC approval)
Aug 20 - - - League Season Complete
Aug 29 - - - Deadline for add ons for 9.0 Senior and 10.0 Adult (playing local league at state)
Sep 12-14- - - SC State Championships in Charleston, SC
Oct 17-19- - -Southern Sectional Championships, New Orleans LA
THE USTA, USTA SOUTHERN SECTION, AND USTA SOUTH CAROLINA RULES AND REGULATIONS TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER LOCAL LEAGUE RULES.IF A CONFLICT OCCURS, THE ABOVE WILL OVERRULE THE LOCAL LEAGUE RULES.LOCAL LEAGUE RULES MAY HAVE TO BE CHANGED ANNUALLY WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF LOCAL MEMBERSHIP IF STATE, SECTIONAL OR NATIONAL USTA REGULATIONS ARE CHANGED.
CAPTAINS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING ALL THE USTA, SOUTHERN, SOUTH CAROLINA AND GSTL RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND FOR ENCOURAGING TEAM MEMBERS TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.MAKE SURE THAT EACH TEAM MEMBER HAS ACCESS TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
A.FORMAT
1.Three mixed doubles partnerships.A minimum of six players (3 of each gender).
2.Team that wins at least two of the three individual matches is the winner of the team match.
3.Individual matches = best 2 of 3 sets with a ten-point match tie break in lieu of the third set.
4.ADULT LEAGUE:Straight 2.5 and combined 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 levels. SENIOR LEAGUE:Straight 2.5 and combined 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 levels.Super Senior Pilot league:Combined 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 levels.
5.The combined ratings of a partnership cannot exceed the level of play.Each individual player’s rating in a partnership may be no more than 1.0 apart.
6. There are no team limit restrictions.It is suggested that each
team has a minimum of 12 people per team.
B.ELIGIBILITY
1.All players must have a USTA membership valid through the end of the local league season (September 2009).
2.ADULT- Player must reach at least 19 years of age during 2009.
3.SENIOR – Player must reach at least 50 years of age during 2009
4.SUPER SENIOR – Player must reach 60 years of age during 2009.
5A player may play on multiple Adult teams in SC at the same NTRP level has long asthey are in separate local leagues.A player may also play on multiple senior teams in SC at the same NTRP level as long as they are in separate local leagues.A player may also play on multiple Super Senior teams in SC at the same NTRP level as long as they are in separate local leagues.Play on an Adult team, a Senior Team and a Super Senior team at the same flight level in the same league is permissible.
6.A Player may play out of his/her Local League area (adefined by the player’s primary residence as listed in USTA records) without approval from the player’ Local League Coordinator or the Local League Coordinator in the area the player wishes to play.
7.A player from another state (as defined by the player’s primary residence as listed inUSTA records) may not participate in South Carolina without approval by the Loca League Coordinator (LLC) representing the area that is affected and the State Mixed Doubles League Coordinator.A player playing out of his/her home state withoutobtaining prior approval will be subject to sanctions, including, at a minimum, defaulting of all matches played prior to receiving approval.Sanctions may be applied to the team captain as well.A player from another state who previously received approval to play in South Carolina and who has played in South Carolina in every year since that approval was granted, need not reapply for approval to play in 2009 in the same local ln the same division (adult or senior) and same level as in 2008.
C. COMPUTER RATING
1.A player with a valid computer rating as a result of playing in the Adult, Senior or Mixed USTA League Tennis program must play at that level or higher.
2.Players may appeal their 2008 year-end ratings at any time during the 2009 league year.USTA will allow one appeal.2008 State, Southern and National benchmark players cannot appeal their 2008 year-end ratings except for medical reasons.2008 Area, State, Sectional and National benchmark players cannot appeal their2008 year end ratings except for medical reasons.Medical Appeals and appeals move down from a self-rating must be submitted in writing, by fax, mail, or email, to Mary Goins, State League Coordinator.Forms for medical appeals are available on www.grandstrandtennis.net.NTRP computer rating appeals must be done online.
D.SELF-RATING
1.Players who do not have a computer rating on file in TennisLink shall self-rate in accordance with the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) Guidelines and complete the self-rating process on TennisLink when registering for a team.Failure to do so or omission of information regarding a player’s tennis history will subject the player, the captain and/or others who condoned inaccurate self-rating to sanctions and disqualifications.
2.A player who does not have a computer rating, but does have a self-rating on file in TennisLink, must play at that level and cannot self-rate lower for Mixed Doubles.
3.Players who submit an appeal to their self-rating through the Tennis Link system before their local league deadline for registering players will be permitted to register up to seven days after the notification of final self-rating.
E. ROSTERS and FEES:
1.TennisLink registration begins May 19, 2009.
2.Deadline to register a team for Mixed Doubles is June 1, 200 Each
team must have 3 eligible positions registered by this date or they
will not be considered in the scheduling.
3.Deadline for add ons – July 22, 2008.Deadline for add ons for 9.0
Senior and 10.0 Adult teams is August 29, 2009.They will be playing
their local league at state.
4.League Season is June 9 – August 20, 2009.
5.Schedules will be posted on TennisLink no later than 8 PM June 5, 2009
6.Fees will be collected when the players are registered onTennisLink.
7.League Fees are $20.00 which includes the TennisLink fee.
8.Once placed on a roster through TennisLink, fees will not berefunded.
LOCAL PLAY
1.Each team will play a round robin competition with at least one other team in the same level.Each team in a round robin must play every other team in the round robin at least once and an equal number of times.
2.It may be necessary to divide a level into two or more sub-levels if there are too many teams for a single round robin group.In that case, there will be a local league play-off to determine the GSTL champion and the team(s) to advance to the State Championships.
3.Each team must play at least three matches in local league to qualify for championship play.
4. Winners will be determined based on team matches won or winning percentage of team matches.Procedures for playoffs may vary according to the flight and number of teams.In all cases, ties will be broken in the following order:
a. Winner of most individual matches
b.Loser of fewest sets.
c.Loser of fewest games.
d.Winner of head to head.
e. Toss of coin by the League Coordinator.
5. Home team is responsible for providing courts, paying court fees (if applicable), and providing new balls.
6. Captains may not reschedule any match except in the event of inclementweather [rain – snow - hurricane].In EXTREME Circumstances (Local , and State,Sectional and National LeagueChampionships both captains may request LLCapproval to change ascheduled match or individual positions to an earlier date. Such requests must be submitted to the LLC via email two weeks in advance.(If you have no email agreement and you do not have LLC approval (by email), then the match will stay on the regularly scheduled date). Not having your strong players available is not a reason to have a match rescheduled. MATCHES RESCHEDULED DUE TO EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES MUST BE MADE UP PRIOR TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MATCH.MATCHES THAT ARE NOT PLAYED PRIOR TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MATCH WILL BE COUNTED AS A DOUBLE DEFAULT.
7.Rained out matches must be made up within one week.ONCE A RESCHEDULE DATE HAS BEEN SET, NOTHING CAN CHANGE THIS DATE EXCEPT BAD WEATHER.If captains cannot agree on a date, the Coordinator will set a date.Make-up matches may be played individually.Any positions not played by the end of the one week will be counted as a double default.The league season ends August 20, 2009; therefore all matches must be completed by this date.
8. Captains should encourage all players to show up at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled match time.Captains must exchange lineups not later than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled match time. The 15-minute default rule will apply – unless prior arrangements have been made between captains. Direct substitutions may be made for any player injured during warm-up.A direct substitution may also be made for a no-show. However, the no-show substitution must be made prior to expiration of the 15-minute default period. Captains and players are encouraged to begin the 10-minute warm up at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled match time. If court(s) are not available at the scheduled time, each position will complete the 10-minute warm-up and commence the match as soon as a court(s) become available.Matches/Positions that do not start within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time or within 15 minutes of the time of court availability will be forfeited to the team whose player(s) is at the court ready to begin play. The home team captain and the visiting captain should confer to insure both are in agreement as to the “official” time for beginning the 15-minute default period. Team captains should report any violations of this policy to the Local League Coordinator.Repeat offenders will be reported to the LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR. THE LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR will determine the appropriateness of disciplinary sanctions on the Captain or the team.
9. If a home team has access to more than one court surface, the home captain must call the opposing team to let them know at least 4 days before the scheduled match that they will be using multiple surfaces for their match.Within 2 days of this notice, the visiting team captain must notify the home team of the visitor’s choice of which positions will play on hard surfaces and clay surfaceG.
SCORECARDS AND LINEUPS:
1.All scores MUST be recorded on TennisLink by the WINNING team captain, within 24 hours after the last position of each match is finished. The LOSING team captain MUST confirm the match score within 48 Hours after the final position scores are recorded.If the captain fails to confirm the scores, TennisLink will confirmthem automatically.ONCE TENNISLINK HAS CONFIRMED THE SCORES, CHANGES MAY NOT BE MADE.
LOSING TEAM CAPTAIN MUST CONFIRM THE MATCH NAMES AND SCORES WITHIN 48 HOURS. INCORRECT NAMES AND SCORES COULD AFFECT PLAYERS’ RATINGS.
2.Line-up/scorecards will be used to exchange line-ups only.Each captain will provide their own line-up scorecard, or portion thereof.Each Captain should keep a copy of final scores to assist in posting or confirming scores on TennisLink. (SUGGESTION:HAVE THEOTHER CAPTAIN CHECK THE SCORES ON YOUR SCORECARD AND SIGN IT SHOWING THEIR AGREEMENT.THIS WILL AVOID WRONG SCORES AND NAMES BEING PUT IN TENNISLINK.)
3. Captains are to exchange line-ups simultaneously.NO CHANGES may be made after the line-up has been exchanged, except as allowed in the substitution rule.NOTEthat after scorecards have been exchanged, if a team receives a forfeit, the receiving teamDOES NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO CHANGE THEIR LINE-UP!!
H. FORFEITS:
Forfeits are used for Defaults or for Disqualifications.These two
different forms offorfeit are defined as follows:
1. Forfeit by DEFAULT- when a player fails to appear on time,
2. Forfeit by DISQUALIFICATION- Disqualification occurs when a player is
ineligible to participate for any reason [i.e. under age, not a USTA
member, NTRP disqualification, etc.]
3. SCORING OF FORFEITS:Scores for forfeits are not entered inTennisLInkword Default is selected for “status” of match and the team receiving the default shall be awarded the win for the individual match that was forfeited.In the event of forfeit byboth teams (double default), neither team will receive credit for the win.
4. Team Forfeits/Default from League:
If a Team forfeits an entire team match (2 positions) THEN
THAT TEAM WILL BE DEFAULTED FROM THE LEAGUE. ALL REMAINING
MATCHES SCHEDULEDFOR THE DEFAULTED TEAM SHALL BE VOIDED
AND WILL NOT BE PLAYEDHOWEVER, ALL TEAM POINTS AWARDED TO
OPPONENTS FROM PREVIOUSMATCHES PLAYED WILL REMAIN VALID.
In this case, the team that has the highest percentage of
team MatchVICTORIES will be deemed the league winner AT
THE end of the season.
5.For a forfeit to count as a win, the player[s] receiving the forfeit must be present atthe match site except in specific cases as stated elsewhere. Players receiving the forfeit must be listed on the line-up and entered in TennisLink.Players giving the forfeit must not be entered in TennisLink.
6. In case of a forfeit, the # 3 doubles positions must be forfeited first. Forfeits must always be from the bottom up.Please check your USTA regulations forfurther examples of how to forfeit.
7. In the event line-ups have already been exchanged and a player listed fails to show, that position in which the player was to play is the position that is forfeited(defaulted).Once exchanged, line-ups may not be rearranged.
8.Two players will play together in the higher position when both of their partners do not show in order to avoid two defaults (as long as combined ratings do not exceed the designated level of play.
DO NOT PUT SOMEONEIN THE NUMBER ONE OR TWO POSITIONS THAT YOU KNOW IS GOING TO BE LATE OR YOU KNOW WILLNOT SHOW.REPEAT OFFENCES WILL BE GROUNDS FOR A GRIEVANCE TO BE FILED AGAINST THE CAPTAIN BY THE LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR.
I. RETIREMENTS:
A retirement occurs when an individual match has started and a player is unable to continue due to injury, loss of condition, or emergency.
SCORING OF RETIREMENTS:In case of retirement after commencement of match, the non-retiring player[s] shall be credited with such number of additional games as would have been won if the match was completed and the non- retiring player[s] won every subsequentgame.Note: for NTRP computer data entry, actual scores are required, (i.e. the winnerof the retirement if the match ended at 6-4, 4-3, should be recorded as a retirement at thatscore.)
Points awarded for forfeits during original line-up exchange will stand.All players involved in such forfeit CANNOT participate in the rescheduled match.
J. REPORTING SCORES
All scores must be entered into TennisLink within 24 hours of the match.The WINNING team captain is responsible for entering the scores, and the losing team captain must confirm or dispute the scores within 48 hours.After 48 hours, the scores are automatically confirmed by TennisLink and cannot be disputed later.If a captain disputes the scores in TennisLink, the captain must also notify the League Coordinator right away that there is a disputed score.
A Computerized message will be sent to both captains if scores are not posted on time.Both captains receive this message because neither the Computer nor the LLC know who has won the match. Captains receiving this message need to coordinate with the other captain and get the scores posted in the computer.
K. PROGRESSION TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Local League does not have the required number of teams (two teams toconstitute a level, the State Mixed Doubles League coordinator,inconsultation the affected Local League Coordinators, shall either:
A. Assign the singleton team to another Local League, in which case,
(1) the assigned team will register on TennisLink in the Local (host) League to which itis assigned and pay the fees and abide by the rules of the host league AND
(2) the host league will make the rule regarding travel for matches.
Or
B. Group the singleton team with other singleton teams in the state and schedulea playoff among those teams to determine advancement to theStateChampionships.The State Mixed Doubles League Coordinator will decide on the date(s), playoff structure, and designate the site and Local (host) League.
C. SHARING OF TRAVEL WILL BE LEFT UP TO THE INDIVIDUALHOST TEAMS.
2.A player must play at least two matches locally for Adult and one match
locally forSenior to qualify for championship play.A default RECEIVED will
qualify for advancement to the championships; A default GIVEN will not
qualify. A default will count as a qualifying match for Adult and Senior State
Championship, Sectional Championships, and National Championships.
Forfeits do not count towards computer ratings.
3.Players who qualify for South Carolina Mixed Doubles State Championships
may advance on more that one Adult and/or Senior team in the 2009 season,
but not at the same level of play.Scheduling will not accommodate players
who compete in more thanone Adult/Senior levels. Players who qualify for
Sectional Championships may advance on one adult and one senior team
but may not advance on two adult or two senior teams.Ifeligible players do
not participate at the State Championships, they may participate in the
Sectional and/or National Championships.There is no advancement
beyond State Championships for Super Senior Mixed Doubles Pilo
Program
4. Teams that withdraw from the USTA SC Championships after the entry fees
have been paid by GSTL will be required to reimburse the GSTL if a
replacement GSTL team cannot befound. If GSTL has to forfeit entry fees
for the withdrawing team, members of the withdrawing team will not be
eligible to participate in future league play until the reimbursement to GSTL
has been received.
L. COURT PROCEDURES:
1.Players are not allowed a rest period between the first and second game
of each set They must change sides and continue play.Players do not
have the option of taking a ten minute break between the second set and
the 10-point Match Tiebreakused in lieuof the third set.A two-minute
(or 120 second) break may be taken between the second set and the 10-
point match tiebreak, the same as between the first and second sets.
2.Spectators may not aid players in making a line call or in determining the
score.Spectators may not participate in the match in any fashion, and
must refrain from doing so even if asked by the player [s].Coaching of
any player at any time is prohibited.
3.Spectators may QUIETLY watch a match in progress.
4. Spectators may clap when good points are made.
5. Spectators may not sit or stand at the end of the court immediately behind
the servers orreceivers or at the side fence because it is a distraction to
the players.It is the responsibility of each team and team captain to
control the noise and behavior of its spectators, if not, a protest may be
filed against the offending team.
6.No line judge or umpire will be provided for matches.Players are urged
to call the score after each point to avoid confusion.Total disagreement
concerning the score in the game will result in a spin of the racquet if
players are unable to go back to a score they both agree. If a conflict
occurs during match play over line calls, the players involved may request
that the captain of each team appoint a lines person for the remainder of
match.
7. FOOT FAULTS: Foot faults are illegal.Constant and blatant foot faulting
gives the server a definite advantage, and should be politely brought to
the attention of the server during the match.If it continues, the players
involved may request that captains of both teams appoint a line person
for the remainder of that match.
8.Bathroom Breaks may be taken at any time, but it is preferred that they be taken at set breaks and/or changeovers.In an emergency bathroom breaks may be taken at any time.Reasonable time is allowed for a bathroom break (distance from court), and the player is not allowed to talk with anyone as this will be considered as coachingand a grievance may befile
9.DISPUTES ON COURT:
A)In matches where there is no umpire, as in GSTL matches, players themselves act as umpires and must see that obvious violations of the rules do not occur. It is imperative that players know the USTA, STA, South Carolina AND GSTL Rules and regulations which govern play.
B) Coaches or club pros must refrain from intrusion in discussions between players or captains unless specifically asked by both captains.Even then, it is the responsibility of the two captains, not the pro, to decide on the resolution of the Incident.
C) Disputes should be settled between players before the match is finished. Remember, all points played in good faith stand.It is hoped that the players involved can resolvethe dispute by themselves.If that is not possible, the procedure to follow is:
1)A player should inform the opponent of the problem and his/her intent to leave the court to obtain the assistance of his/her captain.The player should leave their racquet on the court when going for the captain.The captain should contact the opponent’s captain and they should try to resolve the dispute.If the captains are involved in playing a match, the players may have to postpone their play until the captains are available to assist them.
2) If the captains and players cannot agree on a resolution to the conflict, the offended player[s] may:
a) Notify the opponent that due to his/her opinion that a violation of the rules occurred, he/she is going to continue to play but that he/she is playing under protest andintends to file a grievance with GSTL after the match is completed. His /her captain would then record the protest on the line-up/scorecard.
b) Stop play—telling his/her opponent why, and have her captain indicate on the scorecard that the match was stopped in protest.The exact place and score of the match when play stopped must be recorded and signed by bothcaptains.
c) The captain or designated captain at the match has 24 hours in which to register a complaint with the LLC, Susie Honeycutt.This initial report may be done by phone but must be followed up within one week with a written grievance.Failure to comply with the 24-hour rule renders the grievance invalid.If the team captain chooses to file a formal grievance, the captain must submit the grievance to the LLC on the USTA SC grievance form (available on grandstrandtennis.net) and to the captain of the opposing team. The LLC will forward the grievance form to the GSTL Grievance Committee for action.
3) The grievance committee will exercise the following options:
a)Rule in the complaining player’s favor
b)Rule that the match be completed at a later time—starting at the exact
point when protested or when play ended.
c) Rule in favor of the complainant’s opponent.
d) Other actions that may be determined by the
Grievance Committee.
The Local League Coordinator has the right to file aGRievance against any team or player regarding sense of fair play, sportsmanshiP, default and forfeits or rules violations!!
M. CHAMPIONSHIPS
·South Carolina State Championships: September 12 – 14, 2009 Charleston Tennis Center
·The 2009 National Eastern Mixed Doubles Championships – Champions from Caribbean, Eastern, Florida, New England, Midatlantic, Middle States, Midwest, New England and Southern Sections – November 20 – 22, 2009 - Las Vegas.
N. GRIEVANCES
THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE AND THE GRIEVANCE APPEAL
COMMITTEE AREAPPOINTED BY THE LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR.