League Overview

LeagueTennis.com provides flexible tennis leagues for adults and juniors. Here is a quick overview of the leagues

• Teams register for upcoming leagues based on their skill level.
• Leagues are 5 or 6 matches of regular season play followed by a city-wide championship tournament.
• Teams choose a home court facility when registering and are placed in divisions based on their level and the location of their home court.
• Approximately half of the regular season matches are played at the team’s home court and the others at the opponent’s home court.
• Schedules are posted on the website the first day of the regular season.
• Teams contact their opponents throughout the season and schedule each match by its deadline.
• Teams use the website to post scores and track their standings during the regular season.
• Top finishers in each division can participate in an optional city-wide championship tournament to determine city champions at each level.
• Division winners, city champions & city finalists receive bag tags and car magnets. Junior city champs get t-shirts and adult city champs get t-shirts and $25 gift cards.
• Championship results and pictures are announced in the newsletter and on the website!

Getting Started

Create a Profile

Players must create a profile to register for a league and to access member areas of the website. There is no charge for creating a profile and you only have to do it one time!

To create a profile, select ‘Register > New Profile’ from the main menu. When creating a profile, you will be required to choose the region in which you will play.

Players should create only 1 profile in the system so that player history, referrals and LeagueTennis $$ can be tracked accurately. If you have created duplicate profiles, contact us, and we can combine them for you!

Setting Preferences

Players will be directed to a preferences page after completing a profile. This page captures general information such as playing level, preferred league format, t-shirt size and whether you would like to be placed on the Sub List. This is NOT league registration so be sure to select ‘Registration’ from the main menu to register for a league.

League Substitute List

On the preferences page, you can choose to add yourself to the Sub List. The Sub List is a list of teams who are willing to step in and play a match occasionally as a substitute. The list is provided to registered league teams who need to play a substitute during the regular season. If you are on the Sub List, teams may contact you and ask you to play a match with them. It does not cost you anything to play as a substitute and you are under no obligation to say yes unless you want to play. Just think of it as an extra opportunity for match play!

Register for a League

It’s so easy! Select ‘Register’ from the main menu at anytime to access league registration. If you are registering for doubles, be sure your partner has created a profile prior to registering.

• Choose a league - From the list, select ‘Register’ next to the league you would like to join. If registration has closed or the season has started, select ‘Waiting List’ to be placed on the waiting list. You will not be charged unless you are placed within the first 2 weeks of the regular season. If you have joined the waiting list in the period after registration closes and before schedules are published, we will make every effort to place you in a division. If you have joined the waiting list after the start of the regular season, we will contact you if we need a replacement for an injured player.
• Choose a home court - Enter the first few letters of your home court facility and select ‘Find’ then select your facility from the list of results. If your facility is not in our database, select ‘Add New Facility’. You can choose any public or private facility that meets our facility requirements. If you do not already have one in mind, there are numerous online sites to help you choose, or you may contact us for assistance.
• Choose a playing level - Choose your playing level based on our playing level guidelines. New players and doubles teams will self-rate their first season of play. Returning players and teams should choose based on their last season results. If you are currently playing in a league but registering for the next season, choose your preferred level, however, your level may be adjusted based on the results of the current season.
• Choose a partner - If you are registering for doubles or mixed doubles, you will search for your partner in our database and add your partner to your team. Be sure your partner has created a profile in the system prior to registering.
• Review & pay for registration - Review your league registration details carefully. You can apply promotion codes or LeagueTennis $$ to your registration, then click ‘Pay’ to pay for your registration. If you are joining the waiting list, you will click “Finish.” If you are placed in a division within the first 2 weeks of the season, you will be emailed a payment link and can apply promotion codes or LeagueTennis $$ at that time.

Upon completion of registration you will receive an email confirmation. Be sure that you chose the right league, playing level and facility to ensure that you are placed in the proper division. If you need to make a correction or need assistance with the registration process, please contact us immediately.

Schedules are posted on the first day of the regular season. Teams will receive email notification that schedules are posted and should review schedules promptly and make contact with their first opponent!

Playing with Different Partners

A player can play twice in the same doubles or mixed league with 2 different partners at different levels. To register with the 2nd partner, click “Register” or “Waiting List” button and follow the prompts to complete your registration.

Guidelines for playing in the same doubles league on 2 teams:

• You must play at a different level with each partner.
• If both teams are moved to the same level in the future, you would have to either play up a level with the strongest team or only play on 1 team.
• You must commit to all matches. More than 1 forfeit on either team will prohibit you from playing with different partners in the future.

Regions Offered

Currently we offer leagues in the following regions. Our regions include the city and suburbs and generally include some areas that do not always have enough teams to create a division at every level. If we do not have enough teams in your area, you will be given the option to change your home court facility to play in the division nearest you.

• ATLANTA - Includes Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Jackson, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, and Walton counties
• AUSTIN - Includes Travis and Williamson counties
• DALLAS/FT. WORTH - Includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties
• HOUSTON – Includes Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery counties
• JACKSONVILLE - Includes Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and Saint John counties
• LOS ANGELES - Includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties
• SAN DIEGO - Includes San Diego county
• SAN ANTONIO - Includes Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe counties

If your region is not offered, you can choose ‘Other’ for access to member areas of the website. Then, when we have enough players in your area, we will start a league there!

Leagues Offered

Currently, we offer the following leagues. Not all leagues are offered in all regions, so check the league schedule to see what is available in your area. All leagues require availability for matches evenings and weekends except Weekday leagues which require availability Monday through Friday during the day.

• Weekday Women’s Singles – Atlanta & Houston Only
• Business Women’s Singles
• Men’s Singles
• Girl’s Junior Singles – 11 & under, 14 & under, and 17 & under – Atlanta Only
• Boy’s Junior Singles - 11 & under, 14 & under, and 17 & under – Atlanta Only
• Weekday Women’s Doubles – Atlanta & Houston only
• Business Women’s Doubles - All regions except San Antonio & Austin
• Mixed Doubles - All regions except San Antonio & Austin

Find a Partner

LeagueTennis.com provides a Find a Partner feature to help players find a partner for our doubles and mixed leagues. Select ‘Resources > Find a Partner’ from the main menu. You can search the list of players who have added their names to our Find a Partner list or select ‘Add me to the list’ or ‘Remove me from the list’ to manage your own listing. Your contact information will not be visible to players browsing the list. Your email address will only be shared if you choose to reply to a message from a player.

No one should ever miss out on playing because they don’t have a partner!

Ratings & Skill Levels

Skill Levels

LeagueTennis.com uses the NTRP System as the basis for adult league skill levels. We offer levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 in most cities. Junior skill levels include A-Advanced, B-Intermediate and C-Beginner. See descriptions below.

Adult Skill Levels

Level	Description
2.5	You are learning to judge where the ball is going, although your court coverage is limited. You can sustain a short rally of slow pace with other players of the same ability.
3.0	You are fairly consistent when hitting medium-paced shots, but are not comfortable with all strokes and lack execution when trying for directional control, depth, or power. Your most common doubles formation is one-up, one-back.
3.5	You have achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on moderate shots, but need to develop depth and variety. You exhibit more aggressive net play, have improved court coverage and are developing teamwork in doubles.
4.0	You have dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides on moderate-paced shots. You can use lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys with some success and occasionally force errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident.
4.5	You have developed your use of power and spin and can handle pace. You have sound footwork, can control depth of shots, and attempt to vary game plan according to your opponents. You can hit first serves with power and accuracy and place the second serve. You tend to overhit on difficult shots. Aggressive net play is common in doubles.
5.0	You have good shot anticipation and frequently have an outstanding shot or attribute around which a game may be structured. You can regularly hit winners or force errors off of short balls and can put away volleys. You can successfully execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys, overhead smashes, and have good depth and spin on most second serves

Junior Skill Levels

Level	Description
C - Beginner	Beginner to advanced beginner skill level. Player is just starting to develop a game. May have limited match play experience in local leagues at the beginner level. Comparable to NTRP description for 2.5 level or below.
B - Intermediate	Intermediate skill level. Player has developed a good foundation in the game. Match play experience in local leagues at the intermediate level. May have tournament experience in USTA tournaments. Comparable to the NTRP description for 3.0 to 3.5 levels.
A - Advanced	Advanced skill level. Player has developed an advanced game. Generally has match play experience in local leagues at the advanced level and/or tournament level experience in USTA advanced tournaments. Comparable to the NTRP description for 4.0 or 4.5 levels.

Self-rating

New singles players and doubles teams are required to self-rate their first season of play. We have provided suggested guidelines for self-rating below.

First time adult singles players self-rating guidelines

If you have a current USTA rating, we suggest you register at that playing level. If you do not have a current USTA rating, please review the NTRP playing characteristics and choose the level that most matches your abilities. If you are not sure if you have a current USTA rating, check USTA Find Rating. If you have a current rating and do not self-rate at that level, you may be considered underrated and be disqualified from participating in playoffs.

If you do not have a current USTA rating, please review the Adult Skill Levels chart and choose the level with the description that best fits your game. Or take a lesson from a local pro and ask them to help you determine your NTRP rating.

First time adult doubles teams self-rating guidelines

When registering for doubles, teams should typically play their first season at the level of the highest rated player on the team. However, if both players have a current USTA rating that is 2 or more levels apart, the players can choose to play 1 level below the highest rated player [Example, a 3.0 & 4.0 player can start at the 3.5 level if both players have a verifiable NTRP rating]. Please note that the first time 2 players play together as a team in our system, they are considered a new team even if one or both have played doubles with another player.

If one or both players do not have a current USTA rating, please review the Adult Skill Levels chart and choose the level with the description that best fits each player’s game, then use the guidelines above for choosing the combined team rating. Or take a lesson from a local pro and ask them to help you determine your NTRP rating.

First time junior singles players self-rating guidelines

Please review the Junior Skill Levels chart and choose the level with the description that best fits your game. Or take a lesson from a local pro and ask them to help you determine your NTRP rating.

Returning players/teams

Returning players/teams should choose their level based on their last season of play in the same league. If you register prior to the conclusion of a season, your level will be adjusted if necessary based on your final S-Rating. See the S-Rating scale to determine your returning level.

Strength Rating or S-Rating

LeagueTennis.com uses a Strength Rating (S-Rating) to evaluate how competitive a player/team is at the current level based on the number of games they win in each match. The exact calculation is total regular season games won divided by total regular season games played multiplied by 10. Regular season matches won or lost by forfeit and playoff matches do not count towards the S-Rating.

The S-Rating is used for the following:

• To determine a returning player or team’s skill level (see chart below).
• To determine if a new player or team is underrated their first season of play.
• As the 2nd factor in determining division standings if two teams have the same number of points.
• As the 3rd factor in determining playoff seeding after division standing and points.
• As the 2nd factor in choosing wildcards for playoffs if two teams have the same number of actual points.

Strength Rating or S-Rating Scale

• S-Rating of 2.5 or below will result in the team being moved down 1 level of play
• S-Rating of 2.6 to 3.5 will allow the team to optionally move down 1 level of play
• S-Rating of 3.6 to 5.9 will result in the team staying at the the same level
• S-Rating of 6.0 to 7.4 will allow the team to optionally move up 1 level of play
• S-Rating of 7.5 or above will result in the team being moved up 1 level of play
• City Champions & City Finalists who end their regular season with an S-Rating of 5.5 or above will be moved up 1 level of play

Underrating

Choose your playing level as accurately as possible for your first playing season in a league as new players or doubles teams who end the season with an S-Rating of 7.5 to 10 in their first season of play will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs.

For Adults, the only exception is if players have a current USTA rating and followed our suggested guidelines for choosing their level. For doubles and mixed doubles, both players must have a valid USTA rating. You must submit valid USTA numbers to the league prior to the end of the regular season to ensure that you are not disqualified. We use the USTA Find Rating to verify ratings. Since USTA evaluates ratings at the end of the calendar year, a current USTA rating is one that has been evaluated in the 24 month period prior to the start of the regular season. As an example, if you are playing in a league which started on 4/5/2010, the date on the USTA rating cannot be older than 12/31/2008. In addition, the rating cannot be of type “S” which is a self-rating that has not yet been verified by USTA. For our Winter leagues, it is up to the player to determine his/her final USTA level at the end of the calendar year. If the USTA rating is bumped up at the end of the year, they should contact us immediately to change their level in the league if they registered prior to receiving their USTA rating.

For Juniors, since there is no individual USTA Junior rating that can be checked so there is no exception. However, when appropriate, we will try to create a “high bracket” for new players who end the season with 7.5 or above but this is not guaranteed.

Qualifying Season

If you are determined to be underrated, please consider it your qualifying season with LeagueTennis.com because we know that players rarely underrate themselves intentionally. Your rating for that league will be considered confirmed for subsequent seasons and you will qualify to win the division and participate in playoffs regardless of your end of season S-Rating.

Disqualification

Failure to follow our suggested guidelines for choosing a skill level may result in a player or team being disqualified from winning a division or participating in the playoffs if they are determined to be underrated or if we find they did not follow our self-rating guidelines.

LeagueTennis.com Discretion

LeagueTennis.com may occasionally, at their discretion, waive some of the rules for skill level placement or underrating for verifiable reasons. By way of example, if a 4.0 player ended a season with an S-Rating of 7.8 and noticed that most of the players in their division had verifiable USTA ratings of 3.5 or below but had self-rated incorrectly at the 4.0 level, we may waive the requirement for the 4.0 player to move up since the S-Rating was impacted by the lower skill levels in the division. However, we do not check for these situations. If you have a request for review, you must submit the request to us prior to schedules or playoff draws being published.

Final Placement

LeagueTennis.com may sometimes move a player or team to a level other than that requested or determined by the last playing season based on specific scheduling needs or ratings reviews. However, we would advise you prior to publishing the schedule, and we will do everything in our power to place everyone at the level where they are competitive.

Scheduling Matches

Schedules

Schedules are published on the website on the first day of the regular season. You can access your schedule by selecting ‘My Leagues -> My Schedule’ from the main navigation then selecting the correct league from the list of ‘active’ leagues.

Communication

You can communicate with your opponents via email or phone. We highly recommend that every phone conversation is followed up with a confirmation email. Save all email communication until the season is over in case there is a dispute. We can only resolve disputes based on documentation when teams do not agree on what has occurred. If your opponent has not responded to one form of contact or the other, then you must try both email and phone before you can score the match as a forfeit per our lack of contact rules.

Initial Contact

Contact each opponent at least 2 weeks prior to the match deadline. It is the responsibility of all teams to contact their opponents, not just the home team. You must make contact with your opponent at least 5 days prior to the deadline with an offer of 3 legitimate options to play or alternatively accept one of your opponents’ options or your opponent can score the match as a forfeit against you (assuming your opponent has attempted to contact you and made the proper offers by phone and email at least 5 days prior to the deadline). 5 days prior to a Sunday deadline is by midnight the preceding Monday. 5 days prior to a Friday deadline is by midnight the preceding Saturday.

Offer 3 Options (Dates) to Play!

Always start by offering your opponent 3 legitimate options to play! We cannot stress enough how important this is! Make sure you save email documentation of your offer and subsequent communication with opponents until the season is over. You must have offered your opponent 3 legitimate options to play or alternatively have accepted one of your opponents’ offers or your opponent can score the match as a forfeit against you (assuming your opponent has made the proper offers to you by phone and email).

Legitimate Options to Play

A legitimate option to play must follow these guidelines:

• Each option must be a different date!
• The date must fall in the 2 week period that ends on the match deadline. The deadline date is included in this period!
• An offer must be made with at least 24 hours notice to ensure that the other team has time to make arrangements for a court, find a babysitter, confirm with their partner or make other necessary arrangements.
• The match start time must fall in a timeframe and on a day of the week appropriate for the league:
  • Weekday Leagues - Monday - Friday - 9 am to 1 pm start times
  • Junior, Business Women, Men & Mixed Leagues - Monday - Friday - 6 pm to 7:30 pm start times - Saturday or Sunday - 9 am to 7:30 pm start times

Teams can choose to play any time as long as scores are entered by midnight of the final day of the regular season but both teams would need to agree to any arrangements outside of the legitimate options described above.

Match Deadlines

Each match has a deadline shown on the schedule. No team is required to play the match past this deadline as long as they offer their opponent 3 legitimate options to play. The only exceptions would be if the match is incomplete or unless they agree to play the match after the deadline.

Default Times - Regular Season

If you and your opponent have both offered 3 legitimate options for playing the match but cannot agree on an option then the teams must either play the match at the default time or agree to play late. If either team wants to play it at the default time, then they must give their opponents 48 hours notice that they want to do so. The other team must then play at the default time or forfeit the match.

• Junior, Business Women, Men & Mixed Leagues –Sunday Deadlines - 7:00 pm match start time; Saturday Deadlines - 4:00 pm match start time
• Weekday Women’s Leagues – Friday deadlines - 11 am start time.

Playing a Match after the Deadline

If everyone agrees to play the match after the original deadline, then the new deadline is automatically set as follows and all scheduling rules apply to the new deadline. These dates are purposely set the day before the deadline of week 7 matches to avoid a conflict with week 7 default times. The scores can still be entered anytime prior to midnight on the final day of the season.

• Weekday Leagues - The Thursday prior to the regular season end date
• Junior, Business Women, Men & Mixed Leagues - The Saturday prior to the regular season end date.

Risks in Playing a Match after the Deadline

Do NOT get in a situation where you have put off multiple matches matches until late in the season as you risk forfeiting a match or having it go unscored if you can’t find time to play. Excessive forfeits and unscored matches can result in suspension from the league. As long as you follow the rules for match scheduling and offer 3 legitimate options to play in a timely manner, you do NOT have to agree to play a match late even if the opponent requests it, so remember that you control your destiny!

Cancelling/Rescheduling a Match

Each team is allowed to cancel/reschedule a match one time with at least 24 hours notice with no penalty assuming there is still time to play by the deadline or if both teams agree to play late. If the match has already been rescheduled one time then it is up to the other team whether they will allow their opponent to reschedule it a second time.

If a match is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, the match can be scored as a forfeit against the team that cancelled/rescheduled. Teams are welcome to play the match later if both teams agree but if it doesn’t get played by the end of the season, then the original forfeit can be scored as long as the team who agreed to allow the reschedule, has offered at least 2 additional options for playing the match. This avoids a situation where team A calls team B with less than 24 hours notice and asks if it is okay to reschedule and team B says “sure” but then does not actually offer them any other options before taking the forfeit. Team A may have chosen NOT to reschedule had they known that they would not actually be given another opportunity to play.

Home vs. Away

Matches are designated as Home or Away on your schedule.

Balls

The home team supplies the balls for their home matches. There is no exchange of balls based on who wins or loses.

Court Fees

The home team pays all necessary court and guest fees for their home matches. We do not require teams to split the fees since we want every team to have control over their expenses and do not want to require a visiting team to split fees at an exclusive private facility or indoor court when they may have budgeted for a less expensive facility. And others pay for court usage on an annual or monthly basis through association or membership fees and cannot easily split these fees with the visiting team so they would end up paying all fees for their home matches plus half of the fees for their away matches if we required the teams to split the cost.

Home Court Facility Requirements

All leagues except the Weekday Women’s league require lighted courts. Courts must have bathroom facilities that are accessible. Courts can be hard court or clay court surface. Courts must be reasonably maintained. Examples of courts that are not reasonably maintained include:

• Courts with cracking that is significant enough to impact the bounce of the ball or cause someone to lose their footing.
• Courts with surfaces that are buckled or uneven enough to impact the bounce of the ball or cause someone to lose their footing.
• Courts where net heights cannot be accurately adjusted or the height maintained throughout the match.

Court Availability & Reservations

The home team should provide a court reservation for a minimum of 2 hours to ensure that there is ample time to complete a match and to avoid an incomplete match being rescheduled at their opponents’ court. If the match cannot be completed in the timeframe provided, then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match for completion any time prior to the end of the season.
• Rescheduling will follow the rules for Playing a Match after the Deadline if teams can’t agree on a time during the regular play period with the exception of a week 7 match which cannot be played after its regular deadline so if no other options are available, the match would be rescheduled for the default time.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then all completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match.
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then all completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Incomplete’

If the home team does not provide a playable court for the minimum timeframe for any reason (the reservation was for only 1.5 hours, the lights on a timer go out, the facility closes early, the facility did not have a reservation), then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match for completion any time prior to the end of the season.
• Rescheduling will follow the rules for Playing a Match after the Deadline if teams can’t agree on a time during the regular play period with the exception of a week 7 match which cannot be played after its regular deadline so if no other options are available, the match would be rescheduled for the default time.
• The visiting team can require the match be completed at their courts (as long as the match started at the scheduled time and was not delayed due to the visiting team arriving late). Please consider that every drive to your opponents’ court is essentially another “away” match for whoever has to drive. This simply distributes the “away” matches in a reasonable manner.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then all completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match.
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then all completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Incomplete’

If a match is scheduled and confirmed by both teams and a court is not available at the match start time, the visiting team can score the match as a forfeit if the court does not become available within 20 minutes. However, if both teams agree, they can move to another location, or reschedule the match.

Changing Facilities

Since schedules are based on the location of a team's chosen facility, teams must play home matches at their home facility. If the home facility is not available, the home team can offer a facility within 2 miles from the original facility (using Google Maps). If no other facility is available within 2 miles of the original facility, the visiting team can request that the match be played at the visiting team’s facility. If neither facility is available, teams must find a mutually agreeable public facility and court fees will be split between the teams.

Driving Directions

The home team MUST ensure that the visiting team has a good address and directions to their courts. Therefore every home team should go to their ‘My Schedule’ page and click the Google Map link for their facility then review that the address and driving directions are accurate. If the information is not correct, or if it is apparent that googlemaps does not take the visiting team to the courts, it is up to the home team to advise the league and to provide a good address and driving directions to each of their opponents in writing.

25 Mile Rule

If an away match is greater than 25 miles distance from your home court facility using Google Maps, you may request that the match be played at a public facility that is approximately midway between the two facilities. If there is no facility midway between the two, then the teams should choose a facility that results in neither team traveling more than 25 miles with the shortest distance given to the home team where possible. The court fees will be split between the two teams. If the teams cannot agree on a facility, contact us and we will make a final decision.

If teams are in a division where they play someone twice and the 25 mile rule is applicable, teams must decide whether they will utilize the rule or not and it must be handled the same for both matches. In other words, if you are 25 miles away from an opponent, and you let them drive to your courts, you cannot then turn around and force them to meet you halfway when you have to travel to their courts.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather is defined as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) or severe weather (temperature below 34 degrees or above 98 degrees Fahrenheit according to www.weather.com). Use the following guidelines in the event of inclement weather:

• If there is inclement weather, teams must contact each other via telephone to cancel a match. Do not assume that a match is cancelled!
• Teams should reschedule the match for completion prior to the end of the season.
• Rescheduling will follow the rules for Playing a Match after the Deadline if teams can’t agree on a time during the regular play period with the exception of a week 7 match which cannot be played after its regular deadline.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then any completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then any completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Incomplete’
• If a regular season match that is scheduled on the last day of the season is interrupted, you must contact us immediately. We will extend the deadline for these matches by one day if this is reported but if we get no reports of issues by midnight, we will not extend the deadline.
• If a playoff match that is scheduled for the default time is interrupted, we will extend the deadline for these matches by one day if this is reported, but if we get no reports of issues by midnight, we will not extend the deadline.

Scheduling Etiquette

Please follow these simple but important suggestions for playing in the league:

• Always start the conversation by offering 3 legitimate options to play. We cannot stress how important this is!
• You should check your email and voicemail regularly if you are in an active league. Teams must be able to contact you and get responses in a timely manner.
• You should never rely on email to communicate something that must be seen or responded to quickly. Pick up the phone!
• Don’t use ALL CAPS in an email - it is the same as YELLING!
• Consult with your partner before making offers to play. It is really frustrating when one player offers several options when their partner is not actually available.
• Do not assume that a match is confirmed without confirmation of the exact date and time from your opponents. You CANNOT say ‘If I don’t hear from you I’ll assume you confirmed.’

Match Play

Adult Match Play

Adult Match Play rules are described below. Any topics not covered will be guided by the USTA Friend at Court Tennis Rules & Regulations which can be found at the USTA Website: (USTA Rules) and includes The Code – The Players’ Guide to Unofficiated Matches.

• Matches are best 2 out of 3 sets. Sets are won by the first to win 6 games by a margin of 2 games.
• A 7 point tie-break (first to 7 points by a margin of 2 points) will be played at 6 games all in any given set.
• If both teams agree, a 7 point tie-7 point tie-break set can be played instead of a third set but if both teams must agree.
• Scores for a set that ended in a tie-break and for a 3rd set “tie-break set” will be entered as 7-6.
• Choice of service / court end for the first game of the match is decided by a coin toss at the start of the warm-up allowing teams to warm-up on the end of the court where they will begin play. Team winning the toss can either a.) choose to serve or receive letting the opponent choose ends, b.) choose ends letting the opponent choose to serve or receive, or c.) require the opponent to make the first choice of service or ends and then taking the remaining choice.
• Teams change ends whenever the total number of completed games in a set is an odd number.

Junior Match Play

Junior Match Play rules are described below. Any topics not covered will be guided by the USTA Friend at Court Tennis Rules & Regulations which can be found at the USTA Website: (USTA Rules) and includes The Code – The Players’ Guide to Unofficiated Matches.

• Matches are best 2 out of 3 sets. Sets are won by the first to win 6 games by a margin of 2 games.
• A 7 point tie-break (first to 7 points by a margin of 2 points) will be played at 6 games all in any given set.
• Playing a 7 point tie-break instead of a third set:
  • Ages 11 & under - a 7 point tie-break will be played instead of a third set if either team requests it. The request must be made prior to start of the match.
  • All other age groups - If both teams agree, a 7 point tie-break can be played instead of a third set.
• Scores for a set that ended in a tie-break and for a 3rd set “tie-break set” will be entered as 7-6.
• No Ad Scoring - If both teams agree, matches can be played with No Ad scoring. This means that if the game score is tied at 40 all, whoever wins the next point, wins the game. The decision must be made prior to the start of the match.
• Choice of service / court end for the first game of the match is decided by a coin toss at the start of the warm-up allowing teams to warm-up on the end of the court where they will begin play. Team winning the toss can either a.) choose to serve or receive letting the opponent choose ends, b.) choose ends letting the opponent choose to serve or receive, or c.) require the opponent to make the first choice of service or ends and then taking the remaining choice.
• Teams change ends whenever the total number of completed games in a set is an odd number.

7 Point Tie-Break Rules

First team to 7 points by a margin of 2 points wins the tie-break and the set. Serving rotation is maintained during the tie-break. The player whose turn it is to serve, serves 1 point from the deuce side of the court. Players then serve 2 points each in succession starting from the Ad court. Players/Teams change sides at every 6 points. The team that served first in the tie-break, receives first in the next set. Players/Teams change sides after the tie-break.

Coaching & Spectator Participation

The following guidelines apply to all spectators:

• Coaching from a spectator is not allowed for junior or adult leagues, including parents.
• Offering advice on rules, interpretation of rules, or making lines calls is not allowed from a spectator, including parents.
• Teams are responsible for their spectators. Bad sportsmanship is not allowed from a spectator that is the guest of a team.

Scoring

Reporting Scores

Scores are entered by clicking the ‘Report Score’ button by the appropriate match on the ‘My Schedule’ page. Scores can be entered anytime through midnight on the final day of the season. Be sure to press ‘confirm’ after scores have been entered and saved! The winning team should enter the score to ensure that they get credit for the match. However, anyone can enter the score.

Correcting Scores

Score corrections must be sent to us by midnight on the final day of the season.

Match Scoring

• Winning team should enter the score to ensure that they get credit for the match. However, anyone can enter the score.
• Winning team will receive 40 points for the match. Losing team will receive 20 points for winning a set or 10 points if no set is won. Games count toward the S-Rating. Teams who lose by forfeit do not receive any points.
• If a team forfeits the match select ‘forfeit’ next to that team – winning team will receive 40 points, forfeiting team will receive 0 points. Match does not count toward the S-Rating.
• If a team retires from the match, enter all completed games then select ‘retire’ next to that team. Winning team will receive 40 points for the match. Losing team will receive 20 points for winning a set or 10 points if no set is won. Games count toward the S-Rating.
• If the match is incomplete, enter all completed games then select ‘Incomplete’. Teams will receive 20 points for winning a set or 10 points if no set is won. Games count toward the S-Rating.
• If the match is not played but it was not due to a forfeit or retire then no scores are entered. Neither team receives points. Match does not count toward the S-Rating.
• A set won by tie-break will be entered as 7 – 6 in favor of the team that wins the tie-break.
• All scores must be entered by midnight on the final day of the season.
• Any score corrections must be sent to us by midnight on the final day of the season.

Forfeited Matches

The following situations allow scoring the match as a forfeit against your opponent. If the match is scored in the system, but teams decide later to play the match, we will accept the scores via email by midnight on the final day of the season.

• A team does not respond to multiple attempts at contact by 5 days prior to the match deadline and offer 3 options to play or alternatively accept one of their opponents’ options. You MUST have made attempts to contact the team by phone and email and made the proper offersl by 5 days prior to the deadline and you MUST be able to provide copies of emails with the date and recipient email address included in order to use this rule. 5 days prior to a Sunday deadline is by midnight the preceding Monday. 5 days prior to a Friday deadline is by midnight the preceding Saturday.
• A team does not offer 3 legitimate options to play (or alternatively accept one of your offers). You MUST have offered 3 legitimate options to play in order to use this rule.
• A team does not show up for a match within 20 minutes of a confirmed match start time.
• The home team cannot provide a court at the confirmed facility within 20 minutes of a confirmed match start time.
• A team cancels a scheduled match less than 24 hours from scheduled match start time.
• A team cancels a scheduled match twice regardless of advanced notice.
• A team cannot play a match at the default time after both teams have offered 3 legitimate options to play during the regular play period, cannot agree on a date, and have not agreed to play the match late. You MUST have notified your opponent that you want to utilize the default time with at least 48 hours notice.
• A team cannot play a match at the late match default time after both teams have agreed to play the match late, and both teams have offered 3 legitimate options to play after deciding to play the match late but cannot agree on a date. You MUST have notified your opponent that you want to utilize the default time for late matches with at least 48 hours notice.
• A team decides at any time they cannot play the match and must forfeit the match.

Excessive Forfeits & Unscored Matches

You should avoid forfeiting your matches as it results in others in your division not getting the benefit of a full schedule. Teams with more than 2 matches that are forfeited or unscored in a league will be considered having excessive forfeits. The league started tracking excessive forfeits Fall 2008. A first case will be documented, second will receive a verbal warning and third will result in suspension from the league. Please note that due to the excessive inclement weather in Winter 2010, this season is not being counted against players.

Teams that determine they cannot complete a season due to injury or other conflicts MUST report this to the league and withdraw as soon as possible so that an attempt at finding a replacement can be made.

Retired Matches

If a team starts a match but cannot complete the match due to medical or personal reasons, they are considered retired from the match. This includes matches that are cancelled or disrupted due to inclement weather or court availability issues. See scoring for details on how retired matches are scored.

Incomplete Matches

If two teams start a match but cannot complete it due to inclement weather or court availability issues, and both teams decide not to reschedule it at a later date, the match is considered incomplete. See scoring for details on how incomplete matches are scored.

Playing After the Match Is Scored

If two teams agree to play a match that was previously scored as forfeited, retired or incomplete, contact us, and we will change the scores any time prior to midnight of the final day of the season.

Division Winners

Division Winners

At the end of the regular season, the team with the most points will be the division winner. Ties are broken in the following order:

• Team with the highest S-Rating

Division winners will receive Division Winner Bag Tags and Car Magnets at the end of the season and will automatically qualify for play-offs if they have marked themselves available on their ‘My Schedule’ page.

Teams can check division standings 24 hours after the final day of the season to see the final standings in their division.

Underrating

Choose your playing level as accurately as possible for your first playing season in a league as new players or doubles teams who end the season with an S-Rating of 7.5 to 10 in their first season of play will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs.

For Adults, the only exception is if players have a current USTA rating and followed our suggested guidelines for choosing their level. For doubles and mixed doubles, both players must have a valid USTA rating. You must submit valid USTA numbers to the league prior to the end of the regular season to ensure that you are not disqualified. We use the USTA Find Rating to verify ratings. Since USTA evaluates ratings at the end of the calendar year, a current USTA rating is one that has been evaluated in the 24 month period prior to the start of the regular season. As an example, if you are playing in a league which started on 4/5/2010, the date on the USTA rating cannot be older than 12/31/2008. In addition, the rating cannot be of type “S” which is a self-rating that has not yet been verified by USTA. For our Winter leagues, it is up to the player to determine his/her final USTA level at the end of the calendar year. If the USTA rating is bumped up at the end of the year, they should contact us immediately to change their level in the league if they registered prior to receiving their USTA rating.

For Juniors, since there is no individual USTA Junior rating that can be checked so there is no exception. However, when appropriate, we will try to create a “high bracket” for new players who end the season with 7.5 or above but this is not guaranteed.

Playoffs & City Championship

Playoff Schedule

Playoffs begin after the regular season to determine a City Champion & City Finalist for each playing level in each league. Typically playoff schedules will be posted within 2 days after final day of the regular season. Teams will receive an email when the playoff draw has been published. Once the playoff draw is posted, playoff matches will automatically appear at the bottom of a player’s schedule with a deadline for the match. The full playoff draw with seeding can be accessed by selecting ‘View Playoff Draw’ at the bottom of the ‘My schedule’ page once it is posted.

Availability

Teams MUST mark themselves as available for playoffs prior to midnight on the final day of the season to be to be considered for the draw. This option is found on the ‘My Schedule’ page for each league. Please keep in mind that playoff matches are on a tighter timeline than the regular season so do not mark yourself as available if you will not have time to complete the matches according to the schedule.

Playoff Match Drive Times

Teams can expect longer driving times for playoffs as the draw is comprised of teams from different divisions across the region. The 25 mile rule is NOT in effect during the playoffs.

Qualification

Each division has a certain number of automatic qualifiers that will be placed in the draw as long as they have made themselves available to play. In divisions of 4 to 7 teams, the top 2 qualify, in divisions of 8 to 9 teams, the top 3 qualify, and in divisions of 10 to 11, the top 4 qualify. In addition, wildcards may be chosen if needed to complete the draw based on total actual regular season points then S-Rating. Teams that end the season underrated or with 2 or more losses by forfeit will not be eligible for playoffs. If a team is disqualified either based on underrating, excessive forfeits or replacement of an original player on the team, the next team in line would qualify.

Playoff Seeding

Playoff Seeding is determined for qualified players is based on

• Division Standing
• Total adjusted regular season points
• S-Rating

Seeding for wildcard players is based on

• Total actual regular season points
• S-Rating

Underrating

Choose your playing level as accurately as possible for your first playing season in a league as new players or doubles teams who end the season with an S-Rating of 7.5 to 10 in their first season of play will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs.

For Adults, the only exception is if players have a current USTA rating and followed our suggested guidelines for choosing their level. For doubles and mixed doubles, both players must have a valid USTA rating. You must submit valid USTA numbers to the league prior to the end of the regular season to ensure that you are not disqualified. We use the USTA Find Rating to verify ratings. Since USTA evaluates ratings at the end of the calendar year, a current USTA rating is one that has been evaluated in the 24 month period prior to the start of the regular season. As an example, if you are playing in a league which started on 4/5/2010, the date on the USTA rating cannot be older than 12/31/2008. In addition, the rating cannot be of type “S” which is a self-rating that has not yet been verified by USTA. For our Winter leagues, it is up to the player to determine his/her final USTA level at the end of the calendar year. If the USTA rating is bumped up at the end of the year, they should contact us immediately to change their level in the league if they registered prior to receiving their USTA rating.

For Juniors, since there is no individual USTA Junior rating that can be checked so there is no exception. However, when appropriate, we will try to create a “high bracket” for new players who end the season with 7.5 or above but this is not guaranteed.

Scheduling

Teams should contact their opponents immediately as playoffs are on a very tight schedule. Teams MUST offer their opponents at least two legitimate playoff options for playing, one option can be the default time. If you have any problems contacting your opponents within 24 hours of the playoff match being posted on your schedule, you should contact us immediately describing your efforts.

Home Court & Balls

Home court advantage will go to the eam with the highest seeding. Home team supplies the balls for the match and is responsible for any court or guest fees.

Entering Scores

Winning team should enter scores to ensure they advance to the next round. If a match score is not entered by midnight on the deadline, the match will be scored as incomplete with neither team advancing.

Legitimate Options to Play

A legitimate option to play must follow these guidelines:

• The date must be on or before the deadline. One option can be the default time.
• The match start time must fall in a timeframe and on a day of the week appropriate for the league:
  • Weekday Leagues - Monday - Friday - 9 am to 1 pm start times
  • Junior, Business Women, Men & Mixed Leagues - Monday - Friday - 6 pm to 7:30 pm start times - Saturday or Sunday - 9 am to 7:30 pm start times
• An offer must be made with at least 24 hours notice to ensure that the other player has time to make arrangements for a court, find a babysitter, confirm with their partner or make other necessary arrangements.

Default Times - Playoffs

If you and your opponent have both offered 2 legitimate options for playing the match but cannot agree on an option then the teams must play the match at the default time. If either team cannot play at the default time then they must advise their opponent in advance and forfeit the match.

• Junior, Business Women, Men & Mixed Leagues –Sunday Deadlines - 7:00 pm match start time; Saturday Deadlines - 4:00 pm match start time
• Weekday Women’s Leagues –11 am start time

Match Deadlines

Each match has a deadline shown on the schedule. All scores must be entered by midnight on the deadline. No matches can be played after the deadline except in the case of inclement weather at the default time.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather is defined as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) or severe weather (temperature below 34 degrees or above 98 degrees Fahrenheit according to weather.com). Use the following guidelines in the event of inclement weather during the playoffs.

• Teams should reschedule their match by the deadline. If teams cannot agree on a date, the match should be played at the default time.
• If a match is started and is interrupted before it is completed due to inclement weather, teams should reschedule the match. If teams cannot agree on a date, the match should be completed at the default time.
• If there is inclement weather, teams must contact each other via telephone to cancel a match. Do not assume that a match is cancelled!
• If a playoff match that is scheduled for the default time is interrupted due to inclement weather, we will extend the deadline for these matches by one day if this is reported, but if we get no reports of issues by midnight, we will not extend the deadline.

Incomplete Matches

If a match score is not entered by midnight on the deadline, the match will be scored as incomplete with neither team advancing.

Court Availability & Reservations

The home team must provide a court reservation for a minimum of 2 hours. If the match cannot be completed in the timeframe provided, then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match. If teams cannot agree on a date, the match should be completed at the default time.

If the home team does not provide a playable court for the minimum timeframe for any reason (the reservation is for 1.5 hours, the lights on a timer go out, the facility closes early, the facility did not have a reservation), then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match. If teams cannot agree on a date, the match should be completed at the default time.
• The visiting team can require the match be completed at their courts.

If a match is scheduled and confirmed by both teams and a court is not available at the match start time, the visiting team can score the match as a forfeit if the court does not become available within 20 minutes. However, if both teams agree, they can move to another location, or reschedule the match as long as scores are entered by midnight on the deadline.

Playoff Seeding

Playoff Seeding is determined for qualified players is based on

• Division Standing
• Total adjusted regular season points
• S-Rating

Seeding for wildcard players is based on

• Total actual regular season points
• S-Rating

Wildcards

Wildcards may be chosen if needed in the draw. Wildcards are chosen based on the following order and typically are limited to teams that have won close to 50% of their matches and have an S-Rating close to 5.0 or above.

• Total actual regular season points
• S-Rating

City Championship Match

The final 2 teams at each level will play a championship match to determine the City Champion and City Finalist for each level. The winning team should report scores by midnight on the Play By date. Championship matches are flexible format and follow the same rules for scheduling as playoff matches.

Prizes

Prizes for all champions and finalists are mailed within 3 weeks of the end of the mixed and double playoffs. Therefore, singles players should expect a longer delay due to the fact that all t-shirts are ordered at one time for the season.

• Adult City Champions will receive a City Champion Bag Tag, a City Champion Car Magnet, a $25 Gift Card, and a City Champion T-Shirt.
• Junior City Champions will receive a City Champion Bag Tag, a City Champion Car Magnet, and a City Champion T-Shirt.
• Finalists will receive a City Finalist Bag Tag and a City Finalist Car Magnet.

Newsletter & Photos

All Adult and Junior Champions and Finalists will be listed in the newsletter along with any pictures that are submitted!

General

League Withdrawals

You should avoid withdrawing from the league unless it is absolutely necessary. A player who shows a pattern of withdrawing will be suspended from the league.

If a team is injured or unable to complete the season for any reason, they should contact us immediately. We will withdraw them from the division and either replace them with a team from the waiting list or replace their unscored matches with a SUB match in the event there are no replacements on the waiting list.

A doubles team may replace an injured player during the season. There are two options for handling the situation:

1. Replace the injured player and continue to play any unplayed matches. However, if the original team has already obtained points, the new team will not be eligible for playoffs.
2. Withdraw the original team and start as a new team. Any matches already played would have to be made up either against SUB teams or against the original teams if they are willing to replay the match. Since all points would have been earned, the new team would be eligible for playoffs.

We may not be aware that a team is not playing so please be sure to contact us if you notice a team is not responding to your contact and/or no scores have been entered during the season.

If a team forfeits or is late scoring 3 or more matches or does not respond within a week to our inquiries, we reserve the right to remove them from the division if we have a replacement team.

Refunds

Players will receive a 100% refund of their registration fee if they cancel their registration prior to schedules being published. There are no refunds or credits after schedules have been published for a league.

Sportsmanship

We started LeagueTennis.com to provide players with additional opportunities for fun, affordable, competitive tennis! We expect all members of LeagueTennis.com to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner under all circumstances to ensure the quality of the league is maintained! If you experience a player or team who is unsportsmanlike, please contact us and let us know about your experience.

Our policy for handling complaints regarding bad sportsmanship is as follows. A first incident will be documented, a 2nd incident will result in the player receiving a warning, and a 3rd incident can result in suspension from the league based on the complaint. The suspension could be 1 season, 1 year, or permanently depending on the severity of the situation. Unless there is an objective 3rd party witness, our policy is to accept the details of any complaint as valid unless there is documentation that proves otherwise. This means that in many instances, both parties are documented and/or receive a verbal warning as it is typical that we receive complaints from both parties when a situation has arisen. Since we are not present at the matches, unless there is an objective third party witness, we must believe what we are told by both players or what can be documented with emails, so we let the # of complaints against a player guide us in the validity since we are able to see patterns emerging.

The following are examples of what we consider bad sportsmanship, but this is not a complete list:

• Excessive Forfeits
• Excessive Withdrawals
• A pattern of being non-responsive to opponents attempts to contact
• Difficulty in scheduling
• Not showing up for a match without contacting your opponent to let them know
• Bad line calls and/or excessive questioning of line calls
• Rude, confrontational emails
• Verbal Abuse
• Profanity
• Cheating

In addition, physical abuse, or a serious threat of harm or physical abuse will lead to immediate suspension from the league. Please report the situation to the authorities and after safety is assured, report to the league.

We think Good Sportsmanship is so important, that every month we will select a recipient of a Good Sportsmanship Award and that player will receive a prize and recognition! Please be sure to contact us if you would like to nominate a player or team for this important award. Be sure to include their name and describe the details of the situation!

Disputes

LeagueTennis.com matches are ‘unofficiated matches,’ and we expect players to handle disputes where there is disagreement on what occurred on the court in a sportsmanlike manner. This includes line calls, score disagreements, etc. We recommend players print a copy the LeagueTennis.com rules and of USTA’s Friend at Court Tennis Rules & Regulations which can be found at the USTA Website: (USTA Rules) USTA Friend at Court 2007 Edition and includes The Code – The Players’ Guide to Unofficiated Matches.

Sometimes, disputes result from a disagreement on the interpretation of rules. The players agree on what happened but disagree on the rules for the situation. An example is if a player hits a ball for a winner but touches the net with their racket in the process but insists that they won the point, the other player can disagree and play the remainder of the match under protest since the rule is that if a player touches the net, they lose the point. The protest must be clearly stated to the opponent and should be sent to us immediately after the match. If the protesting player is correct, if they lost the match, the match results can be overturned in their favor.

Scheduling disputes sometimes arise and the league is asked to make a ruling. We require all dispute resolution requests to be accompanied by documentation which includes a timeline of events and copies of all emails. If there is enough documentation for us to reach a conclusion, we will do so otherwise teams risk the match going unscored.

If a team is involved in a dispute of any kind and chooses not to finish a match, they are considered “retiring” from the match. So please complete your match even if there is a disagreement, then report the issue to the league afterwards. The only exception the other team has physically abused or seriously threatened physical abuse, in such case you should stop the match and report it immediately to the authorities and after safety is assured, to the league.

Referrals & LeagueTennis $$

Refer a player to LeagueTennis.com, and you will earn two LeagueTennis $$ each season they pay to play! LeagueTennis $$ are credited to directly to your LeagueTennis.com account and can be used for:

• LeagueTennis $$ in your account can be directly applied to your next registration fee at LeagueTennis.com at the end of the registration process.
• When you have accumulated $50 or more LeagueTennis $$ in your account, you can request to redeem for a gift card (in $50 increments).

To manage your referrals, select ‘My Leagues > My Referrals.’ You can:

• View your referral code
• View a list of your current referred players
• Select ‘Tell My Friends’ to send an email to your friends that has your referral link
• Select ‘View My LeagueTennis $$ Account’ to see your current account balance

Other Resources

Player Performance

LeagueTennis.com provides a Player Performance feature to allow players to scout the competition. Select ‘Resources > Player Performance’ to search for the complete history of any player in our league.

Find a Partner

LeagueTennis.com provides a Find a Partner feature to help players find a partner for our doubles and mixed leagues. Select ‘Resources -> Find a Partner’ from the main navigation. You can search the list of players who have added their names to our Find a Partner list or select ‘Add me to the list’ or ‘Remove me from the list’ to manage your own listing. Your contact information will not be visible to players browsing the list. Your email address will only be shared if you choose to reply to a message from a player.

No one who should ever miss out on playing because they don’t have a partner!

Tennis News

For the latest in pro tennis news select ‘Resources > Tennis News’ from the main navigation.

Weather

For the latest weather in any of our league cities, select ‘Resources -> Weather’ from the main navigation. Roll your mouse over any city to see the 8 day forecast in the lower portion of the weather monitor. You can also toggle between forecast and radar.

Finding a Facility

There are several really good 3rd party sites that can be used to find a facility in your area:

• TennisMaps.com – This site has listings for many areas including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and San Diego
• nNetis.com – This site has listings for Atlanta
• MyTennisCenter.com – This site has listings for every city

Sponsorship & Advertising

LeagueTennis.com offers businesses a variety of opportunities to reach our player community through league sponsorships, monthly newsletter sponsorships, sponsors page and Website advertising. Please contact marketing@leaguetennis.com for more information. We have almost 14,000 members who would love to buy your products and services!