About the Leagues

LeagueTennis.com provides online flexible tennis leagues for adults and juniors.

• Players create a profile then register for upcoming leagues based on their playing level.
• Leagues are 5 to 6 matches of regular season play followed by a single-elimination championship tournament to determine a champion for each playing level.
• Players/Teams choose a home court when registering and are placed in divisions based on their level and location with an attempt to minimize driving distance to away matches for the regular season.
• At the onset of the season, schedules are posted designating opponents and whether the match is home or away. Players/Teams contact their opponents and schedule their matches by a published deadline at a time convenient to all.
• Players/Teams post their scores for each completed match and track their standings during the regular season.
• At the end of the regular season, all division winners and runners-up are automatically qualified for an “opt-in” championship tournament for their level.
• Winners of each division, and the City Champion & Finalist will receive a Bag Tag, and the City Champion at each playing level will receive a City Champion T-Shirt & Adult Winners receive a $25 Gift Card.

Profiles & Registration

Profiles: In order to register to play in a league, players must create a profile with LeagueTennis.com. There is no charge for creating a profile! The profile will allow you access to the membership areas of the site. To create a profile, choose “Register -> New Profile” from the main navigation. When creating a profile, players will be required to choose the region in which you will play. If you do not find your region, please contact us at support@leaguetennis.com to discuss starting leagues in your area! It is extremely important that Players create only 1 profile in the system for a specific region so that referral codes and referral $$ can be tracked accurately!

Registration: After creating a profile, players will be shown a list of leagues that are open for registration in your area. You can select a league to complete the registration process. If you are registering for a Doubles league, your partner needs to create a profile before you can register a team for the league.

Skill Levels

New singles players and doubles teams are required to self-rate their first season of play. LeagueTennis.com uses the NTRP rating system as the basis for adult league playing levels. We initially offer levels 2.5 through 5.0 in new cities. As participation increases we may add additional levels (2.75, 3.25, 3.75, 4.25 etc.) to accommodate the number of players and provide even better competition!

First time singles players self-rating guidelines: If you have a current NTRP rating, please register for that level. Otherwise, please review the NTRP playing characteristics on the playing level page and self-rate at the level that most matches your abilities. Players can verify their NTRP rating at USTA Find Rating. If you are a first time player and you have a current NTRP rating and have a valid reason for registering below that level, you should contact support@leaguetennis.com to discuss this or you may be adjusted to a different level during the scheduling process.

First time 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 verifiable NTRP rating (USTA Find 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]. If you are a first time doubles team and you have current NTRP ratings and have a valid reason for not following the guidelines, you should contact support@leaguetennis.com to discuss this or you may be adjusted to a different level during the scheduling process. 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.

Returning players/teams: Returning players/teams must choose their playing level based on their last season of play in the same league format (i.e. singles or doubles). If you register prior to the conclusion of a season, your level will be adjusted based on the mandatory movement guidelines below. Be sure to let us know if you change your mind about a rating after your season results are finalized if you are in the categories below that allow “optional” movement.

[Win % is calculated as ‘Total Games Won’ divided by ‘Total Games Played’]

• Win % - 25% or less: you must move down 1 level
• Win % - 26% to 35%: you may choose to move down 1 level
• Win % - 36% to 65%: you must stay at same level
• Win% - 66% - 74%: you may choose to move up 1 level
• Win % - 75% or greater: you must move up 1 level

Underrating: Choose your playing level accurately for your first playing season as players/teams who have a Win % of 75% or greater in their first season will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs. The only exception is if players levels can be verified at or below their LeagueTennis.com league level on the USTA Tennis Link Website (USTA Find Rating).

Final Placement: LeagueTennis.com may also sometimes move a player/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 will do everything in our power to place players at the level where they will be most competitive!

Disqualification: Failure to follow the above rules for choosing a skill level may result in a player or team being disqualified from winning a division or participating in the playoffs.

LeagueTennis.com Discretion: LeagueTennis.com may occasionally, at their discretion, waive some of the rules for skill levels in certain cases. By way of example, if a 4.0 player ended a season with a 78% Win% and noticed that most of the players in their division had verifiable NTRP levels of 3.5 but had self-rated at 4.0, we would waive the requirement for the 4.0 player to move up, since the 78% Win% was impacted by the lower skill levels in the division.

Scheduling Matches

Scheduling & Default Times: Schedules are available on the Website on the league start date. Each match has a Play By date published and scores for that match must be entered by midnight on the Play By date. Players/Teams should contact each other at least 2 weeks prior to the Play By date of each match to try to schedule their match. Each team must offer at least 3 dates for playing the match in the 2 week period preceding the match Play By date (which we consider the regular play period) or agree to a date offered by their opponent. If teams cannot find a mutually agreeable date/time, they may agree to use a Late Score Pass and play after the Play By date (if a late score pass is available).

If both teams have offered 3 dates for playing the match in the 2 week period preceding the match (the regular play period), but cannot agree on a date/time and do not agree to use a late score pass or do not have one available, then the match must be played at the default time. Default times for regular season matches are shown below – the default time is the time that the match should “start.” If either team is not available to play the match on the default date/time then that team would need to forfeit the match assuming the requirements are met (see requirements below).

• Business Women, Men, Mixed & Junior Leagues – 7:00 pm on the Play By date for Sunday Play By Dates, 4:00 pm for Saturday Play By Dates
• Weekday Women’s Leagues – 11:00 am on the Friday prior to the Play By date

Requirements for utilizing the default time rule: We require that a player/team offer 3 dates in the regular play period that are legitimate times before requiring that the match be played at the default time. In the event there are scheduling issues, you should document your offer with email and keep a copy for your records. If the two teams do not agree on a time to play the match and have not met the requirements for utilizing the default time, then the match will go unscored or the teams can agree to play it late if either has a late score pass that can be utilized.

If both players/teams agree to use a late score pass and play the match later, and then both teams offer 3 dates in the future but ultimately cannot agree on a date/time, then the default date/time for any unplayed matches will be 7:00 PM on the final Play By date of the season.

A player must notify their opponent by phone and email that they are requesting to utilize the default time to play the match at least 48 hours prior to the default time.

Legitimate Times – Business Women, Men, Mixed Doubles & Junior Leagues require match start times between 9 am and 7:30 pm on weekends and/or match start times between 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on weeknights. Weekday Women’s Leagues require dates of Mon-Friday and match start times of 9 am to 1 pm for the start of a match. For doubles matches, both players must be available. Please note that matches can be played ANYTIME both players/teams agree, but players/teams are not required to start a match outside the Legitimate Times that are established for each league.

Please note that the intent of this rule is to give players/teams an easier method for resolving scheduling disputes. We fully understand that this rule may occasionally result in a team forfeiting a match because they are not available at the default time but we feel that it is a necessary change due to the number of scheduling disputes we are being asked to resolve each season. It is NOT our intent that this rule be used to force a team to play on a date when they are not available. We also understand that players/teams often have vacation and travel that will occur during the regular season. Remember that this is a flexible league and our intent is that players can schedule matches in a flexible manner. We expect that if a player/team gives plenty of advanced notice that they will not be available during the regular play period, that their opponent should be flexible and allow the other team to offer 3 dates/times at other times during the season and that everyone will do their best to accommodate. But the player/team with the conflict must be pro-active and let their opponents know this in advance.

We all sign up because we LOVE TENNIS and want to play. So please do everything in your power to schedule the match so that everyone gets the benefit of exciting competitive match play and be accommodating where possible!

Late Score Pass:: Matches must be played and scores entered by midnight on the Play By date. The only exception to this is that each team has 1 late score pass that can be used for entering a score after the Play By date during the season (for any match except the final match of the season). No scores may be entered after midnight on the final Play By date as league administrators must start on the playoff draws. In order to use a Late Score Pass, both teams must agree to play the match after the Play By date, plus agree ahead of time which team will use their Late Score Pass, typically the team that offered the fewest options for playing during the regular play period but it can be either team as long as both teams agree. If there is no team that was more or less available, often teams will agree that he winning team use their late score pass.

After a match Play By date has passed, if a team has a late score pass available, the REPORT SCORE link will change to USE LATE SCORE PASS. To use the pass, simply click the link and post the scores. Please be aware that the USE LATE SCORE PASS link will be displayed for every match that is overdue if it is available. However, even if it appears beside multiple matches, it does not mean you have multiple late score passes. Once a late score is posted, the link will disappear by all of the matches. The team who has agreed to use their late score pass MUST enter the scores for the match even if they lost the match.

If you are in a situation where the other team agreed to use their late score pass and then does not enter the score or ultimately forfeits the match, please contact support@leaguetennis.com so we can ensure that the score is entered. We will also accept scores for matches that were incomplete during the regular play period but later the teams decide to finish the match, as long as the score correction is submitted prior to midnight on the final Play By date of the season.

Home Matches:Matches are designated as Home or Away. Home player/team supplies the balls for the match and is responsible for any court or guest fees. (The visiting team DOES NOT supply the home team with an unopened can of balls if the visiting team loses.)

Since schedules are based on location of a team's chosen facility, home team must play home matches at the facility they chose when registering. If the home facility is not available, the home team can offer a facility within 2 miles from the original facility when using Google Maps to map from the home team’s facility to the proposed facility. 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 players/teams. It is the responsibility of the home player/team to ensure that the visiting team has a good address and directions to the tennis courts.

If a home team cannot offer the courts for a time period sufficient to complete a match, (for example, the match is long and public courts will only allow 2 hour reservations, or the lights on a timer go out, etc.), then the options for handling the match are as follows: 1.) match can be completed at a mutually agreed upon date/time but the visiting team can request that the match be completed at the visiting team’s home courts with the visiting team paying court/guest fees or 2.) match can be scored as Incomplete with all games completed entered into the system. However, we do not feel that the visiting team should be required to drive twice to a player’s home court (except for inclement weather which is an act of nature), even though the issue may not be under the control of the home team. We do not want players to be penalized by the rules and/or actions of a facility so we do not require a player to forfeit a match when they have no control over the situation, assuming they have reserved a court for a reasonable amount of time – 1 hour is not sufficient to complete most best out of 3 set matches. It is up to BOTH teams to remember to turn lights on at night and add additional time if lights are on a timer.

Home Court Facilities: Players must provide reasonably maintained courts for their matches. Players must have access to bathroom facilities at the courts. All leagues except the Weekday Women’s league require lighted courts. Courts that do not have an accurate net height or way of adjusting the net height is an example of a court that is not reasonably maintained.

Directions: If you are the home team, please be sure to provide your opponent with directions to your courts. We have a mapping feature on our site but sometimes facility addresses are not accurate so please do not depend on this without confirmation.

27 Mile Rule:The only exception to the home & away match assignments is the special case where a match is greater than 27 miles distance from the home team facility to the visiting team facility using Google Maps. In this case, the visiting team can request that the match be played at a public facility that is as close to halfway between the two facilities as possible. If there is no facility halfway between the two, then the players should choose a facility that results in neither player traveling more than 25 miles with the shortest distance given to the home team where applicable. The court fees will be split between the two players. If the players cannot agree on a facility, contact support@leaguetennis.com and we will make a final decision if needed. Also, if players are in a division where they play someone twice and the 27 mile rule is applicable, teams must decide whether they will utlize the rule or not and it must be handled the same for both matches. In other words, if you are 27 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.

Forfeit: Please see forfeit rules under Forfeited, Retired, and Incomplete matches

Match Play

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 players/teams agree, a 7 point tie-break set can be played in lieu of a third set.
• JUNIORS ONLY – If both players/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.
• Scores for a set that ended in a tie-break and for 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 players to warm-up on the end of the court where they will begin play. Player/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.
• Players change ends whenever the total number of completed games in a set is an odd number.

Coaching and 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.
• Bad sportsmanship (see examples below) is not allowed from a spectator that is the guest of a player/team.

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.

Scoring

Scores are entered by clicking the Report Score link by the appropriate match on the My Schedule page.

• Winning player/team should enter score; however, if winning player/team does not enter score in a timely manner, any player/team can enter score.
• If a player/team forfeited the match (see rules for ‘forfeit’) click the forfeit box for that team – winning player/team will receive 3 points, forfeiting player/team will receive 0 points. Does not count toward win percentage.
• If a player/team retired during the match (see rules for ‘retire’) enter all completed games and click the ‘retired’ box for that team. Winning player/team will receive 3 points, Losing team will receive 1 point for any sets won. Games count towards win percentage.
• If players/teams cannot complete the match (see rules for ‘incomplete match’) enter all completed games and click the ‘incomplete’ box. Each player/team will receive 1 point for any sets won. Games count towards win percentage.
• If players/teams do not play a match but it was not due to a forfeit, then no scores are entered. Neither player/team will receive any points.
• All sets that were decided by tie-breaks will be entered as 7 – 6 as the tie-break is counted as 1 game.
• If players/teams opted to play a tie-break in lieu of the 3rd set, the 3rd set score is entered as 7 - 6.

Forfeited, Retired and Incomplete Matches

Forfeited: The following situations that can result in a forfeit.

• Player/team does not respond to multiple contact attempts by email and phone by 5 days prior to Play By date. You MUST have made attempts at contacting the player by phone and by email and you MUST be able to provide copies of emails with the date and recipient email included if needed in order to use this rule. Further, you MUST send a final email advising the opponent that you are scoring the match as a forfeit and copying support@leaguetennis.com.
• Opponent does not show up for match within 20 minutes of scheduled match play time.
• Opponent cancels a scheduled match less than 24 hours from scheduled match play time.
• Opponent decides at any time they cannot play the match and must forfeit the match.
• Opponent cannot play a match at the default time after both teams have offered 3 legitimate dates/times during the regular play period but cannot agree on a date and have not agreed to play the match later. [see additional details under Scheduling and Default Times]
• Opponent cannot play a match at the default time on the final season Play By date after both teams have agreed to play the match late, and both teams have offered 3 dates/times after the regular timeframe, but cannot agree on a date. [see additional details under Scheduling and Default Times]

Please note that you should avoid forfeiting your matches as it results in other players in your division not getting the benefit of a full schedule. Players who determine they cannot complete a season due to injury or other conflicts MUST report this to the league as soon as possible so that an attempt at finding a replacement player can be made. Excessive forfeits are considered a form of bad sportsmanship and the policies around bad sportsmanship will apply. Players with more than 3 losses by forfeit in a season are considered to have excessive forfeits. Please note that this does not apply to players who tell us promptly that they are withdrawing from the league.

Retired: If a player/team starts a match but one player/team cannot complete the match due to medical or personal reasons, they are considered retired from the match.

Incomplete: If both players/teams start a match but cannot complete it due to inclement weather or other mutual circumstances (the lights burn out on the courts, a tree falls on the courts during the match, etc.), and do not reschedule and play the remainder of the match at a later date, the match is considered incomplete.

General: Please note that for any of the above situations, if both players/teams agree to play the match at a later time, then they are free to do so and we strongly encourage this! However, we recommend that both players/teams also agree on what to do if they are not able to play the match later.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather is defined as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) or severe weather (temperature below 38 degrees or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit according to www.weather.com). Use the following guidelines in the event of inclement weather:

• If there is inclement weather, players/teams must contact each other via telephone to cancel a match. Do not assume that a match is cancelled!
• Players/Teams should try to reschedule their match by the Play By date or use a Late Score Pass to play after the Play By date. If neither player has a Late Score Pass, and 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, players can reschedule the match using the scheduling guidelines, or let the match stand as Incomplete (see rules for Incomplete Matches).
• If a regular season match that is scheduled at a default time is interrupted by inclement weather, the default time will automatically advance by one week for regular season matches with the exception of a match scheduled on the final Play By Date of the season. However, you must report this to support@leaguetennis.com to get the extension.
• If a regular season match that is scheduled at the default time on the final Play By date of the season is interrupted, you must contact support at LeagueTennis.com 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 at the default time on a Play By date 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.

Please see the Playoffs & City Championship rules for inclement weather policies during the Playoffs.

League Withdrawals

Please note that you should avoid withdrawing from the league unless it is absolutely necessary. A player who shows a pattern of withdrawing will be asked not to play in future leagues.

If a player/team is injured or unable to complete the season for any reason, they should contact support@leaguetennis.com immediately. We will attempt to replace a withdrawn player/team if it occurs early enough in the season. A doubles team may replace an injured player 1 time during a season. However, if they have already played and WON any points with the original player, the team will not be eligible to win their division or opt-in to playoffs. Please note that there are no refunds or credits after schedules have been published for a given league.

If a player/team forfeits 3 or more matches in any given season, we reserve the right to remove them from the division if we have a replacement player.

If a player/team withdraws from a division, we will either a.) replace their unscored matches with a player/team from the waiting list or b.) replace their unscored matches with a SUB match in the event there are no replacement players/teams on the waiting list.

IMPORTANT, we may not be aware that a player is not playing so please be sure to contact support@leaguetennis.com if you notice that a player/team is not responding to your contact and/or no scores have been entered during the season.

Division Winners

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

• Player/team with the highest win %
• Player/team with the most matches won

Division winners will receive division winner BagTags at the end of the season and will automatically qualify for play-offs if they have marked themselves available for playoffs on the My Schedule page.

Players/Teams can check division standings 24 hours after the final Play By date to see the final standings in their division.

Underrating: Choose your playing level accurately for your first playing season as players/teams who have a Win % of 75% or greater in their first season will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs. The only exception is if players levels can be verified at or below their LeagueTennis.com league level on the USTA Tennis Link Website.

Playoffs & City Championship

Playoffs begin after the regular season to determine a City Champion & Runner-up for each playing level in each league. Typically playoff schedules will be posted within 2 days after Play By date of the final match.

Playoff Availability: Players MUST mark themselves as available for playoffs prior to midnight on the Play By date of the final match in order to be considered for the draw. This option is found on the MY SCHEDULE page for each league. Please keep in mind that there will not be as much time between matches as during the regular season so do not mark yourself as available if you will not have time to complete the matches according to the schedule. Also, players can expect longer driving times for playoffs as the draw is comprised of players from different divisions.

Qualification: Division winners and runners-up in each division will automatically qualify for playoffs if they have marked themselves as 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, wildcard players may be chosen if needed to complete the draw. (see underrating rules below). Players with 3 or more losses by forfeit will not be eligible for playoffs.

Underrating: Choose your playing level accurately for your first playing season as players/teams who have a Win % of 75% or greater in their first season will not be eligible to win their division or qualify for playoffs. The only exception is if players levels can be verified at or below their LeagueTennis.com league level on the USTA Tennis Link Website. If you are a new player or team and end the season with 75% or greater but have a current USTA rating, please be sure to send us an email by midnight on the Play By date with your USTA number and/or the proper spelling of your name in Tennislink to ensure you do not get disqualified.

27 Mile Rule: The 27 mile rule is NOT in effect during the playoffs. Players should expect to drive farther during the playoffs since it is a citywide tournament.

Playoff Draw/Schedule: Once the playoff draw is posted, playoff matches will automatically appear at the bottom of a player’s schedule with a Play By date noted on the schedule. The full playoff draw with player seeding can be accessed via a link on the My schedule page once it is posted.

Scheduling Matches & Default Time:Players/Teams should contact their opponents immediately as playoffs are based on an abbreviated schedule. Players/Teams should give their opponents at least two 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 send an email to support@leaguetennis.com immediately describing your efforts and copy your opponent at all available email addresses.

Default Time:If a match schedule cannot be agreed upon, the default time for all playoff and City Championship matches will be confirmed in an email communication prior to the playoffs. In general, the default times are 11 am for Weekday Women’s Leagues, 7 pm for weeknight matches, 4 pm for Saturday matches and 7 pm for Sunday matches. You must provide your opponent with at least 1 option for playing other than the default time.

Inclement Weather Inclement weather is defined as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) or severe weather (temperature below 38 degrees or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit according to weather.com). Use the following guidelines in the event of inclement weather:

• If there is inclement weather, players/teams must contact each other via telephone to cancel a match. Do not assume that a match is cancelled!
• Players/Teams should reschedule their match by the Play By date. If players/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, players should reschedule the match. If players/teams cannot agree on a date, the match should be completed at the default time.
• If a playoff match that is scheduled at the default time on a Play By date 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.

Player Seeding: Player seeding will be determined in the following order and will be shown on the playoff draw.

• Division Standing
• Total Points [points are adjusted for players in divisions with only 5 matches]
• Win%

Home Court & Balls: Home court advantage will go to the player with the highest seeding. Home player/team supplies the balls for the match and is responsible for any court or guest fees.

Entering Scores:Winning team should enter scores. All scores must be entered by midnight on the Play By Date or both teams will automatically be forfeited.

Forfeited Match: If you have not been able to contact your opponent at all available phone numbers and email addresses within 24 hours of the default time, you should enter the match as a Forfeit on the Play By Date and send a final email advising your opponent of this and copying support@leaguetennis.com.

Incomplete or Unplayed Match: In the event the match cannot be completed for any reason other than inclement weather (see rules above), then we recommend that the players decide who will advance to the next round so that the next round opponent gets the benefit of playing the match. This can be handled by a coin toss either by the players if they are together or by the league as long as it occurs prior to midnight on the play by date. This would be scored as a RETIRE for the player who loses the toss. If the score is not entered by midnight, neither team will advance to the next round or the league may choose to use a coin toss to decide who advances.

City Championship Match: The final 2 players/teams at each level will play a championship match to determine the City Champion and runner-up for each level. Winning player/team should report scores by midnight on the Play By date.

• Adult City Champions will receive a City Champion Bag Tag, a $25 Gift Card, and a City Champion T-Shirt and will be listed on the Website and in a newsletter!
• Junior City Champions will receive a City Champion Bag Tag and a City Champion T-Shirt and will be listed on the Website and in a newsletter!
• Finalists will receive a City Finalist Bag Tag and will also be listed on the Website and in a newsletter!

Sportsmanship

We started LeagueTennis.com to provide players with additional opportunities for fun, affordable, competitive tennis! We expect every member 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 support@leaguetennis.com and let us know about your experience.

Our policy for handling complaints regarding bad sportsmanship is as follows. The first incident will be recorded, 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. Please note that we reserve the right to handle issues differently at our discretion based on the severity and circumstances. Unless there is an objective 3rd party witness, our policy is accept the details of any complaint as valid and 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, so we will let the # of comlplaints against a player guide us in the validity.

The following are examples of what we consider bad sportsmanship, but please keep in mind, that this is not a complete list:

• Excessive Forfeits
• Excessive Withdrawals
• A pattern of being non-responsive to opponents attempts to contact
• Difficulty in scheduling
• Failing to notify an opponent that you cannot play and allowing them to travel to a match
• Bad line calls and/or excessive questioning of line calls
• Rude, confrontational emails (ALL CAPS MAKES SOMEONE THINK YOU ARE YELLING AT THEM!!)
• Accusing another player of sandbagging (any complaints should be directed to the league, not the player)
• Verbal Abuse
• Profanity

In addition, physical abuse, or a serious threat of harm or physical abuse will lead to immediate suspension from 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 send an email to support@leaguetennis.com if you would like to nominate a player or team for this important award. Be sure to describe the details of the situation!

Disputes

Since LeagueTennis.com matches are “unofficiated matches”, we expect players to handle disputes where there is disagreement on what occurred on the court amongst themselves and in a sportsmanlike manner. This includes line calls, score disagreements, etc. Since these types of disputes are subjective in nature, we recommend players print a copy 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.

Occasionally, disputes result from a disagreement on the interpretation of rules (i.e. players agree on what happened but disagree on the rules for the situation). So by way of example, 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. The protest must be clearly stated to the opponent and should be sent to support@leaguetennis.com immediately after the match. If the protesting player is correct, if they lost the match, the match results can be overturned in their favor. So it is extremely important that if a player insists they are correct despite being advised by the opponent that they are protesting, the player should be 100% sure they are right or risk the results being overturned if they are determined to be wrong by LeagueTennis.com based on these rules and the USTA Friend at Court 2007 Edition.

Please note that 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 we recommend stopping the match, reporting it immediately to the League, and to the authorities if applicable.