Local League Rules

I. Regulations

The CSRATA abides by the USTA’s (United States Tennis Association) USTA League Tennis, Southern Section and Georgia Tennis Association Regulations. We encourage players to read and familiarize themselves with these regulations, the USTA’s Rules of Tennis and “The Code.” (“The Code” is the USTA’s official publication for all matches without officials.) We provide links to rules and regulations on http://www.csratennis.com. Our local league rules were established by the Local League Coordinator, League Coordinators, CSRATA Board of Directors, Georgia Tennis Association, USTA Southern Section, and National USTA.

II. Players and Teams

1. A player’s USTA membership must be valid through the end of a league season, including play-offs.

2. Players register through TennisLink (http://national.usta.com). Instructions may be found at http://www.csratennis.com.

3. The Local League Coordinator establishes and publicizes the deadline for submitting an initial roster. For a team to be included in the league schedule, the initial roster must have at least the minimum number of players to field a player at every position in a league match by the initial roster deadline. [GTA 1.04]

4. The maximum number of players allowed on a team (TennisLink roster) is: Adult League – 14, and Senior, Mixed and Combo Leagues – 12. [GTA 3.01B]

5. Player Participation:

1. A player may play on one team in a NTRP level within a division during the same season. Where NTRP levels are divided into flights, players may not play in more than one flight. [GTA 3.01H(5)a]

2. A player may participate in more than one NTRP level within a division during the same season. [GTA 3.01H(5)b]

3. A player may play on more than one team within a division provided that it is in a separate local league. Example: A 3.5 evening player may not play on another 3.5 evening team; however, that 3.5 evening player may play on a 3.5 day team. [GTA 3.01H(5)c]

4. All players within the local league boundaries and / or Georgia District 6 are eligible to participate in league play. Each team will be limited to a maximum of two (2) players from outside these boundaries.

6. Players who qualify for State or Sectional Championships may advance on one adult and one senior team, but may not advance on two adult or two senior teams. [GTA 3.01H(5)d]

7. Players may be added to a roster up until the date on the Match Schedule of the team’s second-to-last match.

III. Competition Format

1. Match Schedules are published prior to start of a season on TennisLink. Instructions for accessing the schedules can be found at http://www.csratennis.com.

2. The levels for Adult Mixed Doubles are 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0. The levels for Senior Mixed Doubles are 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0. Each individual player’s rating may be no more than 1.0 apart from their partner. Example: A 3.0 player and a 4.0 player may play 7.0, but a 3.0 and 5.0 may not play 8.0. [GTA 5.01E]

3. All matches (including rescheduled matches) must be played at the facility named on the Match Schedule unless otherwise approved by the League Coordinator.

4. The team captain calls the opposing team’s captain as soon as he or she knows that any or all individual matches will be forfeited. This prevents inconveniencing the opposing team’s players.

5. The captain designates a team member to carry out the captain’s duties if he or she is unavailable.

6. The team designated as “home” supplies unopened USTA-approved tennis balls.

7. The number of individual matches forfeited by a team cannot exceed the number of scheduled team matches plus one in any season. If this limit is exceeded or if a team forfeits all individual matches in a team match, a grievance may be filed. The grievance must be filed within seven (7) days of the match when the alleged violation occurred or within 24 hours of the conclusion of the local league, whichever occurs first. [GTA 3.01H2]

IV. Scorecards and Substitutions

1. Scorecards should be printed from TennisLink and lineups exchanged 10 minutes before the scheduled match time. Forfeits must be from the bottom up: i.e., for singles, the #2 singles must be forfeited before the #1 singles [3.03L(1)]; for doubles, the #3 doubles must be forfeited before the #2 doubles, and the #2 doubles must be forfeited before the #1 doubles [3.03L(2)]. At match time positions should not be played out of sequence because a player(s) is expected. An individual or position default occurs when a player(s) fails to appear on time, disqualification, misconduct before or between matches, player error, or refusal to play. Two players will play together in the higher position when both of their partners do not show in order to avoid two defaults [3.01 H(4)d].

1. Substitutions may be made in an individual match after the line-up has been exchanged in the event of illness, injury, disqualification or no-show of a player prior to the start of the match. (The first serve is considered the start of a match.) The substitution must be made within the 15-minute default time and using a player who isn’t listed on the line-up. If a substitute cannot be found, the affected position is forfeited. [GTA 3.01H(4)a]

2. If disqualification occurs after the first ball is put in play in an individual match, the opponents are awarded a forfeit for that individual match. A retirement occurs when an individual match has started and a player (doubles team) is unable to continue due to injury, loss of condition or emergency. For NTRP computer data entry in TennisLink, mark as "retired" and submit actual scores of match at the point of retirement. [GTA 3.01H4]

3. When the number of available courts is less than the number of team matches and the order of play in sequence is optional, the home team captain will choose. Example: With 3 courts available, the home team captain may choose to start #1 singles, #1 doubles, and #2 doubles, or start #1 singles, #2 singles, and #1 doubles.

2. Team captains record the results of each individual match on the scorecard, and verify and agree on match scores at the completion of the match.

3. The home team captain enters the match scores on TennisLink unless otherwise agreed on by both captains. The visiting team captain verifies the match scores on TennisLink. Instructions on entering and verifying scores can be found at http://www.csratennis.com.

4. Match scores must be reported in TennisLink within 48 hours of the completed team match. TennisLink will automatically confirm scores 48 hours after the team match is initially reported in TennisLink if not confirmed by the opposing captain [GTA 1.05]. The opposing team loses all rights to contest any score discrepancies.

V. Point Penalty System

1. The lateness penalty clock starts when the match time arrives, a court is available, and a player (team) is deemed to have arrived and is properly clothed, equipped and ready to play. The facility’s clock at which the match is scheduled is the official clock. Players must be on the court warming up at match start time. [USTA Regulations 1.P Table 5]

2. All players should be available to play at match time regardless of the number of scheduled or available courts (NO staggered start times). Positions in lineups should be filled based on players present before lineups are exchanged in order to start matches in sequence from #1 down. Since all positions have the same match time, the penalty clock starts on all late players when there is a court available.

VI. Ratings

We are an Early Start League (ESL), which is a league that begins play before the year end ratings are published in November. The USTA requires ESL's to run Dynamic Ratings upon completion of Adult League Sectional Championships to give players the latest possible rating based on match results for the new league season. Information on ratings and appeals can be found at http://www.csratennis.com.

1. Players whose ratings are raised when ESL Ratings or Year-End Ratings are published may complete the current season using their previous rating and remain eligible to compete at the Georgia State Championships as long as their play does not meet the disqualification level. The player must compete the next season using the higher rating.

1. ESL Ratings are published in August after Sectional Championships. [GTA 3.05A(3)]

2. Year-End ratings are published in November after National Championships. [GTA 3.05A(4)]

2. When a player is disqualified because his or her dynamic rating exceeds the maximum tolerance for that level of play three times, the player must immediately compete using the higher rating.

1. If a self-rated player is disqualified for that particular level of play, all matches played by that individual player shall be considered losses and scored (6-0, 6-0). [GTA 3.04D(1)]

2. If a computer rated player is disqualified for that particular level of play, the individual match that produced the third disqualification dynamic NTRP rating and any subsequent match won by the player shall be considered a loss and scored (6-0,6-0). [GTA 3.04D(1)]

3. Players not disqualified by conclusion of local league round robin play will be eligible to compete in entire local playoff. Dynamic ratings will be calculated at the end of the local playoff to inform any disqualified players that they may not advance to the state championships.  Points earned by disqualified players will stand. [GTA 3.04D(1)]

3. Players who play only in the Mixed Doubles League generate a mixed doubles rating from their match play. All ratings generated from mixed doubles play must be used if the player enters Adult, Senior, Mixed or Combo leagues in the future. [GTA 5.10D(5)]

4. Combo League match play does not affect a player’s rating. [GTA 7.01D]

VII. Match Rescheduling

1. Matches may be rescheduled only for weather-related conditions or by players who have conflicts by participating in tournaments held in the CSRATA boundaries as defined in the Bylaws and entry is open to all CSRATA members, including tournaments that are a progression from qualifier tournaments (ex., The Banana Open), or conflicts by participating in USTA League Tennis Championships: Georgia State, Sectional, and National. If a team does not have enough players for the date the match is scheduled, the team forfeits the position(s) for which it does not have players.

1. A match may not be postponed until one and a half hours before the scheduled start time in the event of rain, lightning, severe cold (<32°F, which does not include the wind chill factor), or severe heat (>102°F). Temperatures are according to the Weather Channel or http://www.weather.com.

1. If inclement weather occurs after a match begins, completed individual matches stand as played. Incomplete matches resume with the same line-up and match score that existed when play halted.

2. Substitutions may be made if the originally scheduled match was not started. Points awarded for forfeits during the original scorecard exchange stand. All players involved in such forfeits may not participate in the rescheduled match.

3. Forfeits offered verbally prior to the original written line-up exchange are nullified when the match is rescheduled due to rain or inclement weather.

2. Individual matches must be rescheduled prior to the originally scheduled date in the event of players’ conflicts with tournaments as described above.

3. Players who are USTA Officials may reschedule matches for conflicts when officiating sanctioned tournaments held in the CSRATA boundaries, but these matches must be rescheduled prior to the originally scheduled date.

2. The time and place of the make-up match must be established within five days of the postponed match’s date. If captains cannot successfully reschedule the match, the League Coordinator specifies the time and place for the make-up match. Forfeits will be recorded for individual matches not completed at the specified time and place.

3. Make-up matches must be played within 15 days of the originally scheduled match date.

4. Make-up matches may be made up individually. They do not have to be made up as a team.

5. Once a date has been set for a make-up match, the match must be played on that date except for inclement weather.

6. The home team captain is responsible for:

1. Notifying the facility before the originally scheduled match date that a match will be played prior to the originally scheduled date or that a match has been postponed because of conflicts with CSRA-based tournaments or USTA League Tennis Georgia State, National and Sectional Championships. It is unnecessary to notify the facility when a match is postponed because of inclement weather.

2. Rescheduling the match in accordance with the make-up match policy of the facility at which the original match was scheduled (see Adult/Senior / USTA League / Ratings, Regs, Rules / Make-Up Matches). Facility make-up match policies can be found at http://www.csratennis.com.

3. Notifying the League Coordinator of the rescheduled date for postponed matches and matches played prior to their originally scheduled dates (see CSRATA / Coordinators).

4. Obtaining the League Coordinator’s approval before changing a match location (see CSRATA / Coordinators).

VIII. Scoring, Play-offs and Progression to State

1. The team winning the majority of individual matches is awarded one point for "Team Score Wins."

2. When teams have the same “Team Score Wins” and “Team Score Losses” at the end of a match or season, the winner is decided by deferring to the next column in this order: Individual Score Wins, Individual Score Losses, Sets Lost, and Games Lost.

3. Players must play a minimum of two matches to qualify for progression to the Georgia State Championships. One default received by the player during local competition shall count for advancing with the following exceptions: [GTA 3.03A(2)]

1. Senior Mixed players must play a minimum of one match to qualify for Georgia State Championships. If there is no local competition offered, a team may advance directly to the State Championships. [5.01E(1)a]

2. Combo players must play a minimum of one match to qualify for the Georgia State Championships. A forfeited match shall count for the players who received the forfeit. [GTA 7.03A(3)]

4. For each NTRP level, the team with the most Team Score Wins is the local league winner for that season and progresses to the Georgia State Championships with the following exceptions:

1. Two team leagues at a specific level in both seasons will only receive one berth to the State Championships. The Local League Coordinator or League Coordinator contacts the captains of the first-place teams to establish a neutral play-off match location. The play-off match must be completed within 15 days of the first-place teams’ last match. [GTA 3.02A(1)]

2. NTRP levels with day and evening leagues, each league holds a play-off between the first-place teams of each league season to determine the local league winner each year. The Local League Coordinator or League Coordinator contacts the captains of the first-place teams to establish a neutral play-off match location. The play-off matches must be completed within 15 days of the first-place teams’ last match. Each league receives one berth to the State Championships. [GTA 3.02B(4)d]

3. If the same team wins both seasons for an NTRP level, the second berth is awarded to the second place team with the most Team Score Wins from either season.

1. If the second-place teams played an unequal number of team matches, the second berth is awarded to the second-place team with the highest percentage of Individual Score Wins from either season. The formula is:
   100 x Individual Score Wins ÷ Total of Individual Score Wins and Individual Score Losses.

2. If the same team without identical rosters qualifies for a berth from both seasons, that team chooses which season's roster represents our league at the Georgia State Championships.

4. When CSRATA is offered a wild card entry into a district level tournament, team selection will be determined as follows:

1. If all first place teams are progressing to the district tournament then the second place teams from the same championship year will be eligible for the wild card. The second place team from either season with the best individual match win/loss percentage record will be awarded the wild card. If this team decides to pass on the wild card, then it will be offered to the other second place team. If both second place teams decide to pass, it will be offered to best third place team and so on.

2. If a playoff occurred to determine which team would progress to the district tournament, the runner up will be offered the wild card.

3. In the case that there are two leagues at the same level (ex., day and night), the wild card will be offered to the team with the best individual match record from either league according to 4a or 4b.

IX. Grievances

A grievance is a complaint against another player or team. For instructions on how to file a grievance or for information on the grievance process, see Adults/Seniors / USTA League / Ratings, Regs, Rules / Grievances / Instructions.

The grievance must be filed by the captain of the team in writing with the before the next scheduled match involving the player or team in that flight, or within 24 hours of the conclusion of the local league, whichever occurs first. [USTA 2.02A(5), 2.02B(1)]

Grievance appeals must be filed in writing with the appropriate chairperson.

If a player self-rates one or more levels below his or her actual skill level or a team condones such behavior, you may file a Fair Play Grievance. Fair Play Grievances must include proof of the violation. [GTA 2.02B(1)]

The USTA Southern Section will administer Self-Rate Eligibility Grievance Complaints. All fair play grievances should be delivered to the Local League Coordinator who will forward to the State League Coordinator who will forward to the Section League Coordinator who will forward to the Southern Self-Rate Eligibility Grievance Committee Chairman. This action may include disqualification, suspension from league play, or other league sanctions for either the player, team members, and/or the captain. [Southern Section 2.02B]

Revised July 31, 2008