Hello captains!

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Welcome to an Idaho District Championship. We are pleased you are here, representing your area in a District Championship. We appreciate your efforts and dedication, not only to your team, but also to USTA League Tennis. It is our goal to make this an enjoyable and competitive event, where everyone shows good sportsmanship to one another.

 

It is our hope to have an official at each site throughout the championship. However, in the event we’re unable to do so, we remind you that all matches, whether an official is at your site or not, are governed by The Code.  The Code governs your area league play as well.  Please feel free to call upon an official at your site if one is there. However, should one not be available, The Code should be consulted in the event of a dispute and the site director should be notified. Copies will be available at each facility.  The tournament referee can be called upon in the event a rule clarification is needed.

 

Please call the tournament director at any time should you have an immediate concern.

 

Best of luck to all teams!  Have fun and please show good sportsmanship.

 

Important Items . . . Specifically for Captains!

1. Captains should report to their first District Championship match site no less than 30 minutes prior to the match time. At that time each captain will receive their scorecards for the Championship. The scorecards are already labeled with match date, time, and corresponding team match number. This next information is very important, and we ask that you please pass it along to all of your players so they know the rules.

2. Have you and your team at your scheduled match site NO LESS THAN 15 minutes prior to your match time(s). If a team has members playing in a match, those not playing must still arrive at their match site on time for their next match.

3. ***Make sure to turn in your scorecard only when you have all your players present and ready for play or by the scheduled match start time. Encourage your players to get water, ice, a towel, use the bathroom and anything else they need to do BEFORE the match is called.  Once a match is called to go out, the clock starts.*** They will miss part of the warmups if they run to the bathroom at that point, warmups are 10 minutes and will be timed.

4. We do not use the USTA Point Penalty System for local league play. Per USTA rules all Championship events do use the point penalty system for late players. If a player is late, and a court is available, the timer starts with penalties in effect.​

   1. Payers late 5 minutes or less: Loss of toss and 1 game​

   2. Players late 5:01 – 10 minute: Loss of toss and 2 games

   3. Players late 10:01 – 15 minutes: Loss of toss and 3 games

   4. More than 15 minutes late: default

5. Make sure all your team is at the tournament desk when the match is called.  All players need to introduce themselves prior to going out on the court.

6. Once play has begun at a site for the day, even if courts are open, no team or members of any team can use the courts for any extra warm-up.

7. If courts are available matches will not be held to accommodate a player playing in multiple levels. If playing in the same level there is a 30 minute break before the completion of one match before starting another. Only those who were playing will be eligible for this rest period.

8. When filling out your scorecard, make sure you use both first and last names as they appear on your team’s roster. Make sure the names are correct, it can be considered a default if you do not have the correct names on the correct lines. If not, the tournament site coordinator will likely give you the card back to fill it in. Please write legibly.

9. The tournament desk can call for identification at any time during the championship.  Make sure your players have their IDs handy, just in case.

10. There is a predetermined method for using indoor courts at District Championships that is followed in its entirety throughout the entire District event and has nothing to do with team requests, players, teams or levels. No one can request to have a match played indoors, including booking other facility courts by players. Indoor play is utilized first.

11. There is no coaching during team match play by anyone, coaches, family, captains, teammates.  The only time you can coach a player is:

    1. Before the match starts, and that means before the players begin warming up.

    2. After the match is over

    3. During a match delay, which could be caused by:

       1. Rain

       2. Wind

       3. Smoke

       4. Any other occurrence, identified by an official, that stops a match’s progress.

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The referee, umpire, or site director will notify players as to when and if a match must stop. A break between first and second set, the second set and a third set match tiebreaker, or a bathroom break are NOT times coaching can occur.

1. If you see a rule infraction during your team’s match, do not take matters into your own hands; contact the official.  If you cannot find the tournament official, go to the tournament desk and the person at the desk will help locate the official.

2. At the end of the team match, make sure you double-check and sign the scorecard at the tournament desk.  If the captain is not at the match, a team member may sign the card.

3. It is the responsibility of the winning team to return to the tournament headquarters to have their team picture taken and receive their awards, if any.

4. If a team knows they will not be able to fill all lines during every match at any District Championship, the district coordinator must be contacted, and a waiver must be submitted before the championship begins. There may be certain restrictions imposed with the waiver approval. Any team that fails to notify the coordinator and receive a waiver approval in advance of the championship will be referred to the Championship Committee who shall decide upon any penalties to all members of the team.

5. As per USTA National Rule (N.R.203K.1): The Championship Committee has the authority to file a grievance and recommend the actions to take when line default(s) given by one team result in a situation that may materially impact the championship standings. Team penalties may include but are not limited to, non-advancement, disqualification or suspension (Regulation 3.03A(7))

6. Players may participate in more than one level at a District Championship, except for Tri-Level. The section may impose restrictions on players playing on more than one team at Section Championship. No special consideration for match scheduling will be given. Match start times will not be adjusted to accommodate players on multiple teams. It is recommended that any player playing on two teams at any one championship choose a “primary” team. Players rostered on more than one team at National Championships will be subject to national regulations. 

7. The WINNING DISTRICT TEAM – Idaho Tennis Association will NOT be paying the Sectional Team Entry fees for 2024 District Champions. When captains receive the Sectional Championship Confirmation email, please confirm/decline, and then click the link to sign up and pay your team’s entry fees.

 

Dynamic Disqualifications

Players subject to NTRP Dynamic Disqualifications include players with the following designation beside their name on their team’s Roster: A (appealed rating); S (Self Rating) and D (Dynamic or NTRP Grievance Disqualified Player.

2.04B(2) Championships NTRP Dynamic Disqualification. There will be no NTRP Dynamic Disqualification at National Championships. Players who are NTRO dynamically disqualified at any championship below Nationals will be notified by the Sectional League Coordinator or designee and have the right to a review in accordance with procedures in Reb. 2.04C NTRP Dynamic Disqualification Review Procedures. The Section shall choose one of the following options for NTRP Dynamic Disqualifications at each Sectional Championship and below:

2.04B(2)a Run dynamic dynamic calculations and produce ratings throughout the championship.  Through the conclusion of the championship event, notify and disqualify any player who meets the criteria for NTRP Dynamic Disqualification and reverse appropriate matches played. (See Regs. 2.04E(2)a and b for championship scoring procedures when NTRP Dynamic Disqualifications are done throughout the championship competition.)

 

Procedures in the event of a Tie

In the event of a tie, whether in round robin or single elimination competition, the tie shall be broken by the first of the following procedures that does so:

1. Individual Wins: Winner of the most individual matches in the entire competition.

2. Head-to-Head: Winner of the head-to-head match

3. Sets – Loser of the fewest number of sets

4. Games – Loser of the fewest number of games

5. Game Winning Percentage (total games won divided by total games played)

6. Method Determined by Championship Committee

• Match wins for 40 & Over, if a match is tied at 2-2 all the above criteria is gone through and if a tie is still in place the winner is determined by the winner of the #1 line of doubles for that match.

 

Grievance

Grievance Information: Should a grievance need to be filed alleging a violation during championship competition a $50 fee is required. (SR 18.E.1)

3.03C(1) Any grievance alleging a violation during championship competition shall be in writing and delivered to the duly appointed tournament director or designee or site director prior to whichever occurs first: (a) within 30 minutes of the completion of the involved team’s match or (b) the commencement of the involved team’s next match, whether or not the involved player participates, except for Administrative Grievances (See Reg. 3.03A(2), Eligibility Grievances (See Reg. 3.03B8(3) and NTRP Grievances (see Reg. 3.03E(3).

Grievances regarding eligibility (3.03C(3), administrative (3.03A(2), NTRP (3.03E(2), or those against a player (3.03A(6) must be filed be a captain. A grievance form can be obtained from the tournament director or site director upon request of online at usta_league_grievance_070915.pdf

 

Rainouts or Suspended Play Procedures

Rainouts or Suspended Play

Play is continuous until such time as the tournament official officially declares that play be suspended. Players should not leave the match site until the tournament official has officially issued a statement as to when play will be resumed. An individual match has officially started when the warm-up period has been completed and the first service attempt has occurred. 

 

No individual Matches Have Started Play

If line-ups have been submitted to the tournament desk and subsequently the team match has been declared a rain-out by the tournament official, and no individual matches have stated play, a new line-up may be presented at the start of the rescheduled team match.

 

Match Play Has Started

If the team match has started and play has been suspended, play will be resumed on the same day, at the rescheduled time, match play will resume with the same players in the same positions, when play stopped at the exact score, set, and same point (any point played is always counted and never replayed). All completed games, sets, and individual matches, will stand as played. Any individual match indicated as a forfeit on the initial line-up will remain as a forfeited match. No player changes can be made.

 

If the team match has started and play has been suspended and play has been rescheduled for another day

A new line-up may be presented for any individual match that has not started and for any individual match indicated as a forfeit on the initial line-up.  Individual matches that started will resume play at the point play was suspended.

 

Additional Rule Clarifications

How should known defaults be handled?

In the spirit of good sportsmanship and fair play, it is recommended that the opposing team(s) should be advised of a known default. The defaulting captain will still be able to designate at what position a known default will occur. At a championship if the opponent has turned in their scorecard, they will be allowed to change it if the defaulting team did not advise their opponent in advance. Once the line-up is made public no changes may be made to the line-up except for illness or injury before the first point begins. (See Regulations: 2.01C(5) and 2.03F)

 

Do I need to play districts to qualify for sectionals?

No.  In order to play in any championships below the national championships, a player must play in two matches; one of those matches can be a default win. Self-rated players must have played in 3 matches for advancement to a Sectional Championship. To play at a National Championship self-rated players must have played in 4 matches, no win be defaults will count as a match.

 

Matches Required To Advance To Sectional Championships

The Section shall follow National requirements for advancement to Sectional Championships as per USTA Matches Required to Advance Championships Table. USTA Regulation 2.03A(3)b

Any player, other than a Self- Rated and Valid Computer Rated Appealed Down Player, is eligible to advance to an Intermountain Section Championship competition if that player has played on the advancing team in at least two (2) matches from local play through District Championships. A maximum of one (1) default received by the player during local league competition shall count for advancing. A retired match shall count for all players involved.

Any Self- Rated and Valid Computer Rated Appealed Down player is eligible to advance to an Intermountain Section Championship competition if that player has played on the advancing team in at least three (3) matches from local play through District Championships. A maximum of one (1) default received by the player during local league competition shall count for advancing. A retired match shall count for all players involved.

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Please make sure to Read the new League Suspension Point System and share with your players. Suspension points can be given out by officials or the grievance committee.

Suspension points apply to conduct by a player, or persons associated with the player. Suspension points can be given for unsportsmanlike behavior and rule violations.

Players can receive suspension points if those associated with them are in violation of rules or exhibit unsportsmanlike behavior.

Players that accumulate suspension points may be suspended from league play.

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