CENTRAL MASS. INDOOR TENNIS ASSOCIATION LEAGUE RULES. Overview

Transcription

1 CENTRAL MASS. INDOOR TENNIS ASSOCIATION LEAGUE RULES Overview The CMITA Rules are created and endorsed by the CMITA Board of Directors. Rule changes may occur from time to time as determined by a Majority of the Board of Directors. Rules are directly interpreted by the Grievance Committee during the Grievance Process. The Grievance Committee is bound to interpret the Rules and shall be a Three Member Committee whose majority shall rule on a Grievance and whose decision shall be final and binding. If a particular grievance is not covered by the Rules, the Grievance Committee will look towards authority such as USTA Code of Conduct or other applicable Leagues for guidance in resolving disputes, and will resolve the dispute as it sees equitable. In the event a Grievance Committee Member is conflicted and cannot participate, the two remaining members shall decide the grievance, and in the event a decision cannot be made, the entire Board shall vote on the grievance. All Captains or League Representatives are responsible for forwarding a copy of the rules to each player on a team and making sure their players are aware of the Rules. Further copies of this may be found online at Major Key Change for Under 1. Eligibility - added A ii) Any team that forfeits more than 8 positions over the course of the entire season shall be subject to sanctions, including that team being denied eligibility to play in CMITA the following season. Under 9. Court Responsibility added C. (6) = Teams must inform Grievance Chair by the end of the regular season of uncollected default fees or they forfeit assistance and are on their own to collect. The Scorekeeper is PERCY RAGSDALE: All correspondence should be made via to cmita2000@aol.com. If necessary he may be contacted, in the evening, at SCORES ARE POSTED ON THE WEB SITE: Rules questions may be directed to Richard Anthony = LaClub@comcast.net LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVES ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK THE WEB SITE OFTEN FOR IMPORTANT NOTICES. SOME NOTICES MAY BE ED WHERE REPS ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ALL "IMPORTANT CHANGES" TO THE COORDINATOR VIA = jlm16@comcast.net, IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT OF SAME. Contents 1. Eligibility 2. Costs 3. Format 4. Unfinished Matches 5. Schedule and Schedule Changes 6. Default 7. Court Rules 8. Scoring 9. Court Responsibility 10. Grievances & Protests 11. Playoffs 12. Privacy and Use Statement 13. Liability Waiver & Miscellaneous Information. 1

2 1. ELIGIBILITY A. CMITA accepts team applications annually. Team applications must be signed by the Club Owner or the representative employee and returned with payment by the deadline. Returning teams are generally given priority for placement in the prior season's division. Once applications are submitted, the Board reserves the right to re-align teams in divisions based upon past performance in order to provide adequate competition as the Board sees fit. Teams with outstanding default fees from the previous season may be ineligible for placement. i) The Board by majority vote furthermore reserves the right to deny an application as well as cancel or suspend play at any facility at any point in the season due to issues compromising player safety or a continued violation of CMITA Rules. ii) Any team that forfeits more than 8 positions over the course of the entire season shall be subject to sanctions, including that team being denied eligibility to play in CMITA the following season. B. The Team Roster must be created and entered online prior to the first match of the season. The Roster will be maintained by the Captains during the season listing only those players that will be playing. The Team Captain will be provided with step by step instructions for completion and management of the roster for the website. C. Players must be at least 19 years old, members of the CMITA Club they represent and of the appropriate sex. All Regular and Substitute Players must adhere to the Rules of Eligibility. i) Club "Member" means the Player has complied with membership obligations of the Club they represent which may include Club employees if memberships are typically given to Club employees. Reasonable proof of membership status may be required in the event of an eligibility discrepancy protested by an opposing team. Teams are prohibited from adding players to their roster that are not Members of the club they represent. ii) In order to aid in the clarification of Club Member, a Club 'Member' is someone who has paid membership dues as required by the Club in order to be a regular tennis member of that Club. Special memberships for a nominal fee are not acceptable to grant a player membership status for CMITA at the participating club. Proof of member payment corresponding to Club published regular tennis membership rates may be required. Points earned by an ineligible player will be forfeited. iii) EXCEPTION FOR MEN S A: Only for the Men s A division and when playing a match in the Men s A division. All other Rules remain in effect except that: a. Players in Men s A may be 17 years of age and older. A 17 year old may not play down in any other division. b. Players in Men s A division do not need be a Member of the Club they represent, however, all other rules shall apply, including but not limited to, all elements of Rule D below (a player in Men s A will not be allowed to play for another club as a Substitute or Regular Member). D. CMITA Teams consist of Regular Players and Substitute Players. Upon roster entry, a Captain may indicate whether a player is a Regular or Substitute for a given Team. A player automatically becomes a Regular member of a Team once he/she participates in matches on four different dates for that Team. Once a player becomes a Regular member of a Team, he/she may only play exclusively for that Team (except as described in C(ii) or (E) below). 2

3 i) A Player may only participate in CMITA for one Club of which he/she is a member, whether as a Substitute or Regular member. A player whose membership changes from one club to another during the CMITA season may be allowed to register for a CMITA team at their new club and drop off their former club team provided the league representative for the new club submits a written ( ) request to the Scorekeeper and all other eligibility requirements are met. ii) A Player may Substitute on a higher level CMITA team within his/her Club ("Playing Up") regardless of their status as a Regular Member of a lower level Team within that Club. Upon the fourth different date Playing Up, the player will become a Regular Member of the higher level Team and will no longer be eligible to play for the lower Team for the remainder of the Season or Playoffs. iii) Once a Player becomes a regular member of a Team and plays 4 or more matches for that Team in a season, the Player may NOT move to a any lower level Team in a subsequent season if the Player has a 50% winning percentage overall at the conclusion of a prior season. For example, a Player plays 6 matches on 4 different dates in season, and compiles a record of 3-1 in doubles, and 0-2 in singles, while a Regular Member of a B Team. Their overall record is thus 3 wins and 3 losses. The Player would not be eligible in to play on a C Division Team. iv) A variance of this rule may be requested in the situation where a Club discontinues the higher level team and the player can articulate why he/she should be eligible for the lower division. In no case will a player with a winning percentage of 75% or higher be eligible to drop down a division under this section. The League furthermore reserves the right to remove the player from the lower division at any point if there are obvious disparities in levels once match results are examined. It is recommended that such a player should play in the highest position (#1) so as to provide for the most competitive matches and to determine whether placement in the lower level is proper. Any player receiving such a variance shall be subject to the past performance rule for the next season. E. Captains are responsible for maintaining the status of a Player when they are entered on the Roster, i.e. identifying the player as a Regular or a Substitute. This status indicator will show when the names are entered on the Online scorecard F. Any Club having more than one CMITA Team of the same level can have players changing Teams. When they have played 4 different dates for one Team (per Rule 1(c)), they then become Regular members of that Team. Although players cannot be a Regular member of two Teams, this is in reference to CMITA sanctioned teams, and players may be members of other teams that play, for instance, on weekdays or in other leagues at other clubs. G. Ineligibility (determined by then current USTA ratings at the START of the CMITA season). Current USTA ratings refer to the published USTA ratings for the calendar year which the CMITA season begins- the 2018 USTA (AKA Year End 2017) ratings will govern the entire season. Early Start Ratings for the next calendar year (2019) will not be considered. Players may appeal their rating with the USTA and if changed, may then become eligible. The eligibility of a player without a published year end rating for the immediate prior year shall be determined by the most recent published year end 3

4 USTA rating within the preceding 3 years. Ratings more than 3 years old will have no bearing on Rule 1(G) eligibility in order to parallel USTA rating periods. 1. Players rated "5.0" or above are not eligible for play in 'A-1" divisions. *Ladies A-1 Gold Division is considered a higher division and level of play than A-1 Silver 2. Players rated "4.5" or above are not eligible for play in 'B' Divisions. 3. Players rated "4.0" or above are not eligible for play in 'C' Divisions. 4. Teaching Professionals are only eligible for play and substitution in A & A-1 Divisions, except Teaching professionals rated 4.0 or less are eligible for 'B' divisions or above. H. In order to arrive at fair competition across levels, The Board of Directors, or Grievance Committee if appropriate, in its sole discretion, may direct or rule on player eligibility and may rule players eligible or ineligible for a team or levels as they deem fit by majority vote, regardless of USTA ratings. Factors such as age, injury, match record, recent results and any other pertinent information may be used by the Board to determine eligibility. 1. In order to protest or request variance from player ability rules, a submission shall be made to the scorekeeper by a League Representative (as advised in Rule 1(J)) initially and the submission shall include all pertinent facts to be considered. The Scorekeeper will consult with additional Board members at his discretion and present the issue to the Grievance Committee in the event of a Variance Request by a player. In the event of a Protest, refer to Rule 1 (J) for more guidance. Players who believe they should remain in a lower division despite violating Rule 1 (I) should request a variance to remain in a lower divison prior to playing or they risk losing points per Rule 1(J) below. I. Past Performance Rule: Starting in League Season , player eligibility will be determined by both USTA ratings as outlined above, and by League Performance over the preceding league season. This Rule does not apply to the A-Division. 1. Players who have played 5 or more matches in the prior CMITA season (including regular season and playoffs) in a division will not be eligible to play in any division where they have won more than 87.0% of their singles matches OR more than 87.0% of their doubles matches, inclusive of both Playoff and Regular season matches, This is to encourage players to move up to a division that matches their ability. a.) For example, a player who is 5-0 (100% winning percentage) in either singles or doubles would need to move up a division the next season. b.) For example, a player who is 7-1 (87.5%) in either singles or doubles would need to move up a division the next season. 2. CMITA will NOT check players for eligibility. If a player violates eligibility Rules and plays in a division which they are ineligible, an opposing team's League Representative may notify the Scorekeeper and the Scorekeeper will check the prior year's record to confirm eligibility. If a player is NOT eligible, they will risk forfeiting all points won as well as points won at any lower position. This decision may be appealed to the Grievance Committee. 3. League Representatives reporting such a violation to the Scorekeeper MUST support the accusation with records available showing the player's prior season's record- this information is available online. The Scorekeeper will not independently investigate reports without records being submitted with the complaint. This must come directly from the League Rep. 4. A player that moves up a division due to exceeding the performance criteria may move 4

5 back down if they play an entire season at the next higher level and lose a majority of their matches overall, while playing in at least 4 matches on 4 separate dates. J. Eligibility issues should be reported to the Scorekeeper, not the grievance committee. Teams that use an ineligible player risk forfeiting any points accrued by that player and any point earned by players at a lower (#2) position if applicable. Intentional violations of eligibility rules may result in a point penalty at the discretion of the Scorekeeper. League Representatives wishing to protest a ruling of the scorekeeper may do so through the grievance committee process only after the Scorekeeper has issued his ruling. K. Division Levels: Leagues are divided into A, A-1, B and C with A being the division of highest ability and C being the lowest ability. Rule G cites USTA ratings for further guidance to determine appropriate level across divisions. Furthermore Ladies A-1 is divided into Gold and Silver Divisions. Gold being determined higher than Silver for purposes of team placement s well as for Rule 1 (past performance). Therefore a player in A-1 Silver who wins more than 87% of her matches will be required to move up a level, with A-1 Gold being an acceptable move (or A). I. NTRP self ratings and collegiate tennis.. CMITA does not require or impute USTA/NTRP self-rating tables regardless of Collegiate Tennis Experience. CMITA players who are officially rated through USTA are bound by the CMITA Rules above (1 (G)). Unrated players should play in the division most appropriate for their objective skill level. Current Division 1 Collegiate players (as defined by playing ANY D1 matches during any part of the calendar years which the current CMITA season spans, shall only play in Division A. All other current Collegiate players should take care to play at the highest CMITA level feasible to their ability. Former Collegiate players should take care to play in a division appropriate for their current skill level. Players who play in CMITA Division that is too low, risk being declared ineligible under rule.i (H) above. As with all players. It is not permissible for a Player to play at a lower level just because his/her home Club does not field a team at a higher level. Players must play by ability and not by what their Club has available. All Rules of Eligibility apply. Protests for Level of Play and Unfair Competition go to the Scorekeeper first. See Rule I (J) for complete procedure and Rule I (H) for further CMITA Board Authority. 2. COST A. An entry fee of $ per team is required, upon submission of application. B. Teams withdrawn after the schedules have been completed will forfeit their application fee and be charged an additional $ penalty fee. C. The following court fees will be charged, per person, per match: ALL SINGLES = $22.00 ALL DOUBLES = $18.00 D. All matches include "NEW" balls for singles & doubles. E. Court fees must be paid by each player, prior to play of any match. F. If the Club is paying for the entire match by check, it MUST be received no later than the day of the match. G. If a player does not pay court fees prior to play, the Club will be billed for the fees. If court fees are not paid within 30 days, that position (s) will be defaulted with loss of points earned and the default fees will be billed by the coordinator. 3. FORMAT 5

6 A. Players must compete in order of their ability. B. Time allocations may not exceed the following: MEN 2:00 6:00 PM on SATURDAYS WOMEN 11:00 AM 4:00 PM on SATURDAYS All matches will be allotted 1 1/2 hours. All matches will be 2 out of 3 sets, no-ad scoring & A 12 PT Tiebreak at 6-all. C. Both Singles matches must start at the designated time. Both Doubles matches follow Singles at the designated time, which shall be 1.5 hours after the scheduled start time of Singles matches. During the Playoffs, Doubles players must be available for play one hour after the Singles have begun. See Playoff Rules for more details. D. Match times will appear on all schedules. If there is a change, it is the responsibility of the host club representative to call the visiting team representative one week prior to the match. See Section 5. E. All matches must be concluded at the end of the allotted time. See Section UNFINISHED MATCHES A. When the 1.5 hour time period is up, players MUST finish the game in progress. If the 1.5 hour time period has not expired, a new game must be started without undue delay or stalling. Once a game is started, it must be completed. B. If a tiebreak is in progress, it is to be completed and counted as a game. C. All the games for the entire match are counted. The team or player with the most games wins the match. D. If the number of games is tied, the point will be split. 5. SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE CHANGES A. ALL Schedule changes must be relayed to the Scorekeeper as soon as it is determined that the schedule is changing. This is extremely important in order to reconcile our online scoring software. B. It shall be the original Home Team s sole responsibility to notify the Scorekeeper of any schedule changes. Failure to Notify the Scorekeeper may result in forfeiture of all points by the original home team. C. Clubs having special events during normally scheduled League Time must arrange two (2) weeks ahead to play at the opposing Club or default. D. A schedule can not be altered, unless agreed upon by both parties in writing and the scorekeeper is to be notified immediately. E. Protests will not be accepted regarding schedule changes. F. The entire schedule must be played and all matches completed regardless of playoff eligibility. 1. Any team that forfeits/defaults 4 or more positions in total over the last 4 matches of the season OR forfeits/defaults more than 2 positions in any one match over the last 4 matches 6

7 of the season will be subject to sanctions including that team being denied eligibility to play in CMITA the next season. 2. Any team that forfeits more than 8 positions over the course of an entire season shall also be subject to sanctions including that team being denied eligibility to play in CMITA the next season. 6. DEFAULT A. Play must start fifteen (15) minutes past the starting time, regardless of the arrival of players. During the 15 minute default window, other players may participate in warm-up, until the designated players arrive. B. Anyone arriving on the court more than fifteen (15) minutes late is DEFAULTED as a no show. C. The lowest position is defaulted for a no-show and all players must move up one position if applicable. D. The Home Team must default if courts are not available at the scheduled start time for any reason (including utility outages or any unforeseeable circumstances) or, if known about in advance, the home team must schedule an away match complying with Section 5. E. If a player must stop play, due to an injury, or any other reason, the match is defaulted. Play must be continuous. Score will be counted up to the injury and the opponent awarded all remaining games. F. Coaching by anyone at anytime is prohibited & results in default. G. The scorecard, available on the website, must be completed with names of all players participating on the day of the match. It is the responsibility of both captains to keep their roster up to date with the names of the players participating. Failure to list the correct name of the player(s) on the website by midnight Monday following the match will result in default of that position. The scorekeeper is to be notified, via , immediately if an incorrect name was entered. H. Indication that a grievance is forthcoming MUST be made on the scorecard, next to comments. I. A COMPLETE discussion of the grievance procedure, regarding notification of players, and captain, coach and league representative involvement should take place before a Grievance is submitted. 7. COURT RULES A. Fifteen (15) minutes maximum is allocated for warm-up, including serves. B. Change sides after each set. In 3 set matches, sides are changed on odd games in 3rd set. C. All players must agree to adhere to one clock visible to the court or buzzer. Determination of expired time must be made known prior to start of match. 7

8 D. Match play should be continuous and no players may leave the court, interrupt or intentionally delay play during a match. Reasonable bathroom breaks are allowable. E. Cell phones, pagers and electronic devices must be turned off prior to the start of the match. Failure to comply will result in a let being played for the first offense and a match default for a second occurrence from the same Player. F. USTA Code of Conduct should be observed during matches and players should comply with any Court Conduct rules posted at the Home Club. CMITA is a recreational league and has no provisions for line judges or referees and counts on players to handle on-court issues in a mature and responsible manner. Players receiving multiple complaints regarding sportsmanship violations may be suspended or removed from the league at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. Removal Decisions voted by the Board cannot be appealed and the removed player must apply for reinstatement in order to play in subsequent seasons. G. Grievances should not be filed regarding line call disputes. If you encounter a player that continually violates on court conduct rules, such as making bad line calls or causing undue delay, please the Rules Coordinator and the player's name will be put on file as receiving a complaint. The opposing team's captain and league representative will be notified. Multiple complaints against the same individual by different teams may result in disciplinary action. 8. SCORING A. No Ad Scoring. At 3 points each or deuce, the receiver has the option to elect which court receives the serve. Winner of that point wins the game. At six all, a 12 point tiebreaker is used. (First to 7 leading by 2 points) B. Every match won by play or default is ONE (1) point. Ties are ONE-Half (1/2) point. C. The Team Captain may make a copy of the scorecard from the Captain s folder or it can be downloaded from the website. The sheet is to be used to record the information that must be entered on website after the match and must be signed by both captains and retained by the Home Team for confirmation. D. The Home Team Captain is responsible for entering the information into the website. This must be completed by midnight Monday following the completion of the match. Failure to do so will result in a 1 point deduction. E. It is the responsibility of the Visiting Team Captain to check the web site for clarification. If errors are noted, an must be sent to the Scorekeeper, using the Score Change/Comment Form found under the Downloadable Forms, identifying the errors. This must be done by midnight Tuesday following the completion of the match. Failure to do this, will allow the recorded information to stand. F. If teams are tied at the conclusion of the season, the tie is broken in the following sequential manner: 1 = Head to Head- total of individual position matches won during regular season against tied team(s); 2 = If still tied, # of Sets Won against tied team(s); 3 = or if still tied, # of games won against tied team(s). If teams are still tied, total games won during the regular season will be used as the tiebreak. 8

9 9. COURT RESPONSIBILITY A. The Home Club must bill the visiting Club for entire match charge, for a team default. If a visiting team notifies the Home Club in advance and the home club is able to "sell" the open courts, any amount received by the Home Club shall be discounted from the default charge. B. The bill must be paid within 10 (ten) days of Presentment by the Home Club. Teams with past due default fees as of the last match of the season will be ineligible for playoffs if payment arrangements have not been made. C. In the event of non-payment, this will fall under Grievances and Protests. 1. The Home club must transmit a bill to the defaulting away club within 10 business days. 2. The Away club has 15 business days to make payment under Rule 9(b). 3. If the Away club fails to make payment within the 15 days, the Home Club MUST file a grievance within 10 business days of the expiration of the Away Club's time to make payment. 4. The Home club must include in their grievance the time and date of the match, a copy of the defaulted score card, and a copy of the invoice presented to the Away club. 5. If the grievance committee finds that the Away team has neglected to send timely payment, the committee will instruct the League Treasurer to send a demand letter to the Away team stating that payment is Past Due and will now include a $50.00 Fine (to CMITA). The letter will also state that if the Past Due balance and the $50 fine are not paid, the Away team is no longer eligible for Playoff placement, nor will the Team be eligible to participate in the next CMITA season. 6. Teams must inform the Grievance Chairman of outstanding default fees prior to the conclusion of the season OR they forfeit the grievance procedure and are on their own to collect default fees. D. The following fees will be charged for each defaulted match: ALL SINGLES $44.00 ALL DOUBLES $72.00 i) Failure to honor this commitment will result in dismissal from the Association of all teams representing that Club and loss of placement the following year. E. Each team player is required to check in at the Host Club immediately upon arrival and pay court fees. F. Weekend Matches can be postponed due to inclement weather causing adverse travel conditions by the Home or Away Club Representative TWO (2) hours prior to the start of the match. The Scorekeeper must immediately be notified. G. Make-up matches MUST be re-scheduled anytime during the 4 week period following a canceled match, except during school vacations and holidays (unless mutually agreed to by both teams). The Scorekeeper must be notified as soon as a date and time is decided. Matches may be played more than 4 weeks from the canceled match provided both teams agree and a firm date is determined and forwarded to the scorekeeper within the 4 week window. i) The date must be mutually agreeable. The Home team should provide multiple options 9

10 ii) All matches should be played on the same date and in the same format as a regular match (i.e., 1.5 hours, singles then doubles), unless mutually agreed to by both teams. If matches are played on different dates, the scores should not be entered until all 4 matches are played. iii) Failure to makeup matches may result in neither team being awarded points for the match. H. Once re-scheduled, make-up matches can not be canceled. Default fees will be in effect. I. All matches during the regular season MUST BE completed one week prior to the start of the playoffs for that division. J. The Board of Directors reserves the right to extend the season in case of inclement weather. K. The Board of Directors reserves the right to permanently remove any Club team that egregiously violates the Rules, including teams that consistently default matches and positions. 10. GRIEVANCES & PROTESTS A. Protests and Grievances should be discussed with the Team Captain and Team Coach/League Representative. Players and Captains MAY NOT file grievances, only League Reps may file them. B. When a rule infraction has been ascertained, after discussion with the Team Coach/League Representative, the League Representative for that Team will enter the information using the Grievance Form found under the Forms on the web site. All of the information regarding the rule infraction(s) must be clearly stated and submitted by midnight Tuesday following the completion of the match. 1. If the grievance pertains to a scorekeeper or rules chair decision not having to do with a matchplay infraction (i.e., player eligibility), the grievance shall be deemed timely if it is filed by the League Representative, as provided herein, within 48 hours of such final decision. C. Please note that the Grievance form is an ONLINE form. The Online form must be filled out completely and the Opposing Team must be accurately indicated in the pull-down menu. Once the form has been submitted online, it is automatically sent to the Grievance Committee and the Opposing Team League Representative, and will be forwarded to the entire Board for their records. D. Failure to respond to a grievance by the Opposing team within one week of receipt will result in the Grievance Committee ruling solely based upon the facts as presented by the Aggrieved Team and may result in any penalty deemed appropriate up to and including default, sanctions or dismissal. E. Resolutions of the Grievance Committee will be presented to both League Representatives via . F. Violations of the USTA Code of Conduct can be protested (a one page summary is included in the Captain s Folder). Code of Conduct infractions are subject to default. Where USTA Code and CMITA Rules conflict, CMITA rules and penalties will govern. 10

11 G. Names of the protested parties will be kept on file, by the Grievance Chairman. The Grievance Committee will decide if any penalties will be imposed. H. The Home Team Captain is still responsible for recording the scores in the website following each match, whether a grievance is being submitted or not. 11. PLAYOFFS ALL RULES OF REGULAR SEASON APPLY AND INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: A. The current standings are posted on the web site. It is the responsibility of the Team Captain/League Representative to ascertain whether or not a team is eligible for the playoffs. The top Four (4) teams in a Division will enter the playoffs. The top Five (5) teams should prepare and send playoff Rosters to the Scorekeeper. i) The Playoff Lineup Submission is a PDF Template. Text s with lineups will not be accepted. All Captains must fill out the playoff lineup application found on the CMITA web site and it to the Scorekeeper by the Tuesday at Noon deadline. The lineup application must be filled out completely. Incomplete Lineups or lineups with incorrect information risk forfeiting the spot. The completed lineup must be ed to the Scorekeeper as a PDF attachment. B. If a team declines to play in the playoffs (please be considerate and call the scorekeeper as soon as possible), so that the team next in line can be notified of the playoff berth. If a replacement team cannot be found, the defaulting team is responsible for the default fees. Please note: Teams ending in fifth and sixth positions should remain available to play in the playoffs in case the team above them is unable to play. C. A player is eligible for playoffs only if they have participated in at least four (4) seasonal matches on four (4) different dates. Defaulted or forfeited matches do not count towards playoff eligibility unless otherwise approved by the Board. D. Eligibility for a singles & doubles player constitutes playing singles twice (at least) and doubles twice (at least) during the regular season. E. The highest total of individual matches won between tied clubs when competing against each other will be used to break a tie (see Rule 8(G)). F. Format: 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3, and the winners of those matches will play for the Division trophy. G. The Top Five (5) Teams in each division MUST submit their playoff line-up application in PDF format (found on the CMITA web site) via to the scorekeeper by Tuesday at Noon following that division s last match date of the season for the First Round and also by Tuesday at Noon prior to the Second Round of playoffs. No lineups will be accepted after Noon on Tuesday. Failure to submit a Lineup by Noon on Tuesday may result in a default and the next team(s) will be contacted to play. i. Playoff lineups will be reviewed for eligibility as described below and will be ed to each opposing team by Wednesday at 5:00pm (or earlier). Opposing teams may review lineups and file a protest if players appear to violate eligibility or order rules. Protests on lineup order or 11

12 eligibility of opposing teams must be submitted by Thursday at 5pm. Protests must be submitted by the League Representative to the Scorekeeper AND the Rules Chair via , detailing exactly the reason for the protest and providing precise evidence as to the reason for the protest. ii. Once lineups are approved by CMITA and sent to opposing teams, no changes will be permitted except in the event of an emergency. The Scorekeeper must be notified via or Phone prior to the match of any emergency changes. Only players listed in the alternate position on the playoff lineup application are permitted to substitute in the event of an emergency. Any player listed on the playoff lineup who is removed due to an emergency after lineups are submitted will be ineligible for the next playoff round. iii. Grievances or protests involving lineups will not be accepted after 5pm on Thursday, no exceptions. Grievances will not be accepted after playoff matches in regard to lineups. H. All line-ups will be checked for eligibility, alignment and legality. They must coincide with line-ups used during the regular season and be aligned in order of strength. i. It is the Captain s responsibility to ensure that lineups are placed in order of strength and that all their players are eligible. ii. Although playoff lineups must coincide with regular season lineups, situations may arise where players never played on the same date during the regular season. Players must be positioned in order of strength, individual strength in singles and team strength in doubles. Objective facts should be used to determine placement based solely on positions played during the regular season, match results (especially against common opponents) and order of play in relation to common teammates. iii. A player who has never played a position (i.e., 1 st or 2 nd ) may play that position if order of strength permits. For example, a team has two players who share time playing #1 singles all season and neither player has played #2. One of those two players would be permitted to play #2 singles in the playoffs. An attempt must be made to identify the weaker player if possible by examining regular season results and if a determination is possible, the weaker player must be placed at #2. I. All matches will be two out of three sets, no-ad scoring & a 12 point tiebreaker at 6-All. There is no time limit. J. If there is a change in time of matches from those played during the regular season, the HOST TEAM MUST notify the VISITING TEAM of the change in time of play. Match times may not be altered after the Thursday preceding a playoff match. Sufficient court time must be reserved for playoff matches to allow for completion, without additional court time fees. K. Women's Singles matches are to start no earlier than 11:00 am and no later than 12:00pm Men's Singles no earlier than 2:00 PM and no later than 3:00 PM. Play may exceed the regular allotted time for playoff matches. L. No player is permitted to play both Singles and Doubles in Playoffs. M. Singles players must be available to play, at designated time. N. Doubles players MUST be available for play, ONE HOUR after the singles have begun. O. Failure to be present once the 15 minute warm-up has expired results in a "DEFAULT" 6-0, 6-0 P. The Home Team decides which doubles team will begin. 12

13 Q. If each team has won two matches during a playoff, the following is used to break the tie: 1. Total games won for each team- highest total wins. 2. If total games are tied, then a 12 point tiebreaker (first to 7 points by TWO) is played by the final position to finish their match. This rule is new for and replaces the rule where all positions would play a tie breaker. The winner of this one tiebreaker shall determine the winning team. The position playing the final tiebreaker shall, without delay, once the scores are calculated and a tie is determined, return to the court, A brief 5 minute warm-up is permitted if requested by either team prior to playing the tie break.. R. If a player must stop play due to an injury, the games played will stand and the remaining games are awarded to the opponent who will be the winner of the match. S. Scores of first round play of match must be entered into the website by the Home Team captain by midnight Sunday, or, the winning team may the Scorekeeper the results if the away team wins. SCOREKEEPER IS PERCY RAGSDALE: CALL (EVENING) = cmita2000@aol.com 12. PRIVACY AND USE STATEMENT All material found herein and produced by CMITA is Copyright as of the date of issue. Materials within the Rules, Web Site, Coaches Packets or any other materials produced by CMITA may not be reproduced or used in any other context except for duties necessary to promote the play and offering of CMITA to member club, without the written consent of the CMITA Board of Directors. This includes specifically any information regarding Clubs, member Players, Captains, or League Officials. Any use of contact information available to league Players other than for CMITA purposes is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate expulsion from the League as well as further legal action where appropriate. Because CMITA provides a forum for the sharing of contact information, CMITA cannot guarantee the privacy of such information as the information is offered to the entire League so that captains may be contacted if needed for League purposes. Likewise, member Players have their names and, when available, contact information entered on the CMITA web site by a captain. That information is largely available in an un-inhibited fashion from the CMITA web site, and thus CMITA is not responsible for the misuse or misappropriation of information provided. 13. LIABILITY WAIVER & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION CMITA disclaims any and all liability whatsoever, and all participants by playing in CMITA agree to abide by the terms and conditions found herein. Member Clubs, as part of their membership application for each season, agree to hold harmless and indemnify the CMITA Board and League for any and all claims arising out of League Participation or League Play whatsoever. Any claim for injury or damages should be brought to the attention of the responsible Member Club. CMITA does not profit or participate in any revenue sharing whatsoever. All fees go towards league operation and maintenance including software fees, prize awards, set-up and scoring fees and other miscellaneous fees. CMITA is merely a not-for-profit group 13

14 of Club Owners and personnel that provide an organized format for indoor tennis play for local Clubs, to benefit players and local Clubs during the 'indoor' tennis season. CMITA has the discretion to vote to allow or not allow any club to participate or any player to participate in its sole discretion. 14