Inter-Club A League Rules (Revised 6/30/18) I. ELIGIBILITY

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1 Inter-Club A League Rules (Revised 6/30/18) I. ELIGIBILITY A. Regular Member Eligibility for any woman: 1. She must be a dues-paying member of the club where she plays. 2. She must be an area resident over 18 years of age. 3. She must: a. play on only one team b. play in only one Flight c. play as a regular member for only one club in the League d. be listed on her team s League roster prior to playing in a match. 4. She cannot currently be on a collegiate roster. 5. A regular player may be added at any time during the season. The captain must submit an Add a Regular Team Member In-Season form by 9:20 a.m. on the Tuesday morning of match day. This form is found under the Forms tab on the Inter-Club A League Tenniscores homepage. Click on Forms, then under Contact Forms, click on Add a Regular Team Member in-season. Fill in the spaces and click on send. NOTE: This is only for new players to the League, it does not refer to players wishing to change teams at the half. B. Substitute Member Eligibility for any woman: 1. She must be a dues-paying member of the club where she plays. 2. She must be an area resident over 18 years of age. 3. She must be listed as a sub on the team s roster AND be listed as a regular player on a lower A, B, C or D Inter-Club League team s roster, at that same facility, prior to playing in a match. 4. Teams without lower Inter-Club League teams may use substitutes from one other facility's B, C, or D Inter-Club League teams. The substitute cannot be on any another facility's Inter-Club A League Roster. 5. A sub may be added at any time during the season. The captain must submit an Add a Sub From Lower Team In-Season form by 9:20 a.m. on the Tuesday morning she is needed to play. This form is found under the Forms tab on the Inter-Club A League Tenniscores homepage. Click on forms, then under Contact Forms, click on Add Sub From Lower Team In-Season. Fill in the spaces and click on send. C. Playing an ineligible player will result in a penalty point being assessed against that team s cumulative point score. II. MEET & MATCH PLAY A. A meet is defined as 7 doubles matches between two different teams as scheduled by the League. B. A match is defined as the best 2 of 3 sets. A seven-point tiebreaker will be used when any set reaches 6 all. C. All meets in the League will be played on Tuesday mornings according to the play schedule of the Flights. D. Each team member will receive a play schedule for each season. This schedule will outline the dates and places of all match play for that season. Teams are expected to adhere to this schedule unless a cancellation occurs. E. Make-Up Match Procedures 1. All rained-out meets will be scheduled no later than the first available designated Tuesday rain date. Individual make-up matches must be completed within 3 weeks of the cancelled match. If both captains agree to a different date (for a rain out), then they may seek approval from the scorekeeper. 2. With the agreement of both captains, cancelled meets may be played on any date prior to the first available rain date according to the following options: a. Played as a meet

2 b. Played as individual matches 3. Regardless of whether scheduled as individual matches or as a meet, both captains must notify the scorekeeper of rescheduled dates and times within 72 hours of a cancellation. Once the scorekeeper has been notified, the rescheduled date(s) and time(s) are considered fixed and may not be changed unless both captains agree and receive scorekeeper approval. Failure to appear at the rescheduled date and time constitutes a default of the meet/match. 4. Line-up rules to determine last position played for any make-up match will be based on the last completed match. 5. The host team will always have the option to provide as many courts as they are able. The host team may also use a neighboring club to provide an adequate number of courts. In the event of splitting positions at the home and away courts, the home team will coordinate the positions to be played at home or away. 6. If for any reason, the host team is unable to provide the required number of courts, then the away team will be given the opportunity to provide courts at their facility. If there is a problem, the captains must contact the League chairperson. F. In the event of an interrupted match (rain, etc.) the match officially begins with the first point scored at any position. An individual match, once it "starts" is an officially "completed" match. If no points have been played in any match, any announced positions, including forfeits, are null and void. New line-ups may be exchanged at the beginning of the rescheduled matches. When play is suspended due to weather, etc., the match may be rescheduled if courts are not playable within fifteen minutes from the start of the delay. G. A match may be cancelled and rescheduled if the temperature is 36 degrees or below at the host courts at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the match. H. Play will begin promptly at 9:30 AM (after line up has been exchanged) and, if a player or players have not arrived by 9:45 AM, a forfeit may be called. The forfeit (s) will occur on the line(s) with the missing player (s), you do not redo the entire lineup since play has already begun. I. All matches shall be played adhering to ITF Rules, USTA Regulations and USTA s The Code unless otherwise documented in these League Rules. Every captain should have a current copy of these rules and the USTA Friend At Court available at all matches. J. The home team is responsible for providing USTA approved balls for any match. K. A ten-minute break between the second and third sets is allowed. L. A ten-minute break for injury or sickness, incurred during match play, may be taken before the player must decide to play or default. M. Coaching is not permitted except during the break between the second and third sets and should be carried out in a quiet and unobtrusive manner. N. To eliminate arguments about the score, the server should announce, in an audible voice, the set score prior to the first serve in each game and the game score prior to serving each point. O. In the event of a disagreement, the captains of each team involved will try to resolve the differences at that time. If this is not possible, the procedure for lodging an official protest is outlined under Section III. Captain s Responsibilities D. 7. P. The League is on a point system. Each win in match play will count for one point. At the end of the season, the team with the most points wins the Flight. In the event of a tie for first place, the winner will then be determined by most sets won, followed by most games won. If a tie still exists at that point, the winner will be the team with the better head-to-head record of lines won, sets won or, lastly, games won. Q. All cell phones on courts should be turned off when play begins. If a phone rings during a point, a let may be called. If there is a second occurrence, the opponent may stop play and claim the point on the grounds of a deliberate hindrance, and may continue to do so for each occurrence thereafter. III. CAPTAIN S RESPONSIBILITIES

3 A. Each team member in the League will elect a captain. She must be on the current team roster. B. The captain must submit a roster on the League website before play commences each season. For each player this includes name, address and telephone number. C. The captain must add and/or delete names to and/or from her roster in order to keep the roster current. Once a player s name appears on a team roster and the matches have begun for that season, the player may only change teams at the end of the 1st half and before 2nd half begins with the Executive Committee s approval. The Executive Committee will determine if the player s circumstances necessitates changing teams. An individual whose name appears on the roster and has not played in a match can submit a petition to the Executive Committee for movement. The only exception is if an individual plays as a substitute according to IV - Line-Up Rules, E. D. The Captain has the following responsibilities regarding play: 1. Home or hosting site captain is to contact the visiting captain no later than two days prior to their match to confirm 7 courts are reserved, and should indicate if warm-up courts are available. 2. Provide a line-up for each meet. 3. Inform the players of their match positions. 4. Exchange line-up with opponents captain no later than 9:20 AM. 5. Ensure her players are on court and ready to play at 9:30 AM. 6. Document match scores and check same with opponent s captain. The captain of each team must sign both scorecards, unless the meet or match has been played under protest. 7. Report match scores on the League website by 10:00 PM the day of the completed meet. All seven individual matches must be completed prior to entering scores. No name is entered for either team when submitting the scores for a forfeited position. Either the HOME captain or the AWAY captain may enter scores. The opposing captain must then verify the scores on the website. All scores not contested to the scorekeeper within 5 days of the next match shall stand as posted. 8. Should a disagreement or misunderstanding occur during match play, the captains of each team should attempt to resolve it at that time according to Section II., Meet & Match Play, I. If resolution is not possible, the match should continue to be played under protest. After the meet, the captain of the protesting team must lodge a protest, via , with the League chairperson within 48 hours of the incident. The Executive Committee will render the final decision. 9. Meet or Match Cancellations: a. Home team captain informs the guest team captain as soon as possible. b. Each captain notifies her team members of the cancellation. Unless duly notified by the team's captain or her designee, meet participants are required to appear at the scheduled meet location in accordance with II. Meet & Match Play, H. c. Reschedule the cancellation as detailed under II. MEET & MATCH PLAY, E. d. Each captain informs the members of her team of the date of the rematch. e. Both captains must notify the scorekeeper of the newly scheduled date within 72 hours after cancellation of any meet or match. 10. If a team finds it necessary to default a match, the captain of that team will call the opposing team captain as soon as possible. 11. In the event of inclement weather or other events that could pose a hazard to the condition of the court, both captains shall consult with the available tennis pros to deem whether any court is playable. E. A captain, or her designee, must represent her team at all League meetings when requested called to do so by the League chairperson. Any team not represented at a called meeting will be penalized for an unexcused absence. First offense will result in a 5-point penalty (per meeting, per season) and the team will be placed on probation for the remainder of the tennis year. A second offense within the same tennis year will result in suspension from the League for one calendar year from the date of suspension. The team must reapply for admission to the League. F. An outgoing captain s last responsibility is to notify the scorekeeper of the incoming captain s name

4 and address. IV. LINE-UP RULES A. A team s line-up shall be drawn up at the discretion and honor of the team captain and she will make every effort to play her greatest strength from the top down. USTA rated 5.0 and above players may only play at the highest position (Line #1) at each match. B. The team captains will exchange their line-ups no later than 9:20 AM. Once exchanged, the line-up may not be changed except as outlined under II. Meet & Match Play, F. (interrupted match). The line-up from the previous match should be available upon request. C. Player Positions; A player may change positions in the following ways: 1. If she is playing with the same partner, she may move two positions up or down from the position she played in the last match. 2. If she is playing with a different partner, she may move 3 positions up or down from the last match. D. Player Movement Infractions and Penalties. 1. If a player is played out of position and wins, the match point for that position will be given to the opposing team and a penalty point will be assessed. If the player out of position loses, the match point stays the same, but a penalty point is assessed to the team who violated the positioning rule. The penalty point will be assessed from the cumulative point score of the team that committed the infraction. The position played when the infraction was committed will be officially recorded as the last position played and will be used as "last position played" for the next match. The Executive Committee may choose not to impose a position change infraction when a line-up consists of only substitutes at or below the position change infraction. 2. Sandbagging, scheduling stronger pairs below weaker pairs, is prohibited. It is also considered sandbagging to move a winning pair down in order to move a losing pair up. Winning and losing shall be defined as results of matches played to date, not just the result of the last match played. If a team is believed to be sandbagging in a meet, the opposing teams captain may file a protest under Section III. Captains Responsibilities, D The Executive Committee may impose penalty points at their discretion for other infractions (i.e. unsportsmanlike conduct). E. Substitutes may be used when a team s regular players are unavailable. The team roster should be exhausted before using substitutes or before drawing from a lower flight/level team. Any number of substitutes may be brought up from any lower flight/level team. These substitutes can play any position on the team as long as no substitute plays in a position above a team's regular player. F. If a team cannot fill all the positions on the play roster, then a match(es) may be forfeited. All forfeits must be made from the bottom regardless of the positions played by the absent players. If a player is unavailable to play after line-ups have been exchanged, her partner is also removed from the line-up and all positions below them move up. G. Any team that forfeits three (3) or more lines in a single meet will be placed on probation for the remainder of the current tennis season. If that same team forfeits three or more lines in a meet a second time during that same season, the Executive Committee will determine if that team will be removed from the League for future seasons. V. TEAM MOVEMENT At the end of the tennis season, after all matches have been completed and scored, teams move between the Flights as follows: A. Team movement will not be automatic. B. The incoming and outgoing boards shall analyze the point standings within each flight

5 and recommend movement of teams up or down. C. Individual teams, with the concurrence of their pro, may request movement into another flight. D. The flight assignments for the next year will be available at the end of the year meeting. E. Teams will have two (2) weeks following the end of year captains meeting to request a change in their assignment. F. Team movement will always be at the discretion of the Executive Committee. VI. INTER-CLUB A LEAGUE YEAR END LUNCHEON AND AWARDS CEREMONY has been eliminated per majority of the captains vote at the May 21, 2013 Captains Meeting. VII. AWARDS A. A traveling trophy will be engraved with each year s winning division clubs name, and will be on display at the winning clubs for the upcoming year. At the end of the year, the traveling trophies will be returned to the Executive Committee to be updated for the next year s winners. Individual players of each winning division will receive a small token of their victory, purchased at the discretion of the Executive Committee as the budget allows (bag tag, towel, visor, etc.) VIII. CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE RULES A. Any team wishing to propose a change or addition to the League Rules and Regulations will submit a written motion to the League chairperson no later than two weeks prior to a Captains Meeting. The Executive Committee will approve or deny the proposal based on whether the change conflicts with any existing Bylaw. B. Approved proposals will be presented by the captain or her designee and voted upon at the next Captains Meeting. In order for a Rule or Regulation to be changed or added, a yes vote must be received by a majority of the captains.

6 BYLAWS Inter-Club A League (Revised 5/21/2014) These Bylaws are presented as a structural basis for the Inter-Club A League. They are used to govern and regulate the affairs of this organization. The Inter-Club A League shall act in accordance with these Bylaws only. These Bylaws may be changed, amended and/or deleted according to the needs of the Inter-Club A League. ARTICLE I NAME The name of this League is the Inter-Club A League and hereafter referred to as the League. ARTICLE II PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE A. PURPOSE The purpose of the League is to provide competition on a regular, equal and fair basis, to promote fellowship among members, and to further women s tennis by encouraging knowledge of and compliance with the USTA rules (The Code), growth of the League and generating an atmosphere of sportsman-like conduct. B. STRUCTURE 1. The League shall be comprised of Teams formed into Levels, Flights and/or Divisions as is required to accommodate League growth. 2. Each Team will appoint a captain, who will act on its behalf. 3. The Inter-Club A League will be one continuous season, to encompass the Fall and Spring. 4. The criteria for the A-Expansion flight will be the following: a. Must have 5 soft courts available on Tuesdays for league play. b. May not have an existing Inter-Club A League team at any flight. i.e. this is not meant to accommodate overflow at a large club. Additionally, a current Inter-Club A League member may request reassignment to the Expansion League because they no longer have the ability to field a seven (7) position team as long as they adhere to all the provisions in the by-laws. c. Adhere and conform to all of the existing A-League Rules regarding eligibility. d. Provide a letter of commitment to the A-League/Expansion flight. e. Provide a tentative roster. f. Provide any available documentation supporting the team's placement at the A level. g. Expansion teams will not have any voting rights. h. The Expansion Flight will become viable when there are at least five (5) teams committing to play in the flight and have met all of the criteria. ARTICLE III EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE A. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE The Executive Committee of the League will consist of at least 3 members. These members will be representatives from the membership of the League, and will serve for the tennis year. The Executive Committee will regulate and govern the League as outlined in the Bylaws and League Rules. B. ASSIGNMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 1. Prior to the end of the season, the names of the members of the Executive Committee for the next tennis year will be provided by the Teams whose term has been determined by a rotating schedule maintained by the chairperson. If a team fails upon request to provide a name for the Executive Committee, that team will be removed

7 from the League for the next League tennis year. The team may apply for reinstatement to the League at the Captains' meeting held at the end of the next tennis year. If reinstatement is approved, the returning team will be placed on the lowest flight for the following year in accordance with League Bylaws Article IV Team Eligibililty Rule. The returning team will also provide a name for the Executive Committee position originally requested. 2. The Executive Committee will consist of at least one person to serve as chairperson with the remaining two members serving in one of two Committee configurations: a) one to serve as secretary/treasurer and one to serve as scorekeeper, or b) Two Scorekeepers splitting up the duties of Secretary/Treasurer: one Scorekeeper will serve as Secretary, and the other Scorekeeper will serve as Treasurer. The Executive Committee will determine which format best meets the needs of the League. The officers will be assigned according to the rotating schedule maintained by the Chairperson. 3. A prior year s Executive Committee member will serve in an Ex-Officio capacity to advise the new Committee. She will attend Committee meetings for one calendar quarter if requested to do so. She will have no voting privileges on the Committee. C. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1. The Executive Committee will govern the League according to the procedures outlined in the Bylaws. Its responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: a. Governing administrative and operational League activities. b. Applying the Bylaws and League Rules. c. Processing applications for membership in the League and presenting such applications for approval at the Captains Meeting. d. Interceding in Flight issues, where called upon by a Flight to do so. In the event an issue is not covered in the League Rules or Bylaws, the Executive Committee will rule on the issue. e. Reviewing all computer findings and monitoring the movement of the players and teams. f. Resolving protested matches. If an Executive Committee member is party to a protested match by virtue of facility or team membership, she will recuse herself and abstain from all discussions regarding the disposition of the protest. The remaining Executive Committee members will appoint a disinterested party, from an uninvolved Flight and facility, to act as the recused Executive Committee member for the purposes of this protest. 2. The Executive Committee members may not vote on any motion presented, unless those members are Team captains. 3. The Executive Committee may propose any motion it deems necessary at the Captains Meeting. 4. The Executive Committee will decide on annual dues to be collected from each Team. The secretary/treasurer of the Executive Committee will collect these dues at the beginning of each tennis year. 5. Committee members are required to attend all meetings that deal with Committee business and all Captains Meetings called by the Committee. 6. When a Committee member cannot finish her term in office, she will inform the Committee of her resignation in writing. Her team will provide a replacement with the committee s approval. 7. The Executive Committee will ensure that all changes made by the captains to the Bylaws & Rules are consistent throughout the documents. The Executive Committee has the authority to make global terminology changes to reflect the captains' will. D. LEAGUE CHAIRPERSON 1. The Executive Committee chairperson will receive all applications for membership in the League. She will review these applications and if they meet League requirements,

8 they will be brought before the Executive Committee for approval. If approved, the matter will be brought before the body for approval or rejection based on duplication or conflict. 2. She will advise all captains of League proposals and motions that will require voting. This must be done within a reasonable amount of time before the next Captains Meeting. 3. She will prepare the schedule for each of the Flights. Once the schedule has been published she will send a broadcast to the Captains' so that they can check for discrepancies. A response for discrepancies will be due one week prior to the Captains' meeting. 4. She will select a website vendor and negotiate the terms of the contract with the selected vendor. 5. She will contact members of the incoming Executive Committee and arrange a meeting with them, as necessary, before any Captains' Meeting. 6. She will set up Captains Meetings as required by the needs of the league. Her responsibilities will include: a. Notifying the captains about the upcoming Captains Meeting. b. Providing an agenda. c. Conduct meeting. 7. She will answer captains inquiries regarding the Bylaws and League Rules. 8. She will attend the year end Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, purchase and present awards. E. LEAGUE SECRETARY/TREASURER 1. The Executive Committee secretary/treasurer is responsible for recording the minutes of all meetings and maintaining files. 2. She will provide minutes and treasury reports at all League Captains Meetings. 3. She will send copies of minutes and treasury reports to the Executive Committee. 4. She will be responsible for collecting all League dues and maintaining a record of the League s financial activities for the year of her term of office. 5. She will be responsible for managing funds throughout the season and dispersing funds with appropriate documentation. 6. She will update the Bylaws and Rules as changes occur and coordinate League information for insertion into website. Such responsibilities include: a. Input the clubs information and compile a current "Captain s Contact List" including addresses. b. Input League Bylaws and Rules. 7. She will provide copies of any needed League information to the captains at the Captains Meeting. 8. She will answer captains inquiries regarding the Bylaws and League Rules. F. LEAGUE SCOREKEEPER 1. The League scorekeeper will research and compile a list of incoming captains prior to the beginning of each season (including e- mails and phone numbers) for the chairperson and secretary/treasurer. 2. She will provide a computer tutorial concerning the process of entering scores and any additional information as needed for captains (i.e. adding new players and subs). 3. She will correct scoring errors on website. 4. She will notify the Executive Committee of any potential rule violations. When Rule violations occur, for which penalties are specifically documented in the League Rules, she will also impose such penalties. 5. She will answer captains inquiries regarding the Bylaws and League Rules. G. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

9 1. The Executive Committee will meet on its own schedule to deal with committee business. 2. The Executive Committee will hold open Captains Meetings at the end of the season. Should circumstances warrant, a special meeting may be called at the half (the last match of the first half before the new calendar year) if the board feels the need to address special issues that could occur. All team captains would be expected to attend this meeting if called or send a representative. This special meeting would be open to any League member as well as the year end meeting. 3. The Executive Committee will make arrangements to pass on materials and information to the new Committee within one month following the completion of the Season. H. CAPTAINS' MEETING 1. Captains Meetings will be held annually on the Tuesday prior to the Season s start. 2. Special Captains Meetings may be called by the chairperson to attend to League business. 3. Captains Meetings will be governed by Roberts Rules of Order for Regular Meetings. ARTICLE IV TEAM ELIGIBILITY A. Clubs wishing to enter a team in the A League must apply to the League chairperson. Application is made by sending a letter of intent to the League chairperson at least 60 days prior to the end of the tennis year. B. The letter of intent should include a description of the club s tennis facility, a letter from the facility committing to a minimum of seven (7) soft courts available for play on meet days, a tentative roster, and any available documentation to support the team's placement into the appropriate flight. C. A new team may only enter the League in the Fall. D. The addition of a new team must be approved by a majority vote of all captains. E. New teams are considered probationary for the term of one tennis year. Approval to remain in the League may be granted by two-thirds affirmative vote by the captains. If the new team dissolves after the schedule is prepared, the Captain(s) will not be allowed to play on another Inter-Club A League team for the first half of the season. F. No club may have more than two (2) teams in the A-League at one time, unless they can commit to an additional 7 courts on match days. Existing 3-team clubs will be grandfathered into the league until such time that one of the three teams drops from the A- League. ARTICLE V RULES The Rules adopted by this organization will be set apart, but, not inconsistent with these Bylaws. To provide for the orderly function of the organization, Rules and Regulations shall be developed by the majority vote of the captains. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the administration of the Rules and Regulations. ARTICLE VI AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS A. Any League member may sponsor a proposed amendment and/or addition to the Bylaws. The proposal must be submitted, in writing, to the League chairperson two weeks prior to the next scheduled Captains Meeting. B. The sponsor of the proposed amendment and/or addition will present the proposal in the form of a motion at the next scheduled Captains Meeting. C. The League secretary-treasurer shall count and record the results of the votes. Amendments and additions to these Bylaws must be by a positive vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the captains or their representatives.