Leah s League Rules and Format Level Coordinators & Board Members Level AA & A Carol Donahue carol@donahuedomain.com Level BB Lynn Tenuto lynntenuto@yahoo.com Level B Cindy Meirs clsmiers5@hotmail.com Leah s League Coordinator: Julie Maiorano jjmaiorano@yahoo.com CFO/League Fees: Barbara Kingston barbarakingston10is@gmail.com Scheduling: Patti Sherman pattisherman5@gmail.com Please contact Level Coordinators by e-mail whenever possible. Thanks! Play Days Level AA (4 Lines) Thursday Level A (6-Lines) Wednesday Level BB (6-Lines) Tuesday Level B (6-Lines) Monday I GENERAL & FORMAT A. All participants in LEAH S LEAGUE are bound by LEAH S LEAGUE Rules and by the USTA Friend at Court and The USTA Code. Participants in unusual situations shall abide by the decisions of the Leah s Committee, which are final. B. Leah s League uses an open roster format. Players may play in any position, with any player listed on your team roster, except as noted below in Section ll. II ROSTER REQUIREMENTS A. All teams must pay the required registration fee to LEAH S LEAGUE, delivered along with completed team registration forms, by the published deadline. Roster changes may be made until the published lock-down date. B. Each team will consist of at least twelve (12) and no more than twenty-five (25) players, including subs. Exception: If a level has been designated as a 4-line division, those teams will consist of at least eight (8) and no more than twenty-five (25) players, including subs.
C. Half of the members of each team (including subs) must be rated at the level in which they are playing. D. All members of a team should be, as close as possible, of equal tennis ability. E. Players may be listed as a regular player on only one roster; but may be listed as a sub for a team one level higher, from the same club. (Exception: Section II.E below) F. Players may play for only one club. If a player s name is accidently listed on two clubs rosters, the club played for first will be the only club that the player may play for. Exception: If a club has no higher next level team to sub up to, a player may sub up to that level for another club. Leah s League must be notified for approval before start of season. G. The Leah s Committee will review a player s stats on a case-by-case basis before the start of league, to determine player ratings and level eligibility. While appeals will be considered, the Committee s decision will be final. H. Players with a rating of CC,B and BB may not play in Lines 1 or 2 of the next higher level. Players with a rating of "A" may not play in Line 1 of the next higher level. The Committee can waive the penalty if the line-up for the match is in the appropriate order of strength. An example would be if every member of the days AA level match was an A level player. The team would not be penalized for playing A players at line 1. Penalties for violation: First offence: Offending team will forfeit points for the total points of the line with the ineligible player and the line below that, regardless of the win or loss at the violated line. (Example: if a B-rated player plays Line 1 in a BB match, that team will forfeit points for both lines 1 and 2. If a team plays B-rated players in both lines 1 and 2 of a BB match, points in lines 1-4 will be forfeited no mater if the lines were won or lost.) Second offence: In addition to the above penalty, all ineligible players will not be able to play the rest of the season. I. A player with a 5.0 USTA rating may play on a AA team only under the following conditions: 1. They may only play position AA-1. 2. They may not play with another player rated 5.0.
3. No more than two 5.0 players may be listed on any AA roster and those players require prior approval from the Committee. Penalties for Violation: First Offense: The team will gain no points for that line; Second Offense: The team will gain no points for the entire match; Third Offense: The team will be ineligible to participate in play-offs. All match points will be eliminated. J. A player with a 4.5 USTA (or AA) rating may play on an A team only under the following conditions: 1. They may only play position A-1. 2. They may not play with another 4.5/AA rated player. 3. No more than three 4.5/AA players may be listed on any A roster and those players require prior approval from the Committee. Penalties for Violation: First Offense: The team will gain no points for that line; Second Offense: The team will gain no points for the entire match; Third Offense: The team will be ineligible to participate in play-offs. All match points will be eliminated. K. A player with a 4.0 USTA (or A) rating may play on a BB team only under the following conditions: 4. They may only play position BB-1. 5. They may not play with another 4.0/A rated player. 6. No more than three 4.0/A players may be listed on any BB roster and those players require prior approval from the Committee. Penalties for Violation: First Offense: The team will gain no points for that line; Second Offense: The team will gain no points for the entire match; Third Offense: The team will be ineligible to participate in play-offs. All match points will be eliminated. L. A player with a 3.5 USTA (or BB) rating may play on a B team only under the following conditions: 7. They may only play position B-1. 8. They may not play with another 3.5/BB rated player.
9. No more than three 3.5/BB players may be listed on any B roster and those players require prior approval from the Committee. Penalties for Violation: First Offense: The team will gain no points for that line; Second Offense: The team will gain no points for the entire match; Third Offense: The team will be ineligible to participate in play-offs. All match points will be eliminated. M. All players must be 18 years or older before the league starts. III TEAM PLACEMENT A. Teams winning first place in their level for two (2) consecutive seasons, will be asked to move up to a higher level if 50% of the team s active members return. Active members are those players that have played 50% of the team s matches during the winning seasons. B. A team that wins or loses their division by a substantial margin may be asked to move up or down a division in the following season, at the discretion of the Leah s Level Coordinators Committee. IV COURTS A. Each team is required to guarantee the use of at least three (3) courts from 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (at least two (2) courts for 4-line divisions). B. Nomad teams will be responsible for providing water, snacks, balls and any court fees or catering fees for matches designated as "Home." C. If a team/club cannot host a scheduled home match, the first option is to play the match at the opponents courts. If the opponents courts are not available, the match will be rescheduled the same as a rain make-up. Make-ups must be approved by Level Coordinator. V BALLS A. The home team must supply 6 cans (4 cans for 4-line divisions) of new yellow USTA rated hard court balls for match play. Second quality balls are not allowed. Home team should also supply new balls for third sets. B. New balls for a third set shall be used unless all players agree otherwise.
C. If the Home team has court problems and plays at the Visiting team s courts, the Home team should supply balls, water and refreshments. VI MATCH PLAY A. Matches for 6-line teams will consist of 6 doubles matches. Matches for 4-line teams will consist of 4 doubles matches. B. Individual matches will be the best 2 of 3 sets, regular scoring. The Coman Tie-break will be used any time the score reaches 6 games all in any set. See XVII below for detailed instructions. C. Written line-ups must be exchanged by captains or their appointed representative no later than 8:45 a.m. D. Players in positions 1, 2 and 3 (1 and 2 for 4-line divisions) who arrive after 8:45 a.m. must still start the match at 9:00 a.m. This is for the benefit and consideration of all players, especially second tier players. E. Early trips to the restroom and warm-ups will be finished before the start time so that the match will begin at 9:00 a.m. It is the captain s responsibility to make sure matches start on time. F. Default at 10:30 a.m. for lines 4, 5 & 6, provided courts are available at the facility. G. LATE PENALTIES: 1. 9:05 a.m. - Loss of toss by players who haven t arrived. 2. 9:10 a.m. - Loss of toss, plus 1 game penalty. 3. 9:15 a.m. - Forfeit of match Cell phone clocks will be used to determine time consistently. H. If a different start time is agreed on in advance by both captains, the late penalties apply to the different start time. I. After line-ups are exchanged, there can be no switching of players, teams or positions or additional players added unless an injury or emergency occurs during the warm-up and an eligible replacement can be made before the required start time to replace that player. No switching of the line-up. Players cannot move down. J. If a position is declared a no-show, that position will be defaulted. (Example: If line 1 is defaulted due to a no-show, the other line(s) in that start time will continue playing at their designated line. If line 2 is a no-show, then lines 1 and 3 will continue in their designated
lines). The points will be awarded at the line that was defaulted. The remainder of the line-up cannot be changed. K. Play is continuous from the first ball served in the match except when interrupted by rain or 100 degree heat. L. Split Sets: A 10-minute break is allowed between the 2 nd & 3 rd sets. Coaching is allowed during that 10-minute break only. M. A player may leave the court during the 10-minute break between 2 nd and 3 rd sets, and for two bona fide bathroom visits. N. Medical Time Outs: An accidental injury or medical time out may be taken at the time of the injury or illness or at the next change over. Play will begin within 10 minutes. VII SCORING (All sets count) Line 1: Line 2: Line 3: Line 4: Line 5: Line 6: 10 Points per set won. 9 Points per set won. 8 Points per set won. 7 Points per set won. 6 Points per set won. 5 Points per set won. VIII COACHING A. Coaching is defined as any advice, signal or comment relayed by any means to the participants in a match by anyone, whether a bona fide coach, teammate or bystander. B. Players may not accept any coaching during the progress of a match, except during the official rest period between the 2 nd and 3 rd sets. IX CAPTAIN S RESPONSIBILITIES A. The Team Captain or her designated appointee shall: 1. Be present at all matches. 2. Present a complete, written line-up to the opposing captain no later than 8:45 a.m. 3. Make sure all matches start on time. 4. Contact the visiting captain in the event of any changes or updated directions. 5. Sign score sheets at the end of the team match. 6. Have Internet access and provide their correct e-mail address and phone number to communicate with Leah s League Coordinators.
7. Enter match scores online by midnight, the day of the match. Generally, the home team captain enters the scores, however either captain may enter scores. B. The home team captain must enter the scores online before midnight the day of the match (visiting captain can also enter scores). Once the scores are entered, they cannot be edited. A Leah s Coordinator should be contacted if there are any discrepancies. C. Do not enter scores for partially played matches (due to rain outs, etc). Enter scores when all lines have been played. Please REMEMBER to manually type in the TOTALS at the bottom of the score page. X PROTESTED MATCHES Players involved in a dispute during a match must declare the match is being played under protest. They must then continue the match to its conclusion. If a match is protested after the fact, the captain must notify the opposing captain or her representative immediately. Within seven days after the protested match, the captain must inform the Level Coordinator in writing, detailing (date of match, clubs involved, players involved and level and division of play) the protest. The Committee, consisting of all Level Coordinators, will meet to determine the merits of the protest and will send the team captains involved a written notice of their decision. The Committee may consult other captains in their division. The Committee s decision is final. XI DEFAULTS, FORFEITS AND RETIRED MATCHES A. If a player or players arrive after fifteen minutes of the scheduled match time, that position is a DEFAULT. The points for that position will go to the team with players present at that line. There will be no modification of the rest of the line-up. B. If a captain cannot field a complete team, she must declare a forfeit by 9:00pm the night before the match, beginning with the last line of the line-up. The defaulting team receives zero points. Their opponent is awarded the full value of points for
that position. Captains must call the opposing captain on the phone to forfeit a line; emails do not apply. C. Any position forfeited on the morning of the match or after 9:00pm, the night before the match will receive a 2 point deduction on their score sheet (instead of zero). D. Any time a team defaults an entire match (all 6 or all 4 positions) in one week, that team will be disqualified for that season. All match points will be eliminated. E. In a defaulted match, points per set played are credited to the team having both players available prior to the default time and recorded with the winners score as 6-0, 6-0. F. When defaulting a position, notify the opposing captain prior to the match if possible. The position receiving the default is not required to appear at the match site. G. If a match is retired because of an injury or illness of a player, time constraints, or any other reason, record the match score up to the point of retirement and indicate the reason for the retirement. All points, games, etc. stand as played. Score the match exactly as played, giving the win to the players who did not have to stop play. H. An accidental injury or medical time out may be taken at the time of the injury or illness or at the next change over. Play will begin within 10 minutes. XII. WEATHER CONDITIONS A. There are no provisions for wind. B. If the temperature reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or higher, and one person on the court wants to reschedule, the match will be rescheduled. Otherwise, play can continue. If the heat becomes an issue, and it is not 100 degrees, or there is no way to tell exactly what the temperature is, then 3 of the 4 players must agree to stop play, in order to reschedule. C. In the event of rain, teams must remain available for play at least one hour beyond the time of scheduled match play unless both team captains decide otherwise. D. The rescheduled date of these matches must be reported to the Coordinator of your level by both team captains within three days and played as soon as possible. If you do not report the rescheduled date and time to your Level
Coordinator, she will have no control over teams showing up late or on the wrong date. Rescheduled matches must be completed prior to the specified deadline as stated on the league schedule, preferably ASAP. E. Once a rain make-up is scheduled, it cannot be changed for any reason (except rain or 100 degree heat). F. Incomplete matches will be continued by the same players at the exact place in the match halted, set, game, point. Indicate the score on the back of both score sheets to prevent controversy when resuming play. G. In matches where line-ups have been exchanged, but play has not begun and no points in the match have been played, the entire line-up can be changed. When teams 4, 5 and 6 (or 3 & 4 for 4-line divisions) have not started and their matches are rescheduled for later play, they may change their line-up. Any previously scheduled defaults may be replaced. H. Teams may play these make up matches by positions, rather than all together as a whole team. Captains must be flexible. Night and weekend times will not be considered reasonable times, however, both team captains may agree to play at these times. Captains unable to agree on rescheduling are subject to playing at a time designated by their Leah s Coordinator. I. For incomplete matches scheduled for make-up, the home team will supply new balls. XIII PERSONS ON THE COURT No persons other than players are allowed on the court during match play. This includes children, team members, captains or relatives. Exception: Lines people if requested. XIV COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES No communications devices are allowed on court. This includes telephones, cameras, beepers, pagers, ipads, etc. XV REFRESHMENTS Each home team is required to supply water ON COURT for the duration of the match and soft drinks or juice afterward. It is customary to provide snacks and finger foods as well.
XVI AWARDS A. The total number of points won at the end of the regular season will determine the Division Winning Teams. B. Awards to winning teams will be given to each player on the team who has played at least one match during the season. XVII TIE BREAK--- USTA s Coman Tie Break: The Coman tiebreak procedure is identical to the regular tiebreak procedure except that the players change ends after the first point and then after every four points, and at the conclusion of the tiebreak. Set Tiebreak: First to win 7 points by 2 points wins Game and Set. The player whose turn it is to serve shall serve the first point from the deuce court. After the first point, the players shall change ends and the following two points shall be served by the opponent(s) (in doubles, the player of the opposing team due to serve next) starting from the ad court. After this, each player/team shall serve alternately for two consecutive points (starting from the ad court); changing ends after every four points, until the end of the tiebreak game. Switch sides after points 1,5,9,13,17 and at the conclusion. IIX ON THE COURT A. A player should avoid making loud noises (i.e., screaming, yelling, etc.) at any time during a point. In extreme cases, making loud noises that affect the outcome of a point is a hindrance. B. A player may not talk or yell when the ball is moving toward the opponent. If a player makes a noise loud enough to distract her opponent from playing the point, the opponent may stop the point and claim a hindrance, in which case the point goes to the opponent who claimed the hindrance. If, however, the opponent hits the ball, she cannot claim a hindrance. C. Either player on a team may call any of the lines on their side of the net. D. If two partners disagree on a call or if there is any question between them of whether the ball was in, the ball is considered in. There is nothing further to discuss. E. Once a call is made, it stands. Move on. F. If there is an issue that needs discussion, all four players should go to the net and discuss it quietly so as not to disturb other matches.
G. If your ball goes into another court that is in play, wait for the players on that court to declare ball on the court.