USTA NorCal Sportsmanship Committee Meeting December 12, 2006 Alameda Office Present: Bill Johnston (Chair), Jeff Sherman, Sherrie McClung, Michael Boot, Jim Bedillion Excused Members: Liz Blum Absent Members: Carl Mendoza Staff present: Summer Verhoeven Bill Johnston welcomed all the committee members and thanked them for all their time and efort they ve put into the committee this last year. Staff Report: A chart was provided to the committee showing the comparison of No Show Defaults, Withdrawals, and Walkovers 2005 and 2006. Staf reported when players register for tournaments if they don t input their email address and telephone numbers tournament directors will not be able to contact players about tournament updates. This could cause an increase in No Show Defaults and Withdrawals in the upcoming year. It was also announced that bag tags have been purchased for the junior players who are recognized at tournaments for their good sportsmanship. Committee discussion: The Point Penalty Suspension procedures were reviewed by the committee because there have been cases this last year where this document was not current with the national rules as well as the technology the committee currently has use of. Motion: To amend the verbiage for to the Point Penalty Suspension Procedures to: 1. Upon receiving code violation forms (as defined by Friend At Court) from the tournament, the staff liaison will send a letter (form letter) to all players receiving points informing them the numbers of points they received. All in favor (4-0) Motion: To remove #2 from the Point Penalty Suspension Procedures. All in favor (4-0). Rationale: The reason the committee felt #2 should be eliminated is because referees and tournament directors are responsible for making sure this information is accurate.
Motion: To keep the Point Penalty Suspension Procedures and Rules as separate documents. All in favor (4-0). Motion: To separate the Concurrent Tournament Rule from Withdrawals and make a new title called Concurrent Tournament Rule where the most version of the concurrent tournament rule will be listed. All in favor (4-0). Concurrent Tournament Rule When entries close, a player shall not be entered in two or more sanctioned tournaments if any parts of the tournaments overlap, unless each Tournament Committee involved understands the situation and concurs in writing. If entries for the overlapping tournaments close on different dates, approval must be received from all Tournament Committees no later than the entry closing date that occurs last. Players, who enter a tournament and play it to completion, may then enter another tournament with overlapping dates without permission. Withdrawals Any withdrawal by a player from a tournament, after the draw has been publicly published the first time, shall earn two (2) suspension points for every withdrawal. (There are no excuses accepted). Rationale: In the interest of staff time the committee and to manage the enforcement of this rule efficiently the committee felt adult and junior tournaments should have the same rule. Motion: To make the Point Penalty Suspension Procedures and Rules with the amendments the official documents the Sportsmanship Committee will be operating under. All in favor (4-0). The next meeting for the Sportsmanship Committee is to be announced. Meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm.
Point Penalty Suspension Procedures 1. Upon receiving code violation forms (as defined by Friend At Court) from the tournament, the staff liaison will send a letter (form letter) to all players receiving points informing them the numbers of points they received. 2. If a player accumulates 10 points in any 12 month period, the liaison shal post the player s name on the web and send a notice (form letter) by first class mail and certified mail (return receipt requested) to the player at the address shown on the records of the USTA Membership Department. The notice shall set forth: That the player has been suspended The length of the suspension The player s right to appeal the suspension The procedure for appealing the suspension A statement that if the player chooses not to appeal the suspension, then the suspension shall begin 21 days after the date the notice was mailed. 3. If the suspension is appealed, the player shall have the right to a hearing before the Sportsmanship Grievance Committee, providing the player requests a hearing in writing within 21 days from the notice of suspension. The player shall send the request for a hearing to the Sportsmanship Committee, USTA Northern California, 1350 South Loop Road, Suite #100, Alameda, CA 94502 by certified mail, return receipt requested. The staff liaison shall send all correspondence pertaining to this suspension to all members of the Sportsmanship Committee. 4. The Sportsmanship Grievance Committee is to make their decision within 20 days of the date of the hearing. The Sportsmanship Grievance Committee chair is to send the decision to the staff liaison. The liaison is to send a letter (form letter) notifying all parties of the decision. The decision of the Sportsmanship Grievance Committee shall be binding and final and made by majority vote. 5. The staff liaison is to give the Sportsmanship Committee a monthly summary of all code violations and/or point penalty suspension and appeals with the dispensation of each case. (dismissed, upheld, etc)
Point Penalty Suspension System Northern California (revised 1/07) Effective March 1, 2003, USTA NorCal has enforced the Point Penalty Suspension System (PPSS) at all tournaments. We encourage all tournament directors to post information about the PPSS at their tournament sites. PURPOSE The aim of this code is to maintain fair and reasonable standards of conduct by all Northern California players playing in any USTA sanctioned tournament. APPLICATION The Point Penalty Suspension System shall apply to all USTA sanctioned tournaments in Northern California including all tournament listed on the National Tournament Schedule held in Northern California. It applies to conduct: during all matches (main draw, consolation, qualifying, and doubles) during tournament activities at tournament facilities at facilities such as hotels, dormitories and homes where players stay REPORTS Code of conduct reports will be mailed to the NorCal office immediately following the event. Appropriate sectional offices and the national office will also be mailed copies of the reports. Players will be given a copy of the report at the site, if possible, otherwise a copy will be mailed to the player. Suspension points assessed a player by USTA not in the California schedule will be added to the player s Code of Conduct record. No Show Default Policy WITHDRAWALS Any withdrawal by a player from a tournament, after the draw has been publicly published the first time, shall earn two (2) suspension points for every withdrawal. (There are no excuses accepted.) CONCURRENT TOURNAMENT RULE When entries close, a player shall not be entered in two or more sanctioned tournaments if any parts of the tournaments overlap, unless each Tournament Committee involved understands the situation and concurs in writing. If entries for the overlapping tournaments close on different dates, approval must be received from all Tournament Committees no later than the entry closing date that occurs last. Players, who enter a tournament and play it to completion, may then enter another tournament with overlapping dates without permission.
COACHES, PLAYER RELATIVES, PLAYER REPRESENTATIVES Abusive conduct on the part of the player s coach, relative, representative or any other person associated with the person including conduct directed toward any player, tournament official or spectator, shall be considered a violation. Violations will result in denial of privileges or exclusion of such person(s) from any or all USTA sanctioned tournaments in Northern California or such other sanctions as the Junior Tennis Council or Sportsmanship Committee of Northern California may impose. SUSPENSION POINT SYSTEM Persons authorized to file suspension point reports with the referee include: Tournament Committee members (Tournament Director, Referee, etc) Umpires, Deputy referees, Court Monitors if specifically authorized by Referee Club or hotel managers, families housing players, Sectional Player Development Staff All the above persons may only report violations they personally witnessed. Reports are to be submitted to the tournament referee and forwarded to the Sportsmanship Committee at USTA NorCal, 1350 South Loop Road, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94502. All reports will then be forwarded to the appropriate national offices. (Key Biscayne, etc.) If police become involved when the player is a junior, the Key Biscayne Office and tournament officials shall be notified immediately. If the player is a junior involved in illegal actions, e.g. drinking, personal or property damage, the player will be suspended for a minimum of one year. Reports should be sent within 48 hours of the completion of the tournament. PLAYER SUSPENSION If a player accumulates 10 or more points (including ITF points) within a 12-month period, the player will be suspended according to the following schedule: First Suspension 3 months, no competition in ANY USTA sanctioned events No acceptance to Super National tournaments during the suspension period, or if there are none, the Super National event immediately following that period. No acceptance into team events. No endorsements into any ITF events. The 10 points that caused the suspension will be cleared from the record. Any additional points will remain on the record. Second Suspension additional 8 points within 12 months of first suspension Same as first suspension except period to be 6 months The 8 points that caused the suspension will be cleared from the record. Any additional points will remain on the record.
Third Suspension additional 6 points within 12 months of second suspension Same as first suspension except period to be one year For junior player, no endorsements to any national events for rest of junior career NOTIFICATION PROCESS It is the players responsibility totrack their suspension points. All suspension points will be tracked in the USTA NorCal Office, and in the case of a junior in the Key Biscayne Office. Right to Appeal A suspended player has the right to a hearing with the USTA Grievance Committee if the player requests such hearing within fifteen (15) days of the date of the notification letter. The player must simultaneously copy the Grievance Committee as well as the Junior Competition Committee with the request for a hearing if a junior. Effective date of suspension The suspension will commence from a USTA NorCal specified date, which shall take into account the time required to receive information from tournament directors, and to notify all other relevant parties. If a hearing with the USTA NorCal Sportsmanship Grievance Committee is not requested, the suspension shall begin on the day following the fifteen (15) day period during which the player may appeal. If a hearing is requested with the USTA NorCal Sportsmanship Grievance Committee and if the suspension is affirmed by the committee, the suspension shall begin one day after the date of the order of the USTA NorCal Sportsmanship Grievance Committee affirming the suspension. Players must pay any and all expenses that are incurred for the hearing. HONORING SUSPENSIONS National will honor any sectional suspensions. Sections will honor national suspensions. NorCal will honor all other sections suspensions. VIOLATION PTS EXPLANATION Competing in a USTA tournament while 10 Immediate default and suspension suspended Physical act of violence against another 10 Immediate default for the player person on or off the court by a player, parent, relative, coach or other person associated with the player Default for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct on or off the court or aggravated behavior 8 Circumstances that are flagrant and injurious to the success of a tournament, or are singularly egregious. This will be considered a major player offense. Default for refusal to play or continue to play for any reason other than illness, injury or personal emergency 5 Self explanatory Reasons of injury, illness or personal emergency must have acceptable documentation. Default for lateness 1 Self-explanatory Violation of Concurrent Tournament Rule 5 Refer to Standard Adult and Junior Tournament Rules
Withdrawal from a tournament after the draw has been published Unsportsmanlike or inappropriate conduct violations off-court, documented and reported by tournament officials or other appropriate officials Unsportsmanlike acts not recorded by the referee (racquet or ball abuse, physical or audible obscenities) Unsportsmanlike or inappropriate conduct by parent, relative or coach, including coaching 2 No excuses 5 Includes tournament site, hotel, housing, and immediate post-match on-court Codable offenses. 3 May be reported to the referee by all authorized persons Leaving the court during a match without the permission of the umpire or referee Not using best efforts to win 2 Self-explanatory Incidents that are illegal (underage drinking, use of or possession of illegal drugs, stealing, vandalism) Incidents relating to the event in which police take action 3 Coaching is not allowed in USTA tournaments except in team events. Immediate removal of offending party from site. 2 Self-explanatory 8 Self-explanatory Player to be defaulted from tournament. Immediate removal of offending party from site 8 Self-explanatory Player to be defaulted from tournament. Immediate removal of offending party from site 6 Self-explanatory Gambling, taking money for any reason involving the match Point Penalty Violations 2 For each violation excluding time violations for delay between points, after warm-up, after a 90-second changeover, or after a set-break