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Rules and Regulations

Important or useful to know
This information is applicable to all the leagues (use the links on the right to jump back to your league). All the information on this page forms part of the terms and conditions required to play in the league. The organisers reserve the right to vary and amend the rules and regulations as necessary to ensure the smooth-running of the league.

Matches are self-umpired and should be conducted in the spirit of fair play. Disputes will be settled by an impartial third party - but we hope there won't be any.

Important: No one at this site or connected with the League can take responsibility for the safety or security of players whether playing on the courts or in the facilities associated with the leagues, or elsewhere. Players compete at their own risk and are solely responsible for court hire, tennis ball provision etc.

Balls and courts

Courts: Please share the cost of the courts, and allow for two hours of play. We expect most matches to be played on your league's home courts, but if both players agree matches can be played at any appropriate venue and on any surface.

Balls: Balls must be of a good quality if not new and both parties should provide a set. Either party has the right to object to poor balls (prior to the match). If the balls are objected to, and no alternatives can be found, the match must be re-scheduled. Court costs should be shared equally.

Look out for tennis ball offers on this site!

What if?

If it rains before the match starts, the whole match must be re-scheduled. (Please be careful about making assumptions about the weather, and to avoid the possibility of a no-show walkover, if cancelling because of the weather, always contact your opponent and get a reply). 

If it rains during the match... either player may decide to call a halt to the match, but the match must still be completed. Matches should be re-started with whatever the score was when play stopped. Players must share any additional court fee. If re-scheduling becomes impossible, the score can be reported as it stands

If before the match (or after a first few points have been played) one player feels the court condition too slippery, or otherwise unsafe, they have the absolute right to ask for a postponement

If a player retires injured, unwell or for any other reason, he or she loses the match - it cannot be re-played. The player who could have continued (the winner) will receive two points. If the injured player has won a set he or she receives 1 point

If a player does not turn up at the agreed time, or is more than half an hour late, he or she forfeits the match. His or her opponent receives 2 points. The cost of the court should be shared in the normal way. (If the players decide to play a match which would otherwise have been forfeit, the score stands. If the match is unfinished, even if it is because court time ran out, points will be awarded on the score reached. Ideally the match would be played to a conclusion at a later date.)
NB If you are cancelling a scheduled match make sure you get an acknowledgement from your opponent. If the message does not get through the match may be deemed a walkover.   

If a player wants to reschedule a match he or she must give his or her opponent a minimum of 24 hours notice. If a court cost is incurred the player who postponed the match is solely responsible for the cost of the unused court (subsequent court costs are split in the normal way). If less than 24 hours notice is given, the match may be recorded as a walkover in favour of the opponent and points awarded, although it is still preferable to play the match if possible. (If you are claiming a walkover, send a polite email to your opponent setting out the reasons and copy us in. This gives your opponent the opportunity to respond in case there has been some kind of confusion.) Please claim the walkover at the time. If the players do subsequently play the match we will swap the walkover for the match played. We will not necessarily retrospectively award walkovers.

If one or other player simply decides they don't want to play a match they can not offer a walkover to the other. That is, for points to be awarded a match has to be scheduled and played. 

If the agreed time simply runs out for a match - say you have played two hours, but the match is not concluded - neither player should concede the match. It the match can't be played to a conclusion at a later date, points are simply awarded for the completed sets.

Players may not agree to play their match after the round has ended. Though it seems harsh, to be fair to all players, the cut off point for play (and for the result to count) has to be observed.

If a player wins a match through a walkover they receive two points for a win, but walkovers do not count to bonus points. For bonus points to be awarded, matches must be played and completed.

If a player withdraws from a round...
Even though it can seem unfair that one player receives points because they have played a particular player but another doesn't because that player becomes unavailable, we don't offer compensatory points for matches not played (even though it is no fault of the challenger). 


Round dates and extensions
As organisers we reserve the right to alter or amend the published round dates. Sometimes it is necessary to postpone a round, in which case we offer to refund the round fee of any player who can no longer play. Round extensions for individual matches will not be granted. Very occasionally, if the weather is terrible for example, we may decide to extend the whole round by a week or even two weeks. In these circumstances, no refund can be given even if a player can no longer participate.

 

Scoring rules

  • Matches will be the best of three tie-break sets (except at Canterbury Appeti, Craiglockhart, Golden Lane, Hyde Park and Regents Park in London - see sites)
  • You get 1 point for every set you win
  • An additional two points will be awarded to players who have completed three of their matches by the half way point. This is to encourage everyone to get on with it!
  • Players who have paid their subscription fee will also get a FREE set of balls for completing three matches by the mid way point.
  • The player with the most number of points at the end wins their group.
  • In cases of two or more players with the same number of points, the player who beat the other during that round wins. (If the two players did not meet in the round, a winner will be decided according to the following method: first, after the deduction of points for walkover wins; second [if still a tie] by the deduction of bonus points; third [if still a tie] by the player who conceded the fewest sets; finally [if still a tie] by the player who conceded the fewest games. If still no winner can be found, the round is tied.)
The more proactive you are, the more likely you are to get your matches in! Email your opponents straight away, reply to their emails (even if it is to say you can't play) and don't be afraid to phone.

Click here for some more guidance on how to set up matches 

The Groups
All things being equal, the winner of a group will be promoted to the group above in the next round, and the bottom one or two players put into groups below where we hope to find them more competitive matches. But as no two rounds are the same, we reserve the right to rebalance the groups in any way that we believe will provide players with the best matches. New players are added accoring to the anserws they gave in the Playing Standard Questionnaire. Though we will take into account players' preferences to be put with stronger or weaker opposition, we can give no guarantee about which group they will be placed in. Players will not be moved from one group to another once a round had begun except in exceptional circumstances.

Please note, as the number of groups can vary enormously from round to round, what may look like a numerical demotion may actually be promotion!

Court etiquette
Follow a few simple tips and matches become less stressful and more fun:

  • You call the balls on your side of the court 
  • If you are uncertain, your opponent gets the benefit of the doubt and the ball is in
  • Don't replay a point unless play has been interrupted by a third party
  • The server keeps score
  • Don't invade neighbouring courts 
  • Don't lose your cool
  • Don't be frightening
  • Play fair with court time if courts are free and don't have booking arrangements
There's more on this topic here

Reporting matches
Winners report matches. Please email Sally at the email address given on the inividual league pages. 

The correct format in which to report matches is:
Roger Federer bt Novak Djokovic (August 23) 6-1, 7-5

If it's a tie break,you write it like this:
7-6 (9-7) with the score in the tie break in brackets

Tiebreaks
Need to know how to play a tiebreak? Click here.


Your payment
Round payments are per person and not transferable. They are not refundable after the notification of the groups has been sent out. However, if for any reason we are unable to hold a round or find you a group to play in, the fee will be refunded (minus a £2.50 admin charge).

Doubles: If you are entering as a doubles team both players are responsable for paying a fee. You may, subject to the approval of the organisers, change your partner before a match has been played in a round but after the notification of the groups has been sent out. The new player must pay a round fee but the non-player's fee can not be transfered or refunded (this is to help offset administration costs).


Your contact details
By consenting to play in the League you are authorising us to share your contact details with other members of the League and where stated on the Join Now pages, the management of individual tennis centres. Your contact details will not otherwise be shared with third parties. As this is a public league, your playing name will appear on generally accesible tables of results and in end of round reports.


Membership
Membership of the league is open to all players over the age of 18, however, we may turn down membership without further explanation if we do not have a suitable group for the player to join.