2007 BMW Combo Doubles Rules & Regulations
|
|
|
| Homepage |
2007 Southern Combo Doubles Southern Section Regulations finalized as 06-07-07
Southern Combo Doubles is the fastest growing adult league program in the South! Local men’s and women’s team play is available in Adult combined levels 5.0, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5, Senior combined levels 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5, and Super Senior combined levels 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5. In 2007, each State will host a State Championships with winning teams advancing to the 2007 Southern Combo Doubles Southern Sectional Championships on January 25-29, 2008 in Baton Rouge, LA. (Adults will compete Fri-Sun, Seniors Sat-Mon and Super Seniors, Sun-Tues.)
Play is governed by the
RULES OF TENNIS, "The Code" as contained in the 2007 Friend at Court, The
USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, and the following Southern Combo
Doubles Southern Section Regulations. General regulations for the program
are listed below. Each State of the USTA Southern Section (Alabama,
Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee) may supplement these regulations as is required for
play within their State. Local and/or State regulations shall not be in
conflict with the BMW Combo Doubles Southern Section Regulations. No BMW
Combo Doubles Regulation or Procedure may be waived by a State Association
or by any local, state or sectional league coordinator or Grievance or
Grievance Appeal Committee. Any violation of these regulations shall be
subject to such sanctions as may be imposed by the USTA Southern Section
Adult Leagues Committee with the approval of the USTA Southern Section
Executive Committee. Such sanctions are not subject to appeal. The
Sectional League Coordinator, in conjunction with the USTA Southern Section
Adult League Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman, shall have the authority
to interpret the Southern Combo Doubles Southern Section Regulations.
1.
All participants must be current members of
the USTA and register through Tennis Link.
2.
All participants must reach 19 years of age
for adult divisions and 50 for senior divisions during the calendar year in
which they play their first local league match.
3.
The format of play will be three individual
men's or women's doubles matches per team match. Each individual doubles
team's combined NTRP ratings may not exceed the level entered.
4.
The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP)
is the official system for rating levels of competition in BMW Combo
Doubles. Players who do not have a computer rating on file in TennisLink
shall self-rate in accordance with the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP)
Guidelines and complete the self-rating process on TennisLink when
registering for a team. Failure to do so or omission of information
regarding a player’s tennis history will subject the player, the captain
and/or others who condoned inaccurate self-rating to sanctions and
disqualification. Players who submit an appeal to their self-rating
through the Tennis Link system before their local league deadline for
registering players will be permitted to register up to seven days after the
notification of final self-rating.
5.
A player may not be dynamically
disqualified based on match results from BMW Combo Doubles and match results
are not calculated in year-end NTRP computer ratings. Players may play with
the rating submitted on the roster through the Sectional Championships
unless the player’s year end rating is two levels above the rating on the
roster. Once rosters have been submitted for the Sectional
Championships, the section will determine and notify the state if any
players that were moved two levels at year end are not eligible to play at
the middle level.
6.
Players must play in at least one local
or state championship match in order to advance to the BMW Combo Doubles
Sectional Championships (defaults received do count towards advancement in
this program). If there is no local or state competition offered, a team
may advance directly to the BMW Combo Doubles Southern Sectional
Championships. The deadline for players to register on teams that are
advancing directly to the 2007 Sectional Championships is 12/15/07.
Players who qualify for Sectional Championships may advance on (one) adult,
(one) senior team, and one (super senior) team but may not
advance on (two) adult, (two) senior or (two) super senior teams. The
one match requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Tournament
Committee in the Super Senior Division only.
7.
Players may advance to more than one State’s
Championships provided they have qualified to advance in each state. If
eligible players do not participate at the State Championships, they may
participate in the Sectional Championships. A state has the authority to
regulate advancement on more than one adult and/or senior team to the State
Championships.
8.
If the winning team at any level of State
Championship competition is unable to compete further towards the Sectional
Championships, then the State League Coordinator may select the second place
team for such further competition. The Section may issue wildcards as
necessary to fill the draw. If less than four teams are entered in a NTRP
level draw within 21 days of event, the draw for the NTRP level will be
cancelled unless otherwise authorized by the Tournament Committee.
9.
Sectional
Championships format shall be
round robin in all
levels of competition. A full draw is comprised of two flights with five
teams each: the nine state champion teams and a wildcard team. Each team
shall play every other team in its flight and the team with the most team
points shall be champion in its flight. Levels with two flight winners will
offer a single elimination finals match to determine the champion.
If a state has two teams in the same level,
the referee will place those teams in separate flights provided there are
two flights in that level.
10. Sectional
Championships Scoring: All
matches will be the best of two sets and the set tiebreak shall be
used at 6-all in each set. In lieu of a third set, a match tiebreak
shall be played. In the event of a tie, whether in round robin or single
elimination competition, the tie shall be broken by the first of the
following procedures that does so:
Individual Matches. Winner of the most individual matches in the entire competition.
Sets.
Loser of the fewest number of sets.
Games.
Loser of the fewest number of games.
Head-to-Head. Winner of head-to-head match.
A method to be determined by the championships committee: procedure to be
announced prior to commencement of championship competition.
11.
Defaults. A minimum of 6 team members who were on the final roster of
their local league team at the conclusion of local league play must be
available and eligible to compete at the State and Sectional Championships.
The Tournament Committee can reduce that number to not less than four. A
team may default a maximum of one position in a match without defaulting the
entire match. Said position shall be the No. 3 doubles.
Scoring of Individual Defaults: Defaults will be scored as a 6-0, 6-0 win
for the player (doubles team) receiving the default and a 6-0, 6-0 loss for
the player (doubles team) that defaulted the match. In the event of a
default by both opposing players (teams), both sides will be given a 6-0,
6-0 loss and neither receives credit for a win.
NOTE: If a double default results in a tie, the tie-break procedure shall
be the same as listed above in order to determine a winner of that team
match.
Scoring of Team Defaults. If a team defaults an entire team match for any
reason during round robin play, then all matches of that team played or to
be played, shall be null and void. If all teams in contention for the
Championships have already played the defaulting team, the matches stand as
played. The section may impose further sanctions or penalties on said team.
Retirement. A retirement occurs when an individual match has started and a
player (doubles team) is unable to continue due to injury, loss of condition
or emergency.
Scoring of Retirements. In case of a
retirement, the non-retiring player (doubles team) shall be credited with
such number of additional games as would have been won if the match was
completed and the non-retiring player (doubles team) won every subsequent
game.
12.
Self-Rate Grievance Complaint. The USTA
Southern Section will administer Self-Rate Grievance Complaints. These
complaints should be first delivered to the Local League Coordinator who
will forward to the State League Coordinator who will forward to the Section
League Coordinator who will forward to the Southern Self-Rate Grievance
Committee Chairman. These committees will have jurisdiction over
grievances filed against any player and/or captain who commits or condones
entering at one level when their actual skill level is at the top of the
next NTRP level or higher. Self-Rate Grievances filed within two weeks of
the start date of the player’s and/or captain’s State or Sectional
Championships will be administered after the event unless the section
authorizes the administration of the grievance prior to that time. If the
grievance is not administered until after the event, points won by players
will stand. Disqualified players and/or captains that are suspended will not
be eligible to advance to the next level of championship play.
2007 & 2008 USTA Southern Section Adult League Committees