2006 BMW Combo Doubles Rules & Regulations

BMW COMBO DOUBLES as of 05/01/06
2006 ALABAMA REGULATIONS 

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:  NOV. 9-12
GULF SHORES, AL 

 SOUTHERN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:  JAN. 26-29, 2007
BATON ROUGE, LA

Play is governed by the Rules of Tennis; “The Code” as contained in the current USTA yearbook, the STA sectional regulations and the following state rules:

1. All players must be current members of USTA during the entire league season and must register for a team via TennisLink.  Any player that progresses to championship levels in this program must be a current USTA member through each championship progression.
2. All players must reach 19 years of age (50 for seniors) during the calendar year in which they play their first local league match.
3. Failure to meet the above requirements will make the player ineligible for each match played and points earned while ineligible will be removed.
4. Players participating in the BMW Combo Doubles program acknowledge the risks associated with playing competitive tennis, accept those risks voluntarily, and in consideration of their acceptance in the program assume all risks for bodily injury, waive all claims for injury and property damage and release and hold harmless Alabama Tennis Association and any host facility, their officials, employees and agents with respect to any injury or loss caused by negligence or otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by law.
5. Each local league will have a Local League Coordinator offering only one season of local play.  Local league rules must be submitted to the State League Coordinator for approval.  The Local League Coordinator shall be appointed for a period of one league year subject to a yearly renewal.  The State League Coordinator shall have final authority in the selection and retention of all local league coordinators.
6. Each local league must have a minimum of two or more teams at a given level for adult and senior divisions, excluding the senior 5.5 level, consisting of a minimum of six players of the same gender and a maximum of fourteen per level.  If there are five (5 )or less teams in the senior 5.5 level statewide, then their local league shall be played at the State Championships. The state league coordinator has the authority to adjust this number for progression to the state championships based upon local registration.  All roster addition deadlines for this level must occur by October 18, 2006.   If there is no local or state competition offered, a team may advance directly to the BMW Combo Doubles Southern Sectional Championships.  Team roster entry deadline for local leagues that qualify for the 2006 state championships will be no later than August 31, 2006.

A team must have a minimum of two eligible doubles teams available for play in each match or the entire match must be forfeited.  The No. 3 doubles must be forfeited before the No. 2 doubles position.  Any NTRP level may be divided into flights and each team shall play every other team in its flight.  The flight winners may enter a playoff structure to establish a local league champion for that NTRP level.

7. The NTRP computer rating program is the official system for rating levels of competition in this program.  Players without a NTRP computer rating may self-rate in accordance with the NTRP guidelines.  NTRP computer ratings from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005  will be used for the 2006 Alabama BMW Combo Doubles league.  Alabama will publish tentative ratings in August 2006 for the 2006 league year.  These ratings are for Fall 2006 leagues that are setup under the 2007 championship league tree.
8. The format of play will be three individual doubles matches per team match.  Levels offered in this program are 5.0, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5.  For seniors, the levels offered are 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5.  Each individual doubles team’s combined NTRP ratings may not exceed the team level.
9. A maximum or two players residing outside the state of Alabama is allowed on a roster.  Exceptions will be made for MS and LA players displaced by the hurricanes.

10. All players must play 1 match locally to be eligible for further competition.  A forfeited match shall count as a match played for the players receiving the forfeit, but not for the players who forfeited.  A retired match shall count for all players involved.  An individual player may play in only one doubles match within each team match.

11. Players may participate on more than one team; however, a player may not play on more than one adult or senior team in the same level (unless playing in different local leagues).  In local leagues where levels are divided into flights, players may not play in more than one flight.  Players may participate in more than one NTRP level within a division in the same local league during the same season.  A local league may deny participation.
12. Players who qualify for advancement to state championships within a division must choose which team/NTRP level they will represent.  A player may play on only one adult and only one senior team at championships.  There will be no special scheduling considerations made for players who choose to play both the adult and senior divisions.
13. State Championship Eligibility:

Local leagues with the following number of winning team(s) may qualify to advance to the state championships.

                                                                             1-10 teams                   1 team advances to state   
                                                                             11 – 20 teams              2 teams advance to state
                                                                             21 – 30 teams              3 teams advance to state
State league coordinator may issue wild cards as necessary to fill the draw.
Five different sites will be utilized at the state championships with players possibly playing on both soft and hard court surfaces.  All efforts will be made to schedule all senior matches on soft courts.
If a team withdraws from the tournament after the schedule has been published, the team entry fee will be nonrefundable.  Additionally, a grievance may be filed against those players listed on the entry form.
            At the state championships, all matches shall be the best of two sets and the set tie break shall be used at 6-all in each set.  In the event of split sets, a match tiebreak shall be played in lieu of a third set with the two-minute set break with no coaching allowed.  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:

                             A.     Individual Matches.  Winner of the most individual matches in the entire competition.
                             B.     Sets.  Loser of the fewest number of sets.
                             C.     Games.  Loser of the fewest number of games.
                             D.    Head-to-Head.  Winner of head-to-head match.
                             E.     A method to be determined by the championships committee: 
                                    procedure to be announced prior to commencement of championship competition.    

             Note:  Should inclement weather or other circumstances prevent the completion of tournament play and the tournament committee has not cancelled the event, these tiebreak procedures will be used to declare a winner in each group and a champion and finalist in each level. If a team forfeits an entire match or fields only one court during round robin play at the state championships then all matches of that team played or to be played may be considered null and void.  If all teams in contention for the championship have already played the forfeiting team in good faith, those matches stand as     played.  The state may impose further sanctions or penalties on said team.

             No substitution may be made in an individual match at the state championship after the lineup has been presented, except for injury to or illness of a player, prior to the start of such match, and except under further circumstances as the championship committee may authorize.  If the substitution is made during the warm-up, the substitute player is entitled to a five (5) minute warm-up.
            Grievance complaints at the state championships shall be processed through the championship grievance or grievance appeal committees.  Decisions of such Grievance Appeal Committees by a majority shall be final and binding.  All complaints shall be filed against the player or team complained against, (a) by the team captain of the team who competed in the match where the alleged violation occurred, (b) by a league coordinator or (c) by a member of a championship committee.  All complaints alleging a violation during championship competition shall be in writing and delivered to the duly appointed site director within thirty minutes of completion of the team match. 
                            The grievance committee members are:
                                    Jeff Burns, Chairman
                                    Jeannie Harrell
                                    Steve Riddle

                            The grievance appeal committee members are:
                                    Jerrie Ciza, Chairman
                                    Judy Stalcup
                                    Martie McEnerney