2006 BMW Combo Doubles Rules & Regulations
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BMW 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 and Senior combined levels 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5. In 2006, each State will host a State Championships with winning teams advancing to the 2006 BMW Combo Doubles Southern Sectional Championships on January 26-29, 2007 (site TBA Jan 06).
Play is governed by the
RULES OF TENNIS, "The Code" as contained in the 2006 Friend at Court, The
USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, and the following USTA
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 General 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 BMW Combo
Doubles Regulations.
1.
All participants must be current members of
the USTA.
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.
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.
6.
Players must play in at least one local
or state championship match in order to advance to the BMW Combo Doubles
Sectional Championships. 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 2006 Sectional Championships is 12/31/06. Players who qualify for Sectional Championships may advance on (one)
adult and (one) senior team but may not advance on (two) adult or (two)
senior teams. Super Senior Levels 6.5, 7.5, 8.5 will be piloted at
the 2005 & 2006 Sectional Championships with no matches required to advance.
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 Eligibility Grievance Complaint.
The USTA Southern Section will administer Self-Rate Eligibility 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 Eligibility 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. (USTA Interpretation, May,
2004). Self-Rate Eligibility 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.