2006  League Rules & Regulations

2006 ALABAMA MIXED DOUBLES REGULATIONS
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:  SEPT. 15-17
DOTHAN, AL
SOUTHERN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:  OCTOBER 20-22
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA
REGIONAL MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS: Nov. 16-19
San Juan, Puerto Rico

The USA League Regulations can be found on USTA.com.  Southern Sectional Regulations can be found at Southerntennis.com.  The National (1.00 General, 2.00 Grievance Procedures and 5.00 Mixed Doubles League Regulations) and Southern Regulations have full force and applicability at all levels of play in the USA League Tennis Program in Alabama and there is no authorization to modify, amplify or change them by players, captains or Local League Coordinators.  The Alabama Tennis Association has appointed the Alabama State League Coordinator to organize, coordinate and supervise all USA League activities on the state level and to interpret the Alabama USA League regulations.

1.  REGULATIONS:                  All players, teams and local leagues must abide by all applicable USA League, Southern Tennis Association (STA) and ATA rules and regulations.

2.  MEMBERSHIP:                   All players must be current members of the USTA through their local league season, and must register for a team via TennisLink and in accordance with the roster deadlines established by each local league.  ATA dues are $5.00 per player, per team, per league season and are paid through local league dues.                       

3.  AGE:            Each senior player must have reached the age of fifty prior to or during the calendar year in which such players plays in his/her first local league match. 

4.  NTRP COMPUTER RATINGS AND APPEAL PROCESS:                 All 2004 players that generate an NTRP rating from their exclusive mixed doubles play may appeal their rating in accordance with the procedures of the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System.  Said appeals must be in writing using the appropriate appeal form (found at alabamata.com) and sent to the ATA office within the appropriate time frame.  

APPEALS DUE TO DISABLING INJURY OR ILLNESS:  A player may request a reconsideration of his/her rating due to a permanent disabling injury or illness by written request to the NTRP appeals committee.  Such written request on physician’s letterhead must be accompanied by the attending physician’s evaluation of the injury or illness and any other substantiating information.  This physician may not be related to the player or member of his/her team.  Medical appeals are accepted throughout the year. 

5.  PLAYERS PLAYING FALL LEAGUE:            Local leagues having a USA League fall season will have early start league ratings generated after the USA League Sectional Championships (found at alabamata.com).  These ratings are used only in the fall season.  Final ratings generated in November will be used for winter, spring or summer seasons for 2005.  

If a player begins the Mixed Doubles season with an early start rating and the final rating is higher, the player may continue to play with the NTRP rating submitted on the roster as long as the new rating is not at the Disqualification level.  If a player’s rating is lowered during the Mixed Doubles league season, the player must continue to use the rating submitted on the roster for that season. 

6. LOCAL LEAGUES:    

1. Each local league will have a Local League Coordinator with local league rules (including playoff structures if required and grievance and grievance appeal committees) submitted and approved by the State League Coordinator, prior to the start of the local league season.  The Local League Coordinator shall be appointed for a period of one league year, subject to yearly renewal.  The State Coordinator shall have final authority in the selection and or retention of all local league coordinators.
2. A city may have a maximum of two league seasons.
3. A team may have no more than 14 players on a roster.
4. A league of two to three teams must play a minimum of three matches.
5. A team winning both seasons with identical rosters for both seasons; the adult league committee will choose which season’s roster will represent the local league at the state championships.  If a team chooses not to enter the state championships, the state coordinator must be informed prior to dropping to the next available team.
6. In the event that rain or inclement weather forces the cancellation and rescheduling of a team match, unrestricted substitutions from the team roster may be made in any individual matches that have not begun.  This includes moving a player from one position to another.  Points awarded for forfeits during the original written lineup will stand.  All players involved in such forfeits cannot participate in the rescheduled match.  Forfeits offered verbally prior to the original written lineup exchange are nullified when the match is rescheduled due to rain or inclement weather.
7. All teams participating within a local league must abide by all local league rules.  A traveling team from outside a metropolitan area but residing within the state of Alabama may be denied from playing in a local league.  (The State Coordinator must approve denial).
8. A maximum of 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.
9. Players may participate in more than one NTRP level within a division in the same local league during the same season.  No scheduling considerations will be made.  A player may play on more than one team within a division in the same season provided it is in separate local leagues.  The local league has the authority to accept or deny participation.

J.      Levels of Play:  The levels offered will be combined (5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 10.0 Adults and 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 Seniors) where each individual player’s ratings may be no more than 1.0 apart (i.e. a 3.0 player and a 4.0 player may play 7.0).

K.    Senior players may advance to the championships with one match instead of two matches.

L.     Senior players may play on both adult and senior mixed doubles teams locally.

M.  When a senior team is included in the adult schedule, matches played will not count in standings.

 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:

1. Local leagues with the following number of  winning team(s) per season may qualify to advance to the state championships:  2-10 equals one team, 11 + teams equals two teams. The state league coordinator may issue wildcards as necessary to fill the draw.
2. Any local league having daytime, nighttime, and or weekend leagues being played within the same season must have a playoff, structured and approved by the State Coordinator (within two weeks of schedule being published).
3. Players who qualify for State or Sectional Championships may advance on (one) adult and (one) senior team but may not advance on two adult or two senior teams.  Players may advance to more than one State’s Championships provided each state has allowed local league qualification.  If eligible players do not participate at the State Championships, they may participate in the Sectional and/or National Championships.
4. Players on teams entered in the State Championships that withdraw after the schedule has been published will be subject to a grievance being filed by the State League Coordinator.  All entry fees will be forfeited.
5. At the State Championships 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.  There will be no rest period or coaching.  The match tiebreak shall be scored as one set and one game for tiebreak procedures in the event of a tie.  The scoring in the event of a default or forfeit shall be 6-0, 6-0.
6. A minimum of 6 team players (3 men, 3 women) that 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 or Sectional Championships. 

7.  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/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 NTRP Grievances filed within two weeks of the start date of the players and/or captain’s State or Sectional Championships will be administered after the event unless the state 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.


2006 ALABAMA GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Jeff Burns, Chairman
2006 Sweet Gum Green
Huntsville, AL 35803 
Judy Stalcup and Jeannie Harrell

GRIEVANCE APPEAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Steve Riddle, Chairman
1211 Brookline Ave., SW, Apt. B
Decatur, AL  35603

Jerrie Ciza and Martie McEnerney