2006  League Rules & Regulations

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2006 Alabama State Regulations
(Adult/Senior Divisions) 

The USA League Regulations can be found on USTA.com.  Southern Sectional Regulations can be found at Southerntennis.com.  These National 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.
            A.        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, which is paid through local league dues.   

2.         GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES:  Grievances shall be handled by USA League Tennis Grievance and Appeal Committees at the appropriate level (i.e. Local, and State).  Grievance actions may be moved to the next higher organizational level for action, as deemed necessary by the appropriate governing body.
            A.  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.    This committee 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 NTRP Grievances filed within two weeks of the start date of the player’s and/or captain’s State 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.  

3.                  NTRP COMPUTER RATINGS AND APPEAL PROCESS 

 Players may appeal their NTRP rating in accordance with the procedures of the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System and the ATA Appeal Procedures.   Match results from NTRP Tournaments and Super Seniors in TennisLink will be included in the 2006 year-end ratings.   Players aged 60 and older whose most current computer rating is from 2002 will be allowed to self-rate in TennisLink after the state has submitted the request to USTA.  

A:         NATIONAL, SECTIONAL AND STATE BENCHMARK RATINGS
All 2005 players may appeal their rating in accordance with the procedures of the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System, except for those players who advance to the 2005 National Championships and those players disqualified at any time during the league year.  Players who advanced to State, Sectional or National Championships in 2001 or 2002, and did not play in 2003, 2004 or 2005 may not appeal their ratings except due to disabling injury or illness. 
B:         APPEALS TO LOCAL COMPUTER RATINGS:      Local players (those who did not advance to championships competition) that wish to appeal their current 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005 computer rating must do so in writing using the appropriate appeal form (found at alabamata.com), and send to the ATA office.  Appeal deadline for year end ratings will be April 1, 2006.
C:         APPEALS DUE TO DISABLING INJURY OR ILLNESS:  A player with a State or local NTRP computer rating may request a reconsideration of his or 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 a member of his/her team.  Medical appeals are taken throughout the year. 

4.             ADULT LEAGUE NTRP DISQUALIFICATION AND APPEAL PROCEDURES
A:         NTRP appeals are administered at the state level.  NTRP disqualification appeals are considered based solely on missing or incorrect information.
B:         LOCAL:
If a self-rated player is disqualified for that particular level of play, all matches played by that individual player shall be considered losses and scored (6-0, 6-0).  If a computer rated player is disqualified for that particular level of play, the individual match that produced the third disqualification dynamic NTRP rating and any subsequent match won by the player shall be considered a loss and scored (6-0,6-0).
C:        CHAMPIONSHIP:  Dynamic ratings will be generated following local play-offs, state and sectional championships.  Points earned by disqualified players will stand.  The disqualified player will not be eligible to advance to the next level of competition.

PLAYERS PLAYING FALL LEAGUE; D THRU F APPLY

D:         Local leagues having 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.  Appeal deadline for early start league ratings will be October 1, 2005.  Final ratings generated in November will be used for winter and springs seasons for 2006.

E:         Final NTRP computer ratings from the 2005 USA League year will be published following the National Championships.

F:         Leagues playing their local league at the state championships must recognize their year end rating even if they registered in the fall season.

G:         Players may be subject to upward or downward movement between seasons. 

5.             LOCAL LEAGUES
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 declare their self-rating on TennisLink when registering for a team.  Individuals who have had a national or section ranking; played college tennis; have taught tennis; or played professional tennis must also complete a player history form and submit to the state and receive approval from the state to participate at their self-rated level before participating in a match.  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.
A:         Each local league will have a Local League Coordinator with local league rules submitted and approved by the State League Coordinator, prior to the start of the local league season.  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.  Any new league must be approved by the state league coordinator and then submitted to the league committee.
B:         Initial roster deadlines for all senior teams will be no later than April 1, 2006.
C:         Initial roster deadlines for all adult teams will be no later than May 1, 2006.
D:         A city may have a maximum of two league seasons.
E:         A team may have no more than 14 players on a roster.
F:         A league of (2) teams must play a minimum of three matches.
G:         A league of 3 or 4 teams must play a minimum of two round robins.
H:         A league of 5, 6, or 7 teams must play a minimum of one round robin.
I:          A team winning both seasons with identical rosters for both seasons; the adult league sub-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.
J:          The team captains for each team shall exchange their team match cards simultaneously prior to the beginning of the team match.
K:        In the event that rain or inclement weather forces the cancellation and re-scheduling 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 exchange will stand.  All players involved in such forfeits cannot participate in the re-scheduled match.  Forfeits offered verbally prior to the original written lineup exchange are nullified when the match is rescheduled due to rain or inclement weather.
L:         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).
M:        In the adult levels, a maximum of 3 players on a roster may reside outside of the state of Alabama, except 2.5, 5.0, and all senior levels, which may have a maximum of two players.  Exceptions will be made for players from MS and LA that have been displaced by Hurricanes.
N:        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 (i.e., a day, night, or weekend league, or in different cities) the local league has the authority to accept or deny participation.
O:        Players who qualify for Championship level competition within a division must choose which team/NTRP level they will represent at championship level when entered in the same competition.  In any division, a player who has played on more than one team at the same or different NTRP level must choose to advance on only one team when entering the State or Sectional championships.  Each State or Sectional championship in a division is considered the “same competition) if the event is divided into more than one weekend.  NOTE:  Playing in two levels may generate a rating at the higher level.
P:         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.
Q:        All Local League play for seniors must be completed and scores entered on TennisLink no later than April 23, 2006.  All Local League play for Adults must be completed and scores entered on TennnisLink no later than May 21, 2006.  State League Coordinator may amend these dates as needed.

6:         STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
A:         Local leagues with the following number of winning team(s) per season may qualify to advance to the State Championships.
            2 – 10 Teams:              1 Team
            11 – 20 Teams:            2 Teams
            21 – 30 Teams:            3 Teams
            31 +                             4 Teams
            Draws will be limited to 28 teams per level.
            State coordinator may issue wild cards as necessary to fill the draw.
B:         If there are less than 5 teams in the entire state at any level, from a minimum of three cities, then the local league shall be played at the State Championships.  For these levels all roster addition deadlines must occur by April 23 (seniors) and May 21, 2006 (adults).  If there are only two teams in the state at a level the state league coordinator has the authority to approve a local league being played locally.
C:         In order to be eligible for the state championships a 2.0 player can only play 2.0 locally.  All 2.0 teams will be invited to the state championships.  Roster addition deadlines must occur by May 21, 2006.  Players may play at 2.0 level for one year only and must play at 2.5 or higher the following year.
D:         Any Local League having daytime, nighttime, and or weekend leagues being played within the same season must have a play-off, players may only advance on one team within the same local league play-off within the same level play-offs must be structured and approved by the State Coordinator, (within two weeks of schedule being published).
E:         Players on teams entered in the State Championship 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.
F:         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 1 set and 1 game for tiebreak procedures in the event of a tie.  The scoring in the event of a default, forfeit or disqualification shall be 6-0, 6-0.
G:         A minimum of 8 team members (adults), 6 team members (seniors), 5 team members (2.5, 5.0) 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 Championships.  The Tournament committee can reduce that number to not less than four.
H:         The USA League Tennis Alabama Senior State Championship will be played on May 12-14, 2006 with a possible rain day on the 15^th at the Pelham Racquet Club.  Adult 3.5, 4.0 will be played June 8-11, 2006, with a possible rain day on the 12^th at the Mobile Tennis Center.  Adult 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.5, 5.0 will be played on June 15-18, 2006 with a possible rain day on the 19^th at the Mobile Tennis Center.
League Committee
Carl Brutkiewicz, Chairman
Tony Tumlin
Laurie Roberts
Janet Wilson
Frances Henderson
Emily Baker
Meridy Jones
Matt Lamere,
Becky Taylor
League Sub-Committee
Jeannie Harrell
Jeff Burns
Ruth Anne Bendall
Martie McEnerney
Jerrie Ciza
Grievance and Grievance appeals committee
Judy Stalcup
Jeannie Harrell
Steve Riddle
Lynn Lamere
Martie McEnerney
Ruth Anne Bendall
NTRP Medical Appeal Committee
Carl Brutkiewicz
Jeff Burns
Jerrie Ciza