Why are ability
ratings important or necessary? Ability
ratings make tennis more fun. Using
such ratings to organize leagues, tournaments, or even recreational play helps
gives players matches that are competitive, or more evenly matched. It is more fun to play with and against
people of your own ability. Ability
ratings can also help players find partners and opponents.
Ability ratings
have been endorsed by the USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association). Players who do not have an ability rating
are initially self-rated by using the Rating Wizard found at www.Tencap.com.
From then on, the player earns the rating.
When players play against other rated players, the scores are recorded
in a computer and ratings change based on the results of the matches. A very simple algorithm is used to calculate
the ratings. It takes at least 8 sets
of 4 games or more for players’ ratings to change. The Scale for ability ratings ranges from 1 to 65, the more
skilled the player the lower the rating.
More information about the rating scale is available at www.BayAreaTennis.com.
Reminders, Rules
Highlights & Clarifications
|
For more detailed information refer to the
Bay Area Tennis Official Rules in this Captain’s Book. |
Purpose
of the Organization:
The primary purpose of Bay Area Tennis (Bay Area
Tennis) is to provide Bay Area Tennis players organized and competitive tennis
activities at a similar level of play.
The Bay Area Tennis Fusion Doubles League is a
club-based league that serves Bay Area clubs and their members. Fusion Doubles
teams are men’s or women’s teams. The format is three individual doubles
matches per Team match. Teams may enter at any of these traditional NTRP
combined levels: 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 or 10.5. The skill levels per partnership in Fusion
Doubles are between traditional NTRP levels. This encourages players of
different levels to play together. For example, on a 7.5 men’s team, the ideal
partnership is a 4.0 with a 3.5. The
combined team ability rating would fall between 39 and 43. See Rule #3
regarding divisions of play.
Please note! All
decisions by the Bay Area Tennis Committee are final. The Bay Area Tennis Committee consists of the League co-founders
and board members.
1. Team - A team is
defined as a minimum of eight and a maximum of fourteen dues paying members,
age 18 or older, of the same sex, from the same facility.
2. Eligibility
(a). A team must be made up of players who are at least 18 years old and have a qualifying ability rating (see division
designations in Rule #5), in order to play in a
given division. Totally new players participating
in a Bay Area Tennis program for the first time must submit a player profile to
participate. Go to www.BayAreaTennis.com
to apply.
(b). Although it is not encouraged, a player may play up one division, but may only play
down if his/her rating is not more that 4 points below the lowest rating for
the division in which his/her team is entered.
(c). A player may play on only one team within any division of play.
(d.) Moving up or down
i. If a team has won first place or second place
in its respective division last year, and it still has five or more regular
players from last year’s roster, the team may be asked to move up. A
"regular player" is one who played three or more matches with the
team. Decisions are based on team
scores from last year’s results and changes in individual players’ Bay Area
Tennis ratings.
ii. Points - Any
teams finishing the season with a cumulative point average of 7 or greater may
be asked to move up. Additionally, any
team finishing first or second that is more than 2 cumulative average points
ahead of the other teams in the division may be asked to move up.
iii. Percentage of
games won - Teams winning more than 65% of games played or less than 35% of
games played may be asked to move up or down.
iv. New teams or teams
with adjusted rosters that have a Bay Area Tennis team average (average of all
players Bay Area Tennis ratings) lower or higher than the range for the
Division, may be asked to move up or down.
A new team with players who have no Bay Area Tennis playing record may
be moved to another division, handicapped or disqualified after play begins if
it is determined that the initial player ratings given were inaccurate. The
final decision by Bay Area Tennis remains in effect throughout the season. If a handicap is issued, handicapped teams
are responsible for advising their opponents of the handicap before play
begins. The handicap is not an optional
feature that may or may not be used. It
is a prerequisite for the team to be able to play “down” and if it is not used
the team with the handicap will be defaulted.
The procedure for playing with a handicapped team is in the next
paragraph.
It is this team's
responsibility to know the ratings of all their players (ratings are written on
the team roster & posted on the Bay Area Tennis web site -
www.BayAreaTennis.com). Bay Area Tennis
is the official source of all ratings.
Ignorance or misconceptions about ratings are not acceptable. If a team on any court has an average rating
(both players’ ratings added together and divided by 2) more than .5 (half a
point) below the lower range of this division, the doubles team that is out of
range must start each set they play X number of games ( All teams are
expected to keep doubles team averages on each court within range for the
division of play.
v. The Bay Area Tennis
Committee will make the final decisions on player ratings and on Division
assignments for teams.
3. Divisions & Scheduling - There
are provisions for men’s divisions and women’s divisions as follows:
Ladies Pearl 5.5 53-49 Men’s Iron 5.5 43-39
Ladies Emerald 6.5 48-44 Men’s Silver 6.5 38-34
Ladies Opal 7.5 43-39 Men’s Titanium 7.5 33-29
Ladies Diamond 8.5 38-34 Men’s Graphite 8.5 28-24
Ladies Ruby 9.5 33-29 Men’s Platinum 9.5 23-19
Ladies Sapphire 10.5 28-24 Men’s Steel 10.5 18-14
There must be a minimum of 4 teams per division for the
division to exist. The maximum number of teams per
division will be fifteen. If there are more than fifteen teams, a division will be further
divided into Conferences.
4. Format & Scoring
- All play will be doubles, and will
consist of two out of three sets,
with a match tiebreaker in place of a third set.
(a). Regular scoring
will be used unless both captains agree upon no-add scoring before starting any matches or unless
the host facility has limited court time available. No less than 1 ½ hour may be provided for a match. Host facilities must make the time
limitations known prior to the start of play.
Warm-ups should be limited to 10 minutes.
(b). Team winners will be determined as follows:
· One
(1) point awarded for each set won.
·
Two points awarded
for winning the duel match.
·
One (1) point awarded for winning all three courts
(sweeping) in a duel match.
·
Points (cumulative point average) determine
the winners of matches as well as of the division. Points are earned by winning sets and
matches as indicated above.
·
The cumulative point average will determine the
winner(s), not total points. In some
groups, all teams do not play the same number of matches. Dividing total points by total matches
played is the only fair way to determine winners.
5. Bay Area Tennis Rating
System Requirement – Bay Area Tennis programs do not require
USTA membership or NTRP verification. Ability ratings (either Official or
Temporary) are the main requirement for each participant to join a team roster.
The average rating of all players must be within the suggested range for the
team entry to be valid.
Players with current NTRP
ratings receive a temporary Bay Area Tennis ability rating, which will become
official after a minimum of 8 sets against other Bay Area Tennis rated players
are entered in the computer. Players are
required to participate in the Bay Area Tennis ability rating system. Participating clubs and captains, however,
are not required to help administer the ability rating program. Administration of the ability ratings is
solely the responsibility of Bay Area Tennis, not the players or league
participants. There is an official
procedure for Bay Area Tennis ratings appeals.
The Bay Area Tennis organization is very supportive of the goals of the
USTA; however, the rating system of the USTA does not provide an adequate or
effective means of administering Bay Area Tennis programs for Bay Area Tennis
players.
The United States
Professional Tennis Association, USPTA, has endorsed the ability rating system
used by Bay Area Tennis, because it serves both players and organizers. Bay
Area Tennis believes that ability ratings hold a bright future and that the
health of all tennis programs relates to their ability to keep play
competitive. If there is parity among
the players within the divisions of a league, everyone can appreciate the
competition. Ability ratings will
provide the Fusion Doubles League with more accurate and current ratings than
other systems. The result is a more
enjoyable league.
6. League Formation and
Organization -The team
captains will help form and organize their teams, and each will appoint an assistant captain to be in charge in
case of the captain’s absence. The team captain/assistant will be
responsible for:
(a) His/her players reporting to the scheduled location on time
(see Rule #13 regarding Defaults).
(b) Getting substitutes if necessary (see Rule
#9 regarding Substitutes).
(c) Establishing the lineup/score card (see Rule
#8 regarding Lineup/Score Card).
(d) The host captain/assistant is responsible for score entry. Go to www.BayAreaTennis.com for
input.
(e) Host captain/assistant
is responsible for calling the visiting captain at least two days prior to
the match to confirm place and time.
If the visiting captain does not receive a call, it is the visiting
captain’s/assistant’s responsibility to reach the host and confirm.
7. Host Team’s Responsibilities
- Each team is expected to host roughly half its matches at its home facility.
The host
team is responsible for:
(a) Making sure there
are: three playable courts available
for at least two hours each when the matches are scheduled (b) Each facility
that sponsors one or more teams is responsible
for making adequate court space available to its teams for league
play. If courts are not available on
site, the host team is responsible for finding an alternate site and paying for
the rental of those courts, if applicable.
(c) Providing a new can of USTA approved balls for
each match
(d) Providing refreshments.
(e) Entering the
scores within three days of the completion of the match. Results not received in a timely manner may
result in a default for the host team.
8. Lineup/Score
Cards - Official score cards are available at
www.BayAreaTennis.com. Line-ups
should be written in advance. Once
lineups are exchanged, there can be no
changes with the exception of rainouts (see rainout rules).
The intent of the Bay
Area Tennis League is that teams place their best team at #1, second best at
#2, and third best at #3.
9. Substitution Rule
(a) Whether deemed a
“substitute” by a team or not, any player listed on the team roster is a team
member as far as Bay Area Tennis is concerned and may play in any regularly
scheduled match. If a team cannot fill its
three doubles teams from its official roster, a substitute can be used. A
substitute, from the Bay Area Tennis perspective, is defined as a player who is
not on the team’s official
roster. The match on the court where the substitute plays will count as a
default, but it is extremely
important that both teams have six players show up on time,
regardless. The Team Captain using a
substitute is responsible for advising the opposing captain. Failure to do so may result in a duel match
default for the team neglecting this responsibility.
(b) As a common courtesy,
it is imperative to call the
opposing team captain or club to let them know if, after futile attempts to
find a substitute, you cannot field three teams.
(c) In the case of both
teams not having six official team members at a duel, neither team will receive any points for the match or matches
played by substitutes or not played at all.
10. Rainouts or other reasons for cancellation
(a)The host team captain/assistant will decide
if a match is to be called off due to inclement weather. If the match is called off before the
starting time, the person making the decision should immediately call the opposing team’s captain/assistant so that all
players can be notified in time. Captains are encouraged not too cancel matches
too soon; if there is any chance the weather will improve, it is easier to play
than reschedule.
(b)
Bay Area Tennis emphasizes play. Every
effort should be made to reschedule a cancelled match. The host
team should secure the courts and notify Bay Area Tennis of the new dates
when dual matches are rescheduled.
If a match is rained out after it has started, the following
rules will apply to each court:
(i) If less than one set
has been completed, the entire match will
be played over.
(ii) If one set or more
has been completed, the makeup match will resume
at that point (assuming the exact
same players play in that specific makeup match).
(iii) If one team has the
original players and one team does not, the team with the original players has the option to start the match
over or to resume play at the score when the match was rained out.
(iv) If neither team has
its original players, the match must be
played over in its entirety.
(v) In the case of a
dispute that cannot be resolved between the two captains/assistants, the league officials will make the final
decision.
c) The schedule of play for the season should be
made at the beginning of the season so that there is ample time to reschedule
matches in the event of a conflict.
Particular attention should be given to matches scheduled near
holidays. Every effort should be made
by both captains to reschedule matches when conflicts occur. Captains can agree to play each court of
play at a different time. Defaults
should be avoided!
11.
Finals (Play On)
a) There will be a final
or PLAY ON match for all interested teams.
b) To be eligible to
participate in the PLAY ON, a team member must have competed in at least 3
regular season matches. If a player
was scheduled to play in a match and the opposing team defaults, the match
shall count as a match played for the team taking the default (not the team
giving the default). A scorecard must
be entered to reflect this situation.
c) Further
information regarding PLAY ON format, location, and party will be published on
the Bay Area Tennis website once finalized.
12. Rosters: Important! -
Please note these important rules about your team's roster:
(a) Official team commitment must
be mailed, faxed, or entered online by
the designated deadline posted on www.BayAreaTennis.com. It is the captain’s responsibility to
make sure the roster is entered on time.
(b) After the player
registration deadline, there can be
no team roster changes.
(c) Remember Rule #9
regarding substitutions. If a player is
not on the roster, he/she is considered a substitute. Rosters will be checked, and defaults will be enforced.
(d) Player registration
requires name, address, phone number, email address, birth date and Bay Area
Tennis Rating (either Official or Temporary) and a $15 registration fee to be
paid by credit card or check. Bay Area Tennis reserves the right to deny
falsified or incomplete registration.
(e) Players’ pre-season
Bay Area Tennis ratings will be listed on the roster. The ratings of all regular players must fall within the range for
the division as noted in Rule #2 regarding
eligibility.
13. Defaults
- There are four ways in which a team may default a set or match -- using
players not on the roster; excessive lateness; missing a match due to injury or
illness; and playing with a team that is rated more that .5 below the range for
the division of play:
(a) Use of substitutes: (see Rule #9).
(b) Excessive lateness or missing a match: It is expected that if a
team is running late on a given day, as a courtesy the captain/assistant will call the opponents if possible to let them
know.
i.
If a team has not showed up by 15 minutes after the scheduled start time, it will be penalized one game for every five minutes (or
any portion of that five minutes) longer that it is late. It
also will forfeit its warm-up time.
A team that is 31 or more minutes
late defaults the entire match. A team that is 16-20 minutes late is
penalized 1 game. If 21 to 25 minutes
late, they are penalized 2 games. If 26
to 30 minutes late, they lose 3 games.
After 31 minutes, the late team defaults the entire match.
ii. When a doubles team is missing, teams
move up and default from the bottom (team #3 spot).
(c)
Individual court defaults. If a player is injured,
ill or if play must be stopped for some personal reason other than weather,
and the lapse in play exceeds 15 minutes, the team causing the cessation of
play must default.
i.
The team taking the default takes 3 points for that
court and the team defaulting gets 0 points (unless they have won one set prior
to defaulting, in which case they will get 1 point for that set). The games are recorded as played for the
purpose of % of games won. Points
determine the match winner, not % of games won.
(d)
Team out of range for division
Every doubles team must be within range for the division or no more than
.5 below range. If a team is out of
range and it is discovered before play begins, the team is given the
opportunity of redoing their line-up to keep all teams in range. If not
possible, each out of range team defaults.
(e)
The procedure for scoring a duel match (when a team defaults the
entire duel match on all 3 courts) defaults is as follows: The team
taking the duel default gets 7 points for the match and the team giving the
default gets 0 points. At the end
of the season if the cumulative point average of the team getting the default
is greater than 7, the match score for the defaulted match will be adjusted to
the higher point average at the Bay Area Tennis office. No games were played, so no games are
recorded as having been played, therefore the match does not contribute to
percentage of games won.
(f) The host team is
still responsible for submitting information in the event of default. “Defaulted” should be written in the space
normally used for the players from the defaulting team.
14. Miscellaneous
- In case of a conflict that cannot be resolved at the team captain level, or
if there are additional questions, please call the league administrators. Captains are empowered to resolve disputes
and should use the rules as guides.
Agreement among captains is the prime criteria for resolution. The Bay Area Tennis Committee, whenever
there is a question, will make final decisions.
15. Cost – A $5 commitment
fee is required when registering a “Team” for Fusion Doubles League. Players register online and use a credit
card to pay the $15 registration fee upon adding their name to a team roster.
Team Captains and co-captains receive complimentary registration.
Last Revised: 7/1/2004