Rules

General

1. Introduction

  1. These rules govern all Tennis Brisbane programs. Any matter which is not specifically covered in these rules shall be resolved by the Committee or a duly elected sub-committee. All Committee decisions shall be final.

2. Registration of Teams

  1. A team shall be registered with the Association for a particular season upon receipt of a team registration form by the due date.
  2. The Committee reserves the right to refuse the registration of any team or player.
  3. All prescribed fees must be paid to your Tennis Centre or Tennis Club together with your individual or team registration form, prior to the commencement of the season.

3. Cancellation of Team Registration

  1. The Committee may cancel the registration of any team that:

                 a. forfeits three consecutive matches; or

                 b. plays a disqualified player, or

                 c. commits a serious breach of the code of conduct or any other rule of the Association.

        2. No refund shall be allowed where team registration has been cancelled.

4. Responsibilities of Players

It shall be the responsibility of each players to:

  1. abide by the rules of Tennis, the rules of this Association as described herein and the Tennis Australia Code of Conduct (please see link here); and
  2. pay all prescribed registration/entry fees by the required date; and
  3. collect or determine from the Association Office, Tennis Centre or a Committee member all matters relating to match dates, draws, venues, rules, conditions, result slips, nomination forms, trophies, etc.
  4. Team withdrawal after draw schedule printing - Centre is responsible to pay for ALL away matches as a forfeit match.

5. Grading of Teams

  1. Teams shall be graded into divisions of similar standard by the Committee or a duly elected sub-committee known as the Grading Committee.
  2. No guarantee can be given to ANY player to be graded into a certain division.

6. Registration of Players in Teams

  1. A player is deemed a registered player in a team once they have participated in 5 matches during the regular season and upon receipt of all player registration fees to the relevant centre.
  2. Adults playing in Junior League- adults are not permitted to register for a Junior League team. However, adults are permitted to fill in no more than twice a season (to ensure matches are played where possible)

7. Disqualification of Players

  1. When a declaration is made in accordance with this rule the Association’s General Manager shall forthwith advise the operators of all affiliated teams in the relevant division of the particulars of the declaration.
  2. A player declared to be a disqualified player as provided herein may, where the period of disqualification is more than three months, after a period of not less than three months from the date of disqualification, appeal to the committee to have his or her position reviewed. Procedures similar to those prescribed for the hearing of a show cause action shall apply in respect of such approval. On good cause being shown for the reinstatement of the appellant the Committee shall direct that -

             a. the declaration of disqualification made against the appellant be revoked; and

             b. the appellant and the secretaries of all affiliated teams in the relevant divisions be forthwith advised in writing of such revocation.

8. Protests

  1. A team may protest to the Committee on any matter affecting it. The protest shall be in writing, accompanied by a fee of $50.00, and shall be lodged with the Tennis Brisbane Head Office within three days of the occasion of the dispute. Protests shall only be received from the team secretary/captain.
  2. It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to acknowledge receipt of the protest and to fully investigate the surrounding circumstances.(c) The protest fee shall be placed to the funds of the Association.

9. Home Court

  1. Each registered team shall utilise a suitable court to be used for home matches. The standard of this court and associated facilities shall be consistent with the general standard of courts being used by other teams in the Association and must be located at an affiliated Tennis Brisbane court location.
  2. The Committee reserves the right to refuse the use of any court it considers unsuitable for fixture play.

10. Cancellation of Matches Due to Bad Weather

  1. The decision to cancel matches in such cases shall be made by the Tennis Centre where the match is being played. The decision to cancel a match cannot be made before 1 hour to the start of play.
  2. In the event of rain interrupting play during or before a match, players should make every effort to dry the court in order to continue or commence play. If the court remains unplayable for longer than 40 minutes for daytime matches and 30 minutes for evening matches, the match may be abandoned by either team captain after duly notifying the captain of the other team. Players are not obliged to play on courts where the conditions are judged by either captain to be unsafe due to water.
  3. If both captains agree to play in wet conditions, the Tennis Centre owner/manager has the ultimate authority to refuse play, if playing conditions are deemed unsafe.
  4. Tennis Centre owner/manager/supervisor must be informed of any such decision If an entire centre is rained out, NO forfeit fee is payable to rained out centre and ALL matches shall receive wet points, even when a team has forfeited prior.
  5. Extreme Heat Policy – Please refer to the Tennis Australia Extreme Heat Policy (click link).

11. Wet Matches

  1. Where 70% or more of matches not played due to rain, the Points Keeper must still be advised of points to be awarded. ie. Winning Team - average of points up to date provided that one full round has been played (eg 8 team draw - 7 matches played) , only if greater than points awarded for bye, otherwise points for bye awarded. Losing Team - points won for the match or BYE points (whichever is greater). NB. This rule applies only when 70% or more of matches not played due to wash out.
  2. If an entire centre is rained out, NO forfeit fee is payable to the rained out Centre and ALL matches receive wet points - even when a team has forfeited prior.
  3. Contact your host centre to determine any wet weather refunds. 

12. Reporting Results to the Association

  1. Upon arrival at the centre you must collect your score sheet and three balls from the pro-shop and at the same time, pay your fees for the day/evening play.
  2. At the end of play, return your completed score sheet and balls to the pro-shop where your results will be sent to the Tennis Brisbane office on your behalf. NOTE: Both first and surnames are required to be clearly printed on the scorecard for all players - this is required for player statistics and averages, and to ensure eligibility for semi-finals and finals. The initial responsibility for the first and surname of players playing the match rests with the players to complete the match sheet, however, it is the Centre Operators’ responsibility to ensure that the players are being educated in regards to this rule. Before faxing the result cards to Tennis Brisbane, Centre Operators need to ensure that the scorecard has been correctly completed with full names for both home and away teams.

13. Match Format

  1. Please refer to the Match Format page (click link)

14. Order of Play

  1. Players shall be listed by each team for all sets purposes prior to commencement of the match. (Additional players must also be listed for the doubles prior to commencement of the match).
  2. Disputed Order of Play - where teams dispute playing order, the venue supervisor will request both teams write their playing order down on separate sheets of paper, and then the supervisor will collect each teams’ playing order and copy this order onto the official match score sheet prior to commencement of play.

15. Substitution of Players

  1. If a player is injured during a set, this player cannot be substituted for the remainder of that set. Unless additional players were nominated prior to the start of the match, this player must also forfeit their remaining sets. NOTE: An injured player who is unable to continue to finish off a set currently being played must forfeit the remainder of the set if play cannot recommence within 5 minutes of the injury. However, the injured player may return and play the remaining sets in the normal order.
  2. Substitution of players already listed to play shall be allowed under exceptional circumstances, providing the original player has not commenced a set and the substitute player is ready to play within the time constraints.

16. Umpiring and Ball Collection- Junior League Programs Only

  1. Teams shall alternate in providing umpires for each set and ball persons for the singles sets.
  2. The team receiving first in each set shall provide the umpire.
  3. For the singles sets, the team not umpiring shall provide the ball person.
  4. Only one person is allowed on the umpire stand. All remaining persons, other than those playing a set and one ball person for singles, should leave the court area. Spectators, other players and parents should not interfere with umpiring decisions. The umpire shall have total control of the set. Where parents, especially in the case of young children, feel that younger children are being intimidated or players are not behaving in the correct manner, they may approach the Tennis Centre Supervisor who will take control of the situation.

17. Balls

  1. Three new balls approved by Tennis Brisbane shall be used for each match and returned to the court supervisor/owner at the end of the day’s play.

18. Team Composition - Home and Away

  1. For the 2 player competition format, it is not acceptable for any centre operator to send 1 player only. A team that arrives and finds through unforeseen circumstances or accident that they are one player short, must forfeit the entire match. No points shall be awarded for any set won by the forfeited team and THAT TEAM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAYMENT OF COURT HIRE FOR BOTH HOME AND AWAY TEAMS. (ie at least 50 % of sets must be played for sets to be counted).
  2. Fill-in players may be made up of any combination of the following:

           a. player/s from the same division; or

           b. player/s from the division below or two divisions below; (except for Super Grades - same division or one division lower only); or

  3. Fill-in Players: (i.e. players not registered on team sheet at grading or advised for rest of season of team change) - CENTRE REFUNDS COURT FEES to other team’s Centre Operator if fill-in     player wins 1 game per set average or less or defeats members of the other team where other team member collectively won on average 1 game per set or less and ALL sets forfeited by offending player.
  4. A player may only represent one team on a given afternoon.
  5. A player may play up to FOUR matches in a higher section during the season. If more than four matches are played in a higher section, the player shall become registered as a member of the team in the higher section and shall be ineligible to play in the original team.

19. Match Decisions - Home and Away

  1. Every attempt shall be made by each team to complete all sets.
  2. A match shall NOT continue beyond the end of the game being played if the scheduled finishing time has elapsed.
  3. If a fixture match is terminated by rain, the result shall be determined on the completed sets and any additional completed games, provided that at least three sets have been played. If three sets have not been completed, the match shall be classed as a draw and points awarded.

20. Points

Points shall be awarded as follows:

Super Grade/2 Player Saturday North/Saturday South:

2 for win (on sets then games)

1 for draw (if sets and games are even)

0 for loss

0.1 per game won regardless of win or lose

Max points/forfeit points – 2 + 3.0 (30 games for 5 sets) = 5.0

BYE/wet – 3

Evening programs (north and south):

2 for win (on sets then games)

1 for draw (if sets and games are even)

0 for loss

0.1 per game won regardless of win or lose

Max points/forfeit points – 2 + 2.4 (24 games for 4 sets) = 4.4

BYE/wet – 2.0

Sunday North:

2 for win (on sets then games)

1 for draw (if sets and games are even)

0 for loss

0.1 per game won regardless of win or lose

Max points/forfeit points – 2 + 2.4 (24 games for 3 sets) = 4.4

BYE/wet – 2.0

21. Postponements

  1. Postponements of home and away matches from the scheduled dates are not permitted.
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