2009 Alabama League Regulations

2009 Alabama State Regulations (Amended March 1, 2009)

(Adult/Senior Divisions)

The USTA 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 USTA 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 USTA League activities on the state level and to interpret the Alabama USTA League regulations.

1.         REGULATIONS:      All players, teams and local leagues must abide by all applicable USTA 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 USTA 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 Eligibility 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 Super Seniors in TennisLink  will be included in the 2008 year-end ratings.  
A:         NATIONAL, SECTIONAL AND STATE BENCHMARK RATINGS
A championship benchmark may not be appealed following the championship year it is received except for medical reasons.   All medical appeals will be forwarded to the Section Medical Appeal Committee through the Section League Coordinator. If Southern Medical Appeal Committee concurs then appeal will be forwarded to the National Medical Appeal Committee for a final decision.  A year-old championship benchmark may be appealed in accordance with the NTRP Computer Rating System Procedures. 
B:         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 state league coordinator.  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.
C:         APPEALS TO LOCAL COMPUTER RATINGS:      Local players (those who did not advance to championships competition) that wish to appeal their current 2006, 2007 or 2008 computer rating must do so on TennisLink.

 4.             ADULT LEAGUE NTRP DISQUALIFICATION AND APPEAL PROCEDURES

A:         NTRP disqualification appeals are considered based solely on missing or incorrect information.

B:         LOCAL: Year-end computer ( C ) and benchmark ( B ) players are not subject to dynamic NTRP disqualification.   All other players (S, A, M, T, D) will be NTRP disqualified if they reach the disqualification level three (3) times based on all matches reported in the National database for USTA League Tennis Adult  and Senior divisions.  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). 

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 USTA League fall season will have (early start league) ratings generated after the USTA 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 and springs seasons for 2009.
E:         Final NTRP computer ratings from the 2008 USTA 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 early start and seasons using year end ratings. 

5.             LOCAL LEAGUES

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, 2009.
C:         Initial roster deadlines for all adult teams will be no later than May 1, 2009.
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 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. 
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 and senior levels, a maximum of 4 players on a roster may reside outside of the state of Alabama.
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:        In order to advance out of local league to championship an individual player must have participated in 2 matches on that specific team with no more than one (1) default counting.
P:         In order to advance to national championship an individual player must have participated in 3 matches during all competition on that specific team with no defaults counting. 
Q:        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.
R:         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.
S:         All Local League play for seniors must be completed and scores entered on TennisLink no later than April 19, 2009.  All Local League play for Adults must be completed and scores entered on TennnisLink no later than May 20, 2009.  State league coordinator may amend these dates as needed. 

6:         STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

A:         Local leagues with the following number of teams 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
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 19 (seniors) and May 20, 2009 (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 20, 2009.    Players may play at 2.0 level for one year only and must play at 2.5 or higher the following championship 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 Championships that withdraw after the schedule has been published will be subject to a fine of $75. per person payable to ATA.  Said players will be ineligible to compete in any USTA league including Tri Level and Southern Combo Doubles until the fine is paid.  An appeal may be submitted to the chairman of the Adult League Committee within two weeks after the end of the said championship.  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 USTA League Tennis Alabama Senior State Championship will be played on May 7-10, 2009 with a possible rain day on the 11^th  at the Pelham Racquet Club.  Adult 3.5, 4.0  will be played on June 18-21, 2009 with a possible rain day on the 22^nd  at the Mobile Tennis Center.  Adult 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.5, 5.0 women, and 2.5, 3.0, 4.5, 5.0 men, will be played June 11-14, 2009, with a possible rain day on the 15^th  at the Mobile Tennis Center. 

League Committee
Jeff Burns, Chairman (jeffburns@knology.net)
Ruth Anne Bendall- staff liaison
Jeannie Harrell
Jerrie Ciza- staff liaison
Martie McEnerney
Lynn Lamere
Tony Tumlin
Sharon Dobbs
Kristin Pfeffle

Grievance and Grievance appeals committee
Judy Stalcup
Jeannie Harrell
Lynn Lamere
Martie McEnerney
Jeff Burns
Ruth Anne Bendall
Red Wilder
Ken Vines
Kevin Kelly
Perry Baker
Christine Slaughter
Emily Baker