USTA
Alabama Championship Procedures
2014
Championship Year
USTA Alabama is comprised of twelve local
leagues: Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Gulf Shores, Huntsville,
Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, Shoals and Tuscaloosa. The USTA Alabama Championship
Procedures will apply to all USTA Alabama State Championships. When not stated
in the Championship Procedures, the National, Sectional and Alabama regulations
and Friend at Court will apply.
Sectional Championships
USTA Alabama offers a state championship for each
of the following programs:
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USTA League Adult 18 & Over
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USTA League Adult 40 & Over
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USTA League Adult 55 & Over
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USTA League Adult 65 & Over
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USTA League Mixed Doubles 18 & Over
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USTA League Mixed Doubles 40 & Over
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Southern Combo Doubles
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Tri Level
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Invitational Mixed 55 & Over
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Invitational Combo 65 & Over
Team Qualification
·
Local championship teams will be allowed to
advance to the USTA Alabama State Championships. If a local championship team
declines their invitation, then the state association may offer the bid to the
next priority team.
·
Wildcards will be issued to fill up draws at the
state championships. Additional wildcards may be extended under discretion of
the State League Coordinator.
Championship Format
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USTA Alabama Championship format shall be round
robin in all levels of competition.
Each team shall play every other team in its
flight, and the team with the most team points shall be champion in its flight.
Levels with two flight winners will offer a single elimination finals match to
determine the champion. For those levels that have three groups the second
place team or teams with the best record as determined from above will be
designated the wildcard. If a draw results in the second place team playing
against the first place team from its own group, the draw shall be altered as
follows: second place team shall exchange places with team from the top line of
the other semi-final.
Semi-finals will be played as follows for those
with three groups: Winner, Flight 1 vs Second place team, Winner flight 2 vs
Winner Flight 3.
If any of the flights have a different number of teams, the procedures shall be
determined as follows: Games. The team with the highest percentage of games
won by them vs. games played by them in their round robin (2nd place teams
only). Defaults received shall not count.
Eligibility
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All players must possess current USTA
memberships through the conclusion of the USTA Alabama State
Championship.
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All players must be prepared to present photo
identification immediately upon request.
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USTA League Adult 18 & Over, Adult 40 &
Over, Adult 55 & Over, and Mixed Doubles:
Players are eligible to advance to the state championship level competition
if that player has played on that same team in at least 2 matches during its
local league season. A maximum of 1 default received by the player during
local league competition shall count for advancing to State Championships.
o
A minimum of eight (five for 2.5 & 5.0+
levels) team members who were on the final roster of their Adult 18 & Over
and/or Adult 40 & Over local league team at the conclusion of local league play
must be available and eligible to compete. The Championships Tournament
Committee, by majority vote, can reduce that number to not less than four (three
for 2.5 & 5.0+ levels).
o
A minimum of six team members who were on
the final roster of their Adult 55 & Over or Mixed Doubles local league team at
the conclusion of local league play must be available and eligible to compete.
The Championships Tournament Committee, by majority vote, can reduce that number
to not less than four.
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Adult 65 & Over*, Southern Combo Doubles,
and Tri Level*: Team members are
eligible to advance to championship level competition if that player has
played on that same team in at least 1 match (1 of which may be a default
received) during its local league season or state championships.
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A minimum of six team members (three
eligible pairings) who were on the final roster of their local league
team at the conclusion of local league play must be available and
eligible to combine and compete. The Championships Tournament
Committee, by majority vote, may reduce that number to not less than
four.
*Please refer to 2014 Alabama Rules and
Regulations for full details on eligibility for Adult 65 & Over, Combo Doubles,
and Tri Level.
Registration, and Entry Fee Requirements
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Championship Entry Fee: $30.00 per player.
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Players should be registered on both
TennisLink and the Alabama web site.
Scheduled Matches
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The captain is responsible for checking
his/her team in at the site of the match. When all players are present and
ready to play, the captain will turn in their lineup at the site desk using
one of the scorecards in the registration packet. It is asked that captains
turn in scorecards 30 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled match.
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If a team has a known default, the opposing
team will have the opportunity to revise their scorecard once both
scorecards are turned in and the default has been announced by the site
director.
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In the event of illness or injury prior to
the start of an individual match (once the line-up has been exchanged), a
team may substitute a player in the affected position within the 15-minute
default time, using a player not already listed on the line-up. If no such
substitution can be made, the affected position only will be defaulted.
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If a captain duplicates a name in error on a
scorecard, a team may be allowed to substitute a player for the duplicate
name in the lower position (at the discretion of the Tournament Committee),
using a player not already listed on the line-up. A substitution may only be
made in the lower position if the error is discovered before the match
begins. If no such substitution can be made, the affected position only will
be defaulted.
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The Point Penalty System, which includes the
15-minute default time rule, will be strictly enforced. Court monitors may
be used to time warm-ups and changeovers.
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A ten-minute warm-up will be observed which
will include serves. The referee may allow a five minute warmup in the
event of a short inclement weather delay.
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Winners of individual matches will take the
balls and report the score immediately to the site desk.
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Captains are expected to sign each scorecard
after each scheduled match is completed before leaving the tennis facility.
Failure to sign the scorecard may result in scores posted online only
confirmed by opposing captain.
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If a team match is postponed following the
exchange of line-ups, the original line-up will stand for the make-up match
UNLESS teams are released from the tournament by the Tournament Director
and/or Referee. If teams are released, the line-up would stand only for
those positions that have already started (first service attempt) and all
other positions (even those that were in warm-up) may be changed including
defaulted courts.
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Tournament Referees will not be used to make
line calls or call foot faults.
Scoring
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Each team will receive 1 point for each team
match won. In the event of a tie, the tiebreak procedures will be total of
individual matches, then head to head, then least sets lost, then least
games lost, then a coin toss. All scores are final 48 hours after the
conclusion of the tournament.
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Coman procedure will be used for all
tiebreaks.
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Results will be entered into Tennis Link
throughout each day and can be viewed on TennisLink.
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All teams are expected to play all scheduled
matches. Any team not complying may be subject to grievance procedures. In
accordance with USTA League Tennis Regulations, any team forfeiting an entire
team match for any reason will result in all matches of that team previously
played or to be played to be declared null and void. If all teams in contention
for the Championships have already played the forfeiting team in good faith, the
matches stand as played.
·
In the event of inclement weather and court
availability issues, matches in progress between teams that are no longer in
contention will be scored as retirements. The players leading in the set and/or
game count will receive the retirement. Courts that have not begun will be
scored as double defaults. Teams that are not in
contention for inclement weather issues may not leave the championship without
verbal permission from the Tournament Committee and/or Referee.
Grievances
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Forms are available at each of the sites at
the tournament desk. Completed grievance forms must be presented to the
Site Director at the site of the match within 30 minutes of the completion
of the team match.
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The committees involved will handle all
Grievances as promptly as possible. Unless requested by the committee, only
the captain and the player(s) involved will be permitted at any hearings.
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NTRP Grievances filed within 21 days of the
start date of the player’s and/or captain’s state championship will be
administered after the event unless the section 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.
·
A team forfeiting an entire team match during
championship play may receive further penalties imposed by the Championship
Grievance Committee.
·
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. Any team that defaults a
court throughout the championship is also subject to the $75 fine unless
excused by the tournament committee. Said players will be ineligible to
compete in any USTA League including Tri Level and Southern Combo Doubles until
the fine is paid. Appeals may be submitted to the chairman of the Adult League
Committee within one week of the said championship.
NTRP Dynamic Disqualification
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USTA Southern follows national regulation
2.04E(2)c in that dynamic ratings will be generated following the State
Championships. Points earned by disqualified players will stand. The
disqualified player will not be eligible to advance to the next level of
competition.
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NTRP Grievances filed within 21 days of the
State championship against anyone participating in the state Championships
will be administered after the State Championships unless the USTA Southern
Section Adult League Committee Chair, Vice-Chair and Sectional League
Coordinator authorize the administration of the grievance prior to that
time. If the grievance is not administered until after the State
Championships, points won by players will stand. Disqualified players and/or
captains that are suspended will not be eligible to advance to the Sectional
Championships.
Tournament Cancellation Policy
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Should inclement weather or other
circumstances prevent the completion of a State Championship, the Tournament
Committee will determine whether the matches played at the point of
cancellation will be used to determine round robin group winners and a
champion and finalist in each of the levels.
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If the Tournament Committee determines that
there was a lack of "equal opportunity" for all teams in the level due to
the schedule of play, the Tournament Committee will place all teams in a
drawing to determine the champion and finalist in each level. (For instance,
in a five team round robin, one team may be in first place at the time of
cancellation with two matches played, while other teams in the round robin
have fewer matches played. This example would not provide "equal
opportunity" for all teams in the round robin and would not be used to
determine the round robin group winner). If any team in a round robin flight
is mathematically out of contention at the time of championship
cancellation, then those teams will be excluded from the drawing.
Administration
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Rain Hotline Number: 1-800-592-1838
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Tournament Committee will use proper and fair
judgment with regard to all State tournament-related issues.
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Tournament Committee: To be appointed by
Alabama State League Coordinator.
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Championship Grievance Committee: To be
appointed by Alabama State League Coordinator.
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Championship Procedures may be amended at
Tournament Committee’s discretion.