SOUTHERN COMBO DOUBLES  

2009 ALABAMA REGULATIONS

SENIOR & SUPER SENIOR  CHAMPIONSHIPS:  OCT. 22-25 GULF SHORES

ADULT STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:  NOV. 5-8, GULF SHORES

 SOUTHERN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:  Jan. 22-26, 2010 Mobile, AL

Play is governed by the Rules of Tennis; “The Code” as contained in the current USTA yearbook, the STA sectional regulations and the following state rules:

1. All players must be current members of USTA during the entire league season and must register for a team via TennisLink.  Any player that progresses to championship levels in this program must be a current USTA member through each championship progression.
2. All players must reach 19 years of age (50 for seniors and 60 for super seniors) during the calendar year in which they play their first local league match.
3. Failure to meet the above requirements will make the player ineligible for each match played and points earned while ineligible will be removed.
4. Players participating in the Southern Combo Doubles program acknowledge the risks associated with playing competitive tennis, accept those risks voluntarily, and in consideration of their acceptance in the program assume all risks for bodily injury, waive all claims for injury and property damage and release and hold harmless Alabama Tennis Association and any host facility, their officials, employees and agents with respect to any injury or loss caused by negligence or otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by law.
5. Each local league will have a Local League Coordinator offering only one season of local play.  Local league rules must be submitted to the State League Coordinator for approval.  The Local League Coordinator shall be appointed for a period of one league year subject to a yearly renewal.  The State League Coordinator shall have final authority in the selection and retention of all local league coordinators.  Any new league must be approved by the state league coordinator and then submitted to the adult league committee.
6. Each local league must have a minimum of two or more teams at a given level for adult and senior divisions, excluding the senior 5.5 level, consisting of a minimum of six players of the same gender and a maximum of fourteen per level.  If there are five (5) or less teams in the senior 5.5 level state wide, then their local league shall be played at the State Championships.  The state league coordinator may adjust this number for progression to the state championships based upon local registration.  All roster addition deadlines for this level must occur by September 28, 2009.

The super senior division will play their local league at the state championships regardless of the number of teams that register within a local league.
Team roster entry deadline for local leagues that qualify for the 2009 state championships will be no later than September 1 for adult, senior and super senior teams.

A team must have a minimum of two eligible doubles teams available for play in each match or the entire match must be forfeited.  The No. 3 doubles must be forfeited before the No. 2 doubles position.  Any NTRP level may be divided into flights and each team shall play every other team in its flight.  The flight winners may enter a playoff structure to establish a local league champion for that NTRP level.

7. The NTRP computer rating program is the official system for rating levels of competition in this program.  Players without a NTRP computer rating may self-rate in accordance with the NTRP guidelines.  NTRP computer ratings from 2006, 2007 and 2008 will be used for the 2009 Alabama Southern Combo Doubles league.

Players who have competed at the 2.0 level prior to the 2009 championship year must play at 2.5 or higher in the 2009 championship year.  Players who compete as a 2.0 “first year” player may only continue the year at the 2.0 level if they do not play in a higher level in any 2009 USTA league program PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE SPRING LOCAL LEAGUE SEASON.

 Alabama will publish early start league ratings in August 2009 for the 2010 league year.  These ratings are for Fall 2010 leagues that are setup under the 2010 championship league tree.

8. The format of play will be three individual doubles matches per team match.  Levels offered in the adult program are 5.0, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5.  The maximum level of play allowed at the combined 5.0 level would be 2.5.  Players with NTRP computer ratings or self-ratings of 5.5 and higher must compete at the 9.5 or 10.5 level.  For seniors, the levels offered are 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5.  For super seniors, the levels offered are combined 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5.  Each individual doubles team’s combined NTRP ratings may not exceed the team level.  Note the 2.5 cap for the 5.0 adult level.
9. A maximum or FOUR players residing outside the state of Alabama is allowed on a roster.
10. All players must play 1 match locally to be eligible for further competition.  If there is no local or state competition offered, a team may advance directly to the Combo Doubles Southern Sectional Championships.  The deadline for players to register on teams that are advancing directly to the 2009 Sectional Championships is 12/15/2009.   A forfeited match shall count as a match played for the players receiving the forfeit,  but not for the players who forfeited.  A retired match shall count for all players involved.  An individual player may play in only one doubles match within each team match. 

11. Players may participate on more than one team; however, a player may not play on more than one adult or senior team in the same level (unless playing in different local leagues).  In local leagues where levels are divided into flights, players may not play in more than one flight.  Players may participate in more than one NTRP level within a division in the same local league during the same season.  A local league may deny participation.
12. Players who qualify for advancement to state championships within a division must choose which team/NTRP level they will represent.  A player may play on only one adult and only one senior team at championships.  There will be no special scheduling considerations made for players who choose to play both the adult and senior divisions.
13. State Championships:

Local leagues with the following number of adult and senior teams per season may qualify to advance to the state championships:

2-10 teams                   1 team advances to state
11 – 20 teams              2 teams advance to state
21 – 30 teams              3 teams advance to state

State league coordinator may issue wild cards as necessary to fill the draw.  Multiple sites will be utilized at the state championships with players possibly playing on both soft and hard court surfaces.  All efforts will be made to schedule all senior and super senior matches on soft courts.

If a team withdraws from the tournament after the schedule has been published, the team entry fee will be nonrefundable.  Additionally, all players listed on the state entry form will be subject to a fine of $75.  payable to ATA.   Said players will be ineligible to compete in any USTA league (including tri level and combo doubles) until the fine is paid.  An appeal may be submitted to the Adult League Committee Chairman within two weeks after the end of the said championship.

At the state championships, all adult, senior and super senior matches shall be the best of two sets and the set tiebreak shall be used at 6-all in each set.  In the event of split sets, a match tiebreak shall be played in lieu of a third set with the two-minute set break with no coaching allowed.  In the event of a tie in any division, whether in round robin or single elimination competition, the tie shall be broken by the first of the following procedures that does so:
A.     Individual Matches.  Winner of the most individual matchesin the entire competition.
B.     Sets.  Loser of the fewest number of sets.
C.     Games.  Loser of the fewest number of games.
D.    Head-to-Head.  Winner of head-to-head match.
E.     A method to be determined by the championships committee:  procedure to be announced prior to commencement of championship competition.    
            Note:  Should inclement weather or other circumstances prevent the completion of tournament play and the tournament committee has not cancelled the event, these tiebreak procedures will be used to declare a winner in each group and a champion and finalist in each level.  If a team forfeits an entire match or fields only one court during round robin play at the state championships then all matches of that team played or to be played may be considered null and void.  If all teams in contention for the championship have already played the forfeiting team in good faith, those matches stand as  played.  The state may impose further sanctions or penalties on said team.   No substitution may be made in an individual match at the state championship after the lineup has been presented, except for injury to or illness of a player,  prior to the start of such match, and except under further circumstances as the championship committee may authorize.  If the substitution is made during the       warm-up, the substitute player is entitled to a five (5) minute warm-up.   Grievance complaints at the state championships shall be processed through the championship grievance or grievance appeal committees.  Decisions of such Grievance Appeal Committees by a majority shall be final and binding.  All complaints shall be filed against the player or team complained against, (a) by the team captain of the team who competed in the match where the alleged violation occurred, (b) by a league coordinator or (c) by a member of a championship committee.  All complaints alleging a violation during championship competition shall be in writing and delivered to the duly appointed site director within thirty minutes of completion of the team match.

The grievance and grievance appeal committee members are as follows:
Jeff Burns
Jeannie Harrell
Lynn Lamere
Baxter Stinson
Perry Baker
Jerrie Ciza
Judy Stalcup
Martie McEnerney
Christine Slaughter
Red Wilder
Ken Vines
Kevin Kelley
Emily Baker
Eph Walker
Chuck Harrell

Adult league committee:
            Jeff Burns, Chairman
            Jeannie Harrell
            Martie McEnerney
            Lynn Lamere
            Tony Tumlin
            Sharon Dobbs
            Kristin Pfeffle
            Ruth Anne Bendall, Staff Liason
            Jerrie Ciza, Staff Liason