Port Pirie & District Tennis Association

Senior By-Laws

PORT PIRIE & DISTRICT TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Playing Policy – CLUB PENNANT COMPETITION

 

 

Introduction:     This Playing Policy will apply to Senior Club Pennant competition. Unless otherwise noted, or varied by the Junior Committee, they shall also apply to junior competitions.

 

Definition:           Order of Merit: After the 4th round, each team must submit to the competition coordinator a list of players in order of merit. From this list no player can change more than one position from week to week, depending on availability. The order of merit can be revised after round 10, or prior to the start of the major round. In doubles the number 1 singles player on the day, cannot play in the second double.

 

  1. (a) Only members of clubs can play in association competitions, providing they comply with all clearance and affiliation rules.

(b)                     A player who competes for another Association or Club outside of  Port Pirie, can play in Port Pirie & District Tennis Association competitions, providing they comply with a).

(c)                      A player who takes residence in Port Pirie & District is eligible to play for the club of his/her choice. The referee, if it is deemed necessary, or upon request from any association or club official, can ask for a written financial clearance from the player’s previous club(s).

(d)                     No player shall play in Association competition until they can produce a written financial clearance from their previous club upon request of the Association committee, Referee or a club official.

(e)                    No player shall be permitted to play more than four (4) matches totaled over all competitions in any one year, until they have paid individual affiliation fees as laid down by the Association. In this context, a year is the period between the commencing dates of two consecutive summer seasons. Any match in which the player does not take the court due to forfeits shall not be counted, unless used as part of qualification for finals under rule 3.

(f)                      Clubs will provide the Association competition coordinator with a list of registered players by 30 September. Clubs must add additional players to registered list before a player is to play their 5th match for that Club or the forfeit rule 11 (b) will apply. Refunds will be given if a registered player does not play their 5th match.

 

  1. No player may play more than one senior match per round.

 

  1. (a) A player shall not be eligible to play in a finals match unless they have played in at least four (4) matches in
    the relevant grade or a lower grade in this Association competition during the season and are financially
    affiliated to this Association. This rule may be waived only with the prior permission of the Disputes
    Committee when
  • no eligible player is available within the club, and
  • the ineligible player is of no higher a ranking than the fourth ranked player of the team seeking approval.

(b)                 Matches in which a player receives forfeits may be used to qualify for finals  under part (a), but any such
matches must then also be counted in determining the players affiliation requirements under rule 1 (f).

  1. (a) the number of grades for senior competition shall be decided by the Association Committee prior to each season.

(b)                  Each senior match team shall consist of four (4) men and four (4) women players in all grades except Club Doubles, which can only have a maximum of three (3) men per team.

  • No junior player shall be a permanent member of a Club Doubles team unless approved by the Association Committee.

(d)                  Each senior match shall consist of:-

A Grade:- 2  6-game set doubles (no tie break), 3rd set if 1 set all T/B (up to 7 pts), 6 game single (T/B 6-all)

B Grade:- 1 6 Game Double- tie break set (T/B 6 –all) 1 6 Game Single- tie break set, 1 6 Game Mixed Double – tie break set (T/B 6 all)

Club Doubles: – Each player plays with each team member – 3 doubles (T/B 6all)

 

  1. (a)                 the age limit for junior competition shall be under seventeen (17) on the day of the first match of the

season

(b)                The Junior Committee shall decide the number of junior grades to be contested each year, based on the number and standard of entries.

  • Each junior match team shall consist of either four (4) girls or four (4) boys, or a combination at the discretion of the Junior Committee
  • Each junior match shall consist of four (4) singles and two (2) doubles for teams of 4. The Junior Committee shall decide for each grade whether each set shall be one straight four game set or one straight six game set.
  1. (a)                 the starting times of competition matches shall be determined by the Association Committee prior to the

Commencement of the season

(b)                Except for cancelled or re-played finals matches as covered by rule 13 (b), all matches shall be played on the programmed day.

(c)                 The season programmed draw may change at the discretion of the Association Committee.

 

(d)                All senior grades shall be ready to start two sets within fifteen (15) minutes of the programmed start of play, or the relevant sets may be forfeited. Forfeits must be claimed before the sets start.

(e)                 Once the match has started, players must be ready to start their set within three (3) minutes after it has

been called.

(f)                   Except by prior agreement between team captains, any senior player not present at the courts within one hour of the official starting time shall not participate in the match.

(g)                In the junior competition, except by prior agreement between team captains, any junior player not present at the courts within fifteen (15) minutes of the official starting time shall not participate in the match.

  1. (a)                 Prior to the start of play each team captain shall list their team’s singles and doubles players

in playing order on the match score sheet. No alteration shall then be made to this list without the agreement of the opposing captain, or unless a change is required to comply with rule 11 (c). Any alteration should be initialled by both team captains.

Prior to the start of all matches, team captains must confer to agree on order of merit. If an agreement cannot be reached a protest may be lodged by the opposing captain as described in by-law 12 (a)

(b)                The captain of each winning senior team shall lodge the score sheets for the match, duly completed

and signed, either through the web based Tennis site or in the senior score box in clubhouse. No later than 12 midday on Saturday for a match played on a Friday night.

The captain of each winning junior team shall lodge electronically or at the clubhouse no later than 7p.m. on the day of the match.

  1. (a)                After the first six (6) programmed matches, singles players and doubles pairs of players in a given team

shall play strictly in order of merit.

(b)                After the first six (6) programmed matches, a player may not be stepped up or down in singles ranking more than one position at a time. (Refer to Referees by laws notes for examples and clarification)

(c)                 (i) Where a club has more than 1 team in a senior grade, in all senior grades except Club Doubles, a  minimum 4  men & 4 women, in Club Doubles a minimum of 4 players (according to by-law 4 b) are to be named prior to the beginning of the season. These named players are not permitted to interchange between that club’s team within the nominated grade. Any un-named players within the Club are permitted to interchange within that grade, but are not able to play in the finals. Application to the Board may be made in exceptional circumstances and must comply with existing playing policy about eligibility.

(ii) Any affiliated junior not affiliated with a senior club may play in the Friday/Saturday senior competition. Once that player has played four (4) senior matches for a particular club that player is bound to that club.

(iii) Any junior player that is 15 yrs or younger at the start of the Tennis year may play in the senior competition so long as they continue to fulfill their junior commitments. Requests for Exemptions to this rule may be applied for in writing to the junior committee for appraisal.

(d)               A player who plays the majority of matches in a given team cannot play for a team in a lower grade once the team they first represented has been eliminated unless approved by the Association Committee.

 

  1. The Referee, or in their absence, the President, then the Vice-President shall have the power to cancel any one match  due to rain or heat as described in the following clauses:

(a)    Cancel matches if play cannot commence due to rain half an hour after the official starting time.  The decision to cancel matches is not to be made earlier than one hour prior to the official starting time.  If multiple venues are in play, each venue will be decided independently, and results will stand.

(b)    Cancel matches that have commenced and are then interrupted by rain. If a result has been decided                           prior to the cancellation, then the result for that particular match shall stand.

 

(c)                     Heat Policy for Friday night matches:-

For Friday Night Summer Senior Tennis Competition….

If Temperature (digital gauge reading at Tennis Centre) at 6pm on Friday (Comp night) is between 39c – 41c, play doubles only format.

A Grade to play a 6 game men’s or women’s double set (T/B 6 all) and mixed double 6 game set (T/B 6-all)

B Grade to play a 6 game men’s or women’s double set (T/B 6 all) and a mixed double 6 game set (T/B 6-all)

Club Doubles to play 3x five game double sets (T/B 4 all) – i.e. 5-4, 5-3, etc.

If Temperature is 42c at 6pm on Friday (Comp night) – all matches will be CANCELLED.

If Temperature is 38c or below at 6pm on Friday (Comp night)  –  Normal format applies.

If Temperature forecast taken from Thursday’s channel 7(4) weather news (approx. 6.25pm) is 42c or greater all matches are CANCELLED

 

  1. (a)                the winning team in any match shall be decided on the number of sets won. If sets are even, the match shall be

decided on games won. Any match which cannot be decided on this basis shall be classed as a draw.

(b) Each team shall receive one (1) point for each set won. In addition, the winning team shall receive two (2) points in a senior match and two (2) points in a junior match. In the event of a draw each team shall receive one (1) points in a senior match and one (1) point in a junior match.

(c) Premiership table positions shall be decided on the total number of points scored, unless all teams in a grade do not play the same number of matches, in which case the average points scored per match shall be used.

(d) If at the end of the minor round teams are equal on points, order shall be determined on the percentage of sets won, then if necessary games.

  1. (a) A team shall receive points for a forfeit in any set, if and only if, the necessary player(s) in that team are available to play to allow that set to proceed and are named on the score sheets. Such players shall not play in any other team in that round of matches.

(b)A team receiving a forfeited set shall be credited with the total number of sets and games required to  win.

If the forfeit occurs after play has commenced then the forfeiting team shall retain any games and sets won.

(c)Singles sets forfeited due to a shortage of players in a team shall be forfeited from the bottom of the playing order up, i.e. if a team has only three men or women players then they shall play 1, 2 and 3 single and the number 4 single shall be forfeited, etc.

  1. (a)Any dispute regarding player eligibility / order of merit etc. shall be put in writing by the team captain to the disputes committee no later than 24 hours from the start of play following that match. The ruling will be made prior to the next match by the disputes committee, under the conditions laid down in the Association Playing policy.(the disputes committee to have a representative from each Club. The Clubs in the dispute will not sit on that particular committee but may make representation to that committee).

(b)Should the Disputes Committee rule that a team has breached the rules regarding player eligibility or playing order then:

  • the offending team shall be penalized the number of points normally allocated for a match win, or
  • the total points scored by them for the match, whichever is the lesser, and

(ii)           Any sets by the breach shall be awarded as forfeits against the infringing team

(c)                Should the Disputes Committee find any player(s) guilty of misconduct, then, they shall refer the case to the

Association Committee which shall decide the penalty involved. Such penalty may include

suspension of the player(s) or team involved.

  1. (a) The major round draw shall be based on final premiership table positions,

as follows:

SEMI FINALS: First team v Second team (match A); Third team v Fourth team (match B)

PRELIMINARY FINALS: Loser Match A v Winner Match B (match C)

GRAND FINALS: Winner Match A v Winner Match C (match D)

Winner of match D shall be premiers

 

(b)           Any programmed finals match which possibly could be cancelled due to predicted heat or rain shall be played at a date and time as determined by the Association Committee. The heat rule (playing policy 9 (c) shall not apply, but the number of games to be played in a singles match may be reduced if decided by the Association Committee. If the rescheduled finals match is further cancelled for any reason the Association Committee shall set down a date and time for the match. Any finals match which results in a draw shall be replayed at a date and time as determined by the Association Committee.

(c)          The order of play format for pennant competition for singles in all finals matches is 4,3,2,1.

(e)          All finals matches cannot start before the scheduled time as determined by the Association Committee.

 

  1.  (a)             only tennis balls of a type approved by the Association shall be used in competition matches.

(b)            For A grade matches each team shall provide 5 new balls except for all final matches each team shall provide 6 new balls.

For all other senior pennant grades except Club Doubles each team shall provide 4 new balls

for all finals matches.  For Club Doubles finals each team shall provide 2 new balls.

  1. All competition players are expected to wear appropriate tennis attire.
  2. All major round matches shall be played at the Port Pirie and District Tennis Association complex.
  3. Umpires shall be provided, when requested by either singles player or either doubles pair, for any programmed match during the season. Umpires where possible shall be neutral.
  4. Matches shall be played according to the rules of tennis as endorsed by Tennis Australia, and published on

the Tennis Australia website.

  1. Port Pirie and District Tennis Association shall not hire out any part of the tennis complex at any time during the finals series in case the facilities are required for rescheduled finals matches.