WILMINGTON
TENNIS LADDER RULES
Enrollment and Free Challenge (FC)
1.
Ladder play
is open to all members as soon as the secretary receives their application and
fee. A newsletter will then be sent
so you can start making your matches. A
player’s position depends on his/her ladder standing at the end of the
previous season, provided they register by June
30th. Play
begins on August 1st and ends on January 31st.
2.
Members
obtain their position on the ladder by exercising one
of the following options:
A. By holding last
years position
B.
By joining at the bottom of the ladder – After
play has started on August 1st, this is no longer an option.
C.
By using their one Free Challenge per season: per
ladder
You
have all season to exercise your Free Challenge (FC).
If
you FC in the last 10 days of any month, you need only one match that month.
Every other month requires the two-match minimum.
3.
When making
a FC, call someone on the ladder of your choice and set up a match no more than
2 weeks in advance. Then call the
ladder captain of that ladder and register the match.
Make sure you leave your name
and phone number and that of your partner (if applicable) when registering your
first match. The winner of
the match reports the win to the captain. If
you lose your FC, you will be dropped to the bottom of the last ladder in that
category.
4.
For doubles teams, both
players must pay the ladder fee before the team will be allowed to play any
matches. Teams that are holding
their position from last year may do with one partner paying by the deadline,
but the team will not be allowed to play until both players have paid. If both players have not paid their fee at the end of the
first month of play, they will be dropped 7 positions. If both players have not paid by the end of the second month
of play, they will be dropped from the ladder and will have to use their free
challenge if they wish to play.
1.
To play,
call someone on the ladder who is in your range of 7 up and 7 down and set up a
match no more than 2 weeks in advance. Required
play is 2 matches per month (1 up and 1 down). You may play two
downs in a month to satisfy the 2 match minimum, but never 2 ups.
The last 3 players on the lowest ladders do not have to play a down
unless called from below. Please try to keep your ups and downs as close as possible.
(For example: If you play 5 matches in a month, 3 ups and 2 downs are
acceptable.) A FC match is
considered an up match for the player exercising the FC, and considered a down
match for the player being challenged. You
must play the minimum of two matches per month, or you will drop 7 positions on
the ladder. If you only play two matches a month, you must play two
different players.
2.
You may
challenge any player within your range of 14 players (7 up and 7 down).
Since the newsletter is quickly outdated, please call your captain for
your range of 14 players. After you
have arranged a match, you must register it with the captain.
Call both ladder captains when challenging from the A1 to the A2 ladder,
or vice versa.
3.
The player
looking for the match is responsible for registering it. Failure to do so will deny him/her credit for the match.
However, the opponent will receive all credit.
4.
The winner
of the ladder match is responsible for reporting the win to the captain within 3
days. Failure to do so will deny
him/her credit for the match. However,
the opponent will receive all credit. The
winner assumes the position of the defeated player and the defeated player drops
one position. If the player in the
higher position wins, both players keep their previous positions.
5.
If a captain
receives a call that a player is trying to challenge you, and you do no respond
to that challenge, you will not be allowed to register another match until you
arrange a match wit that player.
6.
There are
only 2 legitimate reasons to cancel or reschedule a registered match:
(A)
Rain or (B) The temperature or wind chill temperature is below 32 degrees
(players’ option).
7.
Any match
interrupted by rain, darkness, or being bumped off the court must be played from
the point of interruption within 10 days.
8.
If you are
inactive on the ladder for 2 consecutive months (unless you have notified your
captain) your name will be removed from the printed list, however you will still
continue to receive the newsletter. If
you have not exercised your free challenge, you may free challenge back in at
any future point during the season. If
you have exercised your free challenge, you may contact the captain and resume
play from the bottom of the ladder
1.
It is a
forfeit if you are 15 minutes late for your match.
2.
Even if you
have played 2 matches early in the month, you must accept a match within 2 weeks
if you have no unplayed matches registered with your captain.
Failure to do so will result in a forfeit.
Call your captain if you are injured or going out of town;
this would excuse you from playing more than 2 matches.
3.
The player
giving the forfeit receives no credit for the match.
The player receiving the forfeit is considered to have won the match and
receives all credit.
1.
Any dispute
not covered by WTL rules will be settled by USTA rules and/or the WTL Officers.
2.
The player
in the higher position has the choice of court & the responsibility of court
reservations.
3.
The best 2
out of 3 sets with a 12-point tiebreak used at 6-6 in the third set determine
the winner. However, if all players
mutually agree, a tiebreak can be played in lieu of the 3rd set.
Also, if all players agree, you may also play an 8 game pro-set for the
match, using a 12-point tiebreak at 8-8.
4.
Both players
bring new balls to the match. Balls
must be USTA approved. One can is
opened, the loser takes home the used balls and the winner takes home the
unopened can. If you mutually agree
to play with used balls, no new balls are exchanged.
1.
Finals will
be at Echo Farms Country Club in February (see newsletter for date)
2.
Top 4
players on A1 ladders (each category) will qualify.
3.
#1 will play
#4 and #2 will play #3 in the first round (semi-finals)
4.
Semi-finals
matches will be scheduled by players who qualify during the first
weeks of February.
5.
Players
unavailable for playoffs must notify the president & the #5 player(s) will
move into playoff position. The
unavailable player(s) from the top 4 will move down to the #5 position.
6.
Winners of
semi-finals will play for 1st and 2nd; losers will play
for 3rd and 4th.
7.
You must
have a minimum of 12 matches in order to be eligible for the playoffs.