LEAGUE RULES - Page 3

Page1 | Page2 | Page3 | Page4

COMPLETED MATCHES

25)  
(a) The Team Captains shall forward the completed score sheets in respect of all home matches played to the Match Secretary, within five days of the match being completed. Home teams whose score sheets have not been within 5 days, will be fined 2 points.  An additional 5 point fine will be imposed for a scorecard not received after fourteen days.  The match day is day 0.    Example- for a mtach played on Monday day 5 is Saturday.

     (b) Following an initial warning, a fine of 1 point may be imposed on both teams for any scorecard that is substantially incomplete or incorrect.  

26)  Any appeals against decisions of the Match Secretary must be made within two weeks of the Club having been informed of the decision or the match results having been posted on the web. Appeals must be submitted to the Chairman, in writing or by email and will only be accepted from either the Team Captain or the nominated Club Contact.  

CONDUCT OF MATCHES

27) One 'Home' and one 'Away' match shall be played between each team within the same Division. Matches shall consist of four doubles rubbers, there being four players in each team. Each rubber shall be the best of three sets, a tie break (first to seven by two clear points) to operate at six games all. If a rubber goes to a third set, that set will consist of a championship tie break (first to ten by two clear points). Each set shall count as one point.


28)  The Home team must provide a minimum of six new balls for each match. All balls must correspond to LTA standard and must be of the current year of manufacture. The Home team decides which courts (surface) a match is to be played on. The away team Captain may choose the order of play, eg 1st pair vs 1st pair, or 1st pair vs 2nd pair and which pairs play on which court. At the end of the first rubbers, the away team shall stay on the same courts. The match must be completed on these courts unless otherwise agreed by the Captains.

29)  Evening matches shall normally commence at 6.30 pm and all players shall be in attendance at that time. Week-end matches to start no earlier than 10.00am. However matches may commence at a different time, if this is agreed by the clubs before the beginning of the season. The Match Secretary must be informed by the home and away team on the fixture confirmation form (see Rule 18) if the agreed starting time is anything other than 6.30 pm. Unfinished or un-played sets will be scored 6-0 in the event of matches being unfinished due to:

a) The late arrival of one or more members of one of the participating teams.

b) (i) A player being unable to continue due to injury or other unavoidable cause.  If one or more members of one of the participating teams are not able to commence play within 30 minutes of the appointed starting time, the offending team or teams will forfeit one set for each affected rubber. If play does not commence within 60 minutes of the appointed starting time, the affected rubber(s) will be forfeited.

ii) The match will be forfeited if any player(s) is (are) not available to play either 60 minutes after the appointed start time or by the time that the first rubber has been completed, whichever is the later.

iii) Failure of a team or teams to fulfil a fixture, due to the non-arrival of one or more members or by failing to comply with Rule 18 in respect of postponed fixtures shall result in the non-offending team being awarded the match 8-0, sets being scored 6-0. In addition the offending team shall be fined 4 points for the first such occurrence of the season, 8 points for the second.

iv) If neither team has four eligible players able to play within 60 minutes of the scheduled start time, no points will be awarded for the match and both teams shall be fined as above.

The Executive Committee, however, has the right when a written appeal is made on the basis of exceptional circumstances to either (a) order the match to be re-arranged or (b) waive the deduction of points. The decision of the Executive Committee is final. Matches unfinished at the end of the season will be scored on the number of completed sets.

30)  a) If in the event of rain, bad light, or any other unavoidable cause, a match cannot be completed, then

(i) Where both the first 2 rubbers (see rule 27 for definition) have not been completed the match shall be deemed to have not started and shall be re-arranged as per rule 18.

(ii) If the first 2 rubbers have been completed the match will be treated as unfinished. Uncompleted sets shall be continued at a later date, re-starting where they are left off. The date for the match to be completed must be mutually agreed so that the same players participate.

b)  After arriving at the venue, the away team shall decide on whether the match is called off for bad light or extreme weather conditions once the match has started, but will forfeit any un-played or incomplete sets should they not return to finish the match.

c)  If a player involved in the match becomes injured and is unable to play for the rest of the season, then, in agreement with the opposition captain, a substitute may be used but must be from a lower team unless this is the club's lowest team. The Match Secretary to be notified of the date the match is to be completed or replayed, as in Rule 18.


Page1 | Page2 | Page3 | Page4