Fall 2010 WTTA League Rules

Fall 2010 WTTA League Rules Printable Version

GENERAL

WTTA is an amateur tennis league made up of five (5) days of play. It consists of a Fall season beginning in September and a Spring season beginning in February. A season shall consist of not less than six weeks or more than eleven weeks of play.
A Flight is a numerical designation for a group of teams. A flight consists of not more than twelve nor less than five teams. A team consists of four (4) doubles lines or eight (8) players.
If a flight exceeds ten to twelve teams, it will be split into a North (N) and a South (S) section. The split will be based on location of the team/club and driving distances. Teams will be split evenly (or as evenly as possible) between the two sections. Teams from the same club MAY be split between the North and South sections, based on the makeup of each flight.
In Flights that are split into "N" and "S" sections, each section will operate as a stand-alone Flight, and there will be no "playoff" between the two flights. In Flights that are split, only one team from each section will move up and one team will move down at the end of the season.
Flights Championship and 1 will play on Thursday mornings. Flights 2, 3 and 4 will play on Tuesday mornings. Flights 5, 6, and 7 will play on Wednesday mornings. Flights 8, 9, and 10 will play on Monday mornings. Seniors will play on Friday mornings.
The team rosters, sub-lists, and dues must be received by the WTTA Director by the designated dates. Additions will not be accepted after the deadline.
A captains meeting may be held as needed either before or during the season.
COURTS AND BALLS
1. Each club is responsible for providing sufficient courts for their teams on each day of play. The scheduler will attempt to evenly balance a club's teams between home and away each week. Minimum court requirements will be as follows:
  
  1 or 2 teams on a given day = 4 courts beginning at 9am
  3 or 4 teams on a given day = 8 courts beginning at 9am OR 4 courts from 9am to 2pm (staggered)
  5 or 6 teams on a given day = 12 courts beginning at 9am OR 8 courts from 9am to 2pm (staggered)
  
  Each club will indicate the number of courts they will provide, by day, when submitting their list of teams for each season. Clubs are encouraged to provide the most courts possible, to reduce or eliminate the need for late matches.
2. WTTA is a HARD/OUTDOOR court league. NO SOFT/CLAY COURTS will be allowed for match play.
3. Indoor courts may be used at any time both captains agree. When teams elect to play indoors, visitors should expect to pay half the court fees and abide by indoor court times and rules.
4. Any outdoor court fees or guest fees must be paid by the home team.
5. The playing site must have a rest room and home teams must furnish water ON COURT for the duration of the match.
6. For each match, the home team will furnish a new can of yellow tennis balls to be opened when all four players are on court. Only Penn, Wilson, Prince or Dunlop USTA approved balls may be used. Balls specifically designed for indoor or clay courts may not be used. No practice balls or seconds are allowed. If the playing site is changed, the original home team will still be responsible for providing the balls for the match.
TEAM PLACEMENTS: Flights 1 through 10 (For Championship and Seniors Rules, refer to Last Section)

ESTABLISHED TEAM:
a team with at least 5 of the 8 roster players returning from the previous season. The roster players listed in the second half of the season shall be considered the established team.
NEW TEAM:
a team with 4 or fewer returning roster players
NEW PLAYER:
a player who was not listed on the team roster the previous season, or a player who was listed on the roster the first half of the season and then removed. Substitutes are considered new players.

TEAM PLACEMENT RULES - FLIGHTS 1 THROUGH 10 (For Championship and Seniors Rules, refer to Last Section)
1. In flights which have not been divided into "N" and "S", a team that finishes first or second in Flight 2 through 10 must move up one flight for the next season and a team that finishes last or next to last in Flight 1 through 9 must move down one flight for the next season. In flights which have been divided into "N" and "S" sections, only the team that finishes first in each "N" or "S" section will move up, and only the team that finishes last will move down.
2. New teams may request to enter in their flight of choice. New teams will be required to submit a \"New Team Form\" to their club representative prior to the placement meeting. On this form, the team should show their flight of choice, as well as all other flights they are willing to play
3. FINAL TEAM PLACEMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE PLACEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE WTTA EXECUTIVE BOARD. ALL PLACEMENT DECISIONS ARE FINAL
4. If a new team cannot be placed in one of the flights they are willing to play, then that team will not be placed for the upcoming season, and those players will be eligible to play or sub for other teams.
5. Once a team has been placed in a flight, if a team drops out of the league, the players on that roster are ineligible to play or sub for any team within the WTTA league for that current season.
ROSTER AND SUBSTITUTE REQUIREMENTS
1. All players and substitutes must meet the following qualifications for the duration of the season to participate:
  1. Must be at least 21 years old.
  2. Must be a member or have WTTA membership privileges in the club that she represents.
  3. Must play for the same club during the season. May only be on one team roster per season. (Note exception in Seniors Rules)
  4. Must be listed on the team roster or sub list.
  Professional players are only eligible to play in the Championship flight. A professional player is a player who receives income for playing tennis, or who is a USPTA or USPTR certified teaching professional.
  
  ILLEGAL PLAYER: An illegal player is defined as someone played by a team who fails to meet one or more of the above requirements. If an illegal player is played, that team will forfeit all the points from all the lines in all the matches that the illegal player has played. The opponent will receive a default and 5 points for the line(s) on which the illegal player was used, in addition to any points that the opponent would normally have received for the other lines.
1. Each club must submit a TEAM ROSTER of eight (8) players for each flight entered in Flights 1 through 10. Seniors team will submit a roster of six (6) players. Championship teams will submit a roster with a minimum of six (6) and a maximum of eight (8) roster players.
2. Each club must submit a corresponding SUB-LIST for each flight entered.
3. A roster player may be replaced permanently on the roster at the date designated for mid-season roster and sublist changes. The replacement player must come from the sublist for that flight, or below, or be a new player to WTTA. She cannot come from a higher flight's sublist.
4. A player who is taken off a Flight roster (Championship through Flight 10) at mid-season will be ineligible to play or sub for any WTTA team in Flights Championship-10 for the balance of that season. A player who is taken off a Seniors roster at mid-season will be ineligible to play or sub for any WTTA Seniors team for the balance of that season.
5. If the listing of any roster player or sub is questionable on the level she is entered, the Executive Board and Director have the right to investigate the circumstances and change the player or sub to the appropriate flight. If no appropriate flight exists at that club, a player may be required to be removed from that club's roster or sublist.
SUBSTITUTE RULES:
1. A ROSTER PLAYER may be considered a substitute in any higher flight. She may not sub for any other team in her same flight. She may not sub DOWN.
2. A SUBSTITUTE PLAYER may sub up in any higher flight. She may not sub DOWN.
3. Substitute and Roster players may only sub once per match. Their name may only appear once on a scorecard.
4. Substitution rules apply to ALL matches including scheduled, make-up, or rain-outs
USE OF SUBSTITUTES - FLIGHTS 1 THROUGH 10 (For Championship and Seniors Rules, refer to Last Section)
1. Each season will be divided into two halves. For purposes of sub use, the first half will be either (a)the first four scheduled weeks of play for an eight or nine match season, or (b) the first five scheduled weeks of play for a ten or eleven match season. Byes will count as a match.
2. Each team will be allowed a specific number of subs in each half of the season without any scoring adjustment.
3. Lines using subs over the specific allowance will receive one point less for a match win or a set win. Once a team has used the allowed number of subs in each half of the season, subs can still be used. However, a line using a sub (or subs) would get one point less than the points which would normally be awarded for that line. If the line would not have received any points, then there is no point deduction.
4. A team that has a seven or eight week season would be allowed six subs per half for a total of 12 subs per season. A team has a nine or ten week season would be allowed seven subs per half for a total of 14 subs per season. A team which has an eleven week season would be allowed eight subs per half for a total of 16 subs per season.
5. Subs will be counted from Line 1 through Line 4. Thus if a team uses more than one sub in a match, the sub on the highest line is counted first, etc. This will be the process for determining which sub is the first sub over the limit each half.
6. Matches scheduled for the first half of the season must use subs listed for that date, even though the match, if rained out, may be played after the date for making roster and sublist changes at mid-season.
MATCH PLAY
1. Team matches will consist of four (4) doubles matches in Flights 1 through 10, and three (3) doubles matches in Championship and Seniors.
2. Individual matches will be the best 2 out of 3 sets using regular scoring. The Coman tie-breaker as specified by the USTA will be used at 6-all in every set. The Coman Tiebreak is the same as the prior tiebreak procedure except that ends are changed after the first point, then after every four points, and at the conclusion of the Tiebreak. First team to 7 points, by a margin of 2 or more, will win the tiebreak and the set.
3. SCORING:
  
  5 - points for a straight set win (2 sets)
  4- points for a three set win
  1 - point for a three set loss
  
  In Flights 1 through 10, when a line is using a sub, and their team has used all of their allowed subs for that half of the season, that line will receive 1 point less than the usual scoring for a win.
4. All matches should be played as scheduled at the same location. The location of different courts must be declared seven (7) days in advance and the location approved by the guest captain.
5. Early matches must begin promptly at 9:30 AM. Players are urged to arrive for the match between 9:00 AM and 9:15 AM to have ample warm-up time with their opponents.
6. Play is continuous from the first ball served in the match, therefore, all practice serves must be taken during pre-match warm-up. A ten (10) minute rest period is permitted between the 2nd and 3rd sets.
7. If a late match is scheduled, the visiting captain may offer available courts at their facility for an early match. The visiting captain should contact the home team captain as early as possible, once the availability of courts is assured. The home team captain then has the option to move the match to the visitors' location, and play at 9:30, or keep the match at their home courts, and begin no later than 11:30. If a match is changed from the original time and/or place shown on the schedule, the captain(s) MUST notify their flight coordinator, so that the schedule information can be corrected on the website. If contact is not made by the visiting captain prior to the match, or if there is no affirmative response from the home captain, then the match will be played at the site and time originally scheduled.
8. If a late match is scheduled, it will be placed on court no later than 11:30 AM. As courts are made available from the early match, lines may be placed on court to begin warmup with their opponents. Players are urged to arrive between 11:00 and 11:15am, to be ready to take the courts for warm up as soon as courts are available.
9. All 9:30 teams must relinquish courts to late matches by 11:30 AM, or upon conclusion of each line, whichever is earlier. If by 11:30 AM, any of the early matches are not completed, the match in progress must be moved to another court at the playing facility if a court is immediately available. If no court is available, the match will be treated as a rainout once play has begun, and rescheduled for completion from that point at a later date. (See Weather Conditions)
LINE-UPS, SCORE CARDS DEFAULTS & RETIRED MATCHES
1. Each team must have a captain or acting captain present at every match.
2. Matches must begin promptly. For early matches, play should begin at 9:30 AM and all warm-up, pre-match bathroom breaks, etc. should be taken prior to that time. For late matches, a 15 minutes warm-up with your opponents will be allowed from the time each line goes on court. Players who do not get on court until 11:30 AM will be allowed a 15 minutes warm-up with their opponents, and play should begin no later than 11:45 AM.
3. The team captains must have their WTTA line-up/score card made out and ready to exchange with the opposing captains before any match begins. Captains should wait to exchange line-ups until all players are present. If all players are present, cards should be exchanged no later than 9:15 or 11:15 and players proceed to courts to warm up with their opponents. By 9:30, or 11:30, the official start time, all players not present to play shall be deemed forfeited and all default rules will be in effect. A default should not be played and is credited to the team having both players present on time. No personalities, extenuating circumstances, or other leniency should be given.
4. A default will be declared first for Line 4, then for Line 3, and so on. Line-up cards should be adjusted by both captains to record the default(s). Subs on higher lines may be replaced with Roster players, etc., and then cards should be exchanged. If the captain is not present, a player from that team must exchange the line-up in her place. If captains erroneously exchange line-ups before players are present, and a default then occurs, both captains should get back their lineup cards and make any necessary changes and then exchange the final lineup. After this final exchange, once players have been sent to their courts, no changes to the lineup may be made.
5. The captain is required to indicate SUB or ROSTER SUB by the names of such players.
6. Each captain, or designate, must input and/or verify the match result or enter that a rainout has occurred at the WTTA website by midnight of the day following the originally scheduled match. In the case of a rain makeup, the results must be input and verified by midnight of the day following the last scheduled line of the match. ANY MATCH RESULTS NOT INPUT INTO THE WTTA WEBSITE BY MIDNIGHT THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED MATCH WILL BE VOIDED, AND NO POINTS WILL BE AWARDED FOR THAT MATCH. IF A RAINOUT HAS OCCURRED, THIS MUST BE ENTERED BY MIDNIGHT OF THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED MATCH, OR THE MATCH WILL BE VOID AND NO FURTHER RESULTS/DATES WILL BE ENTERED.
7. Each captain, when inputting the results of a match, should give their opponent a sportsmanship ranking which will be used to determine the Sportsmanship winners in each flight at the end of the season.
8. When defaulting a position, if possible, contact the opposing captain and notify them of the default prior to the match. Captains are required to notify their opponents of a default as soon as they are certain that a default will take place. Line # 4 will receive the default and will not be required to appear at the match site. If a default has been given prior to a match, and the match is rained out with no play, then the default is voided.
9. A defaulted match, for any reason, is scored the same as a match played 6-0, 6-0. The names of ALL players, including those defaulting, must be recorded on the score card with the word DEFAULT.
10. Any team that defaults two or more lines in a single match will be removed from the current WTTA season. This means that all of their prior and future matches for that season will be treated as a bye for their opponents. Any prior matches will be voided, with all points and results removed, and all future matches will be changed to a bye for opponents. Extreme extenuating circumstances may be reviewed by the WTTA Board on a case by case basis.
11. If a player becomes unable to play for any reason after warm up has begun, but prior to match play beginning, that player/line will retire from their match on that line. No other lines will be moved/affected once line-ups have been exchanged AND warm up has begun.
12. If a match is RETIRED after warmup or match play has begun because a player is unable to continue for any reason, the match should be scored to the point of retirement, giving the win to the players who did not stop play. All points, games, and sets stand as played.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
1. Rained out matches may be rescheduled.
2. In the event of rain, or other "extreme weather conditions" as defined in the WTTA Rules, captains should contact each other by 8:00 AM for the early matches or 10:00 AM for the late matches if conditions are marginal. If the other team cannot be reached prior to the cancellation of the match, someone from the home team must meet the other team at the courts. The home team captain has the responsibility to ascertain and communicate the conditions for match time at the home courts should there be the possibility of rain or "extreme weather" as defined in the WTTA Rules. Should "extreme weather" or rain conditions exist at match time, either captain can require the cancellation and rescheduling of the match.
3. Both captains must go to the WTTA website, once a rainout has occurred, and input into the system that a rainout has occurred. This must be done by midnight of the day after the scheduled date for the match. If all lines have been rescheduled by that time, then the new dates of play should be entered. If not, then the date of the match should be left the same but the rainout entered. Within 72 hours, once rescheduling is complete, then the new dates must be input.
4. Both captains must go to the WTTA website, by midnight of the day after the scheduled date for the last line of a rain makeup and input the results for all four lines of the makeup match. ANY MATCH RESULTS NOT INPUT BY MIDNIGHT OF THE DAY FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULED DATE FOR THE LAST LINE OF A RAIN MAKEUP WILL BE VOIDED, AND NO POINTS WILL BE AWARDED FOR THAT MATCH.
5. Rained-out matches must be rescheduled at the discretion of the captains and players. Teams may play these make-up matches by positions rather than as a whole team. The host players must initiate the rescheduling of the matches within 24 hours. If visiting teams are not contacted within that time, they should initiate contact with the home team. Rescheduling must be completed by all four lines within 72 hours. If players cannot agree on a date within 72 hours, the flight coordinator will be required to assist. (See Item 6 below)
6. Line-ups given for make-up matches must list the names of two ROSTER players for each line. If a roster player will be unable to play the match, their name must still be given in the line up exchange. A sub may then be used to play the match, when necessary. Once line-ups have been exchanged, players CANNOT be moved from one line to another.
7. If a sub's name is erroneously given in the initial lineup exchange, that sub may NOT be moved to play on any other line. The roster player whose name was not given may not play any line. If the sub whose name was given is unable to play on the actual makeup date, another eligible sub may be used in her place.
8. Players must be flexible in designating MORE THAN ONE alternative day and time for make-up matches. Monday through Friday morning, with a start time before noon, is considered standard. Night and weekend times are not considered standard. However, all four players may agree to play at these times. Once a match is rescheduled, players are committed to play on that date, and at that time. If a roster player cannot play on the date of the rescheduled match, she must get a sub or default. Cancellation because of rain for individual make-up matches is determined by the home team players based on the conditions of the actual playing site.
9. All make-up matches must be played within 3 calendar weeks of the rain out. The official WTTA Thanksgiving or Spring Break week will not count. If the make-up is rained out, the match must be played within the original 3 calendar weeks from the scheduled match date, or 10 days from the date of the makeup match, whichever is later. However, all matches must be played by the end of the 14th day following that flight's last match of the season.
10. If a line cannot agree on a reschedule date that falls within the three week window, or if a line has not completed rescheduling within 72 hours, the flight coordinator must be requested to assist. Each team should write down all of the standard dates they are willing to play. The Flight Coordinator will randomly draw one of the dates. The home team will immediately check to insure that courts are available on that date and time. If not, the home team may either agree to play at an alternate site where courts are available, or may require that another date be selected, in order to play at the originally scheduled site. The home team Club Rep may be requested to assist in verifying court availability. Once the date is drawn and courts are secured, that becomes the officially rescheduled date. The team that is unable to play on that date must either send a sub or default.
11. RAIN ON SITE: If there is a good chance that all 4 courts will be playable by 10:00 AM, and no late match is scheduled for those courts, all 16 players must remain on-site and available to play. Captains should use reasonable judgment in determining whether courts will be playable within the alloted time and ask players to help prepare the courts for play. If all 4 courts are not playable by 9:30 AM,. and a late match is scheduled for those courts, or by 10:00 AM if no late match is scheduled, then the early match will be deemed a rain-out and rescheduling rules will apply. The captain of the team whose facility is being used (or the player from that facility in the case of a rain make-up where the captain is not involved) has the final call on the condition of the courts. However, no player can be forced to play in unsafe conditions. Late matches should arrive on court by 11:15 AM, as normal, unless the courts are still not playable at that time. Lineups will be exchanged no later than 11:15, and players should begin play by 11:30 AM.
12. Rain occurs on site after line-ups have been exchanged:
  1. When no matches have started play and the match is cancelled, changes may be made to the line-up if necessary. Roster players must replace subs and players may be moved from one line to another. These changes MUST be made on site. If a default has been issued, it is now voided.
  2. When a minimum of one match has started play, the match or matches in progress must be continued by the same players and resumed at the same point, game, and set as they stood when halted. Any point played is always counted and never played again. This is the same procedure that will be used for early matches not completed by 11:30, where alternate courts are not available. The matches that have not begun will be treated the same as rescheduled matches. Subs and roster players not in the original line-up are eligible. However, players listed in the original line-up may not be moved from one line to another. Any default issued will stand.
13. All matches must be completed by the end of the 14th day following the last regularly scheduled match of the season for that flight or those lines/matches will be forfeited by both squads and no points will be awarded. Thus a team playing on Monday will have through the Monday two weeks following their last regularly scheduled match to complete and input all matches for the season. Multiple rainouts will be reviewed by the Executive Board.
14. It is a WTTA policy that any school holiday or recognized religious holiday may be rescheduled ONLY by the affected lines at individual clubs. Matches scheduled for teams whose Spring Break is other than that of AISD may reschedule affected lines per the school holiday procedure. Teams which desire to reschedule line(s) due to a school or religious holiday must notify the opposing captain, as well as their Flight Coordinator, prior to the start of each season. This notification should be done via an email sent on or before the Friday preceding the start of the season, to the opposing captain for that match, copied to the Flight Coordinator, giving the date when line(s) will need to be rescheduled. At least two weeks prior to the match, the team requesting a reschedule must notify the opponent, again copying the Flight Coordinator, of the specific line(s) which will need to be rescheduled, and the names of the players on those line(s). For matches during the first two weeks of play, the original notification should include the lines and names of players who will need to reschedule. Within 72 hours of this notification, the opposing captain must provide names and contact information for her players who will be playing the rescheduled line(s) so that rescheduling can be accomplished. As with all reschedules, if agreement has not been reached within 72 hours, the Flight Coordinator should be contacted to assist. Players should attempt to reschedule the lines at the earliest possible date, including dates earlier than the originally scheduled date of play, to avoid delays. Players participating in USTA sectional or national tournaments that conflict with their WTTA matches may reschedule their lines as well. The rescheduling of these matches must be declared at least two weeks in advance of the originally scheduled date, otherwise the match will be played as scheduled.
15. EXTREME WEATHER conditions, other than rain, should follow the rainout procedure. Those conditions are: actual temperatures of 40* and below, wind chill of 32* and below, actual temperatures of 105* and above, or sustained winds of 30 mph or more.
RAINOUT SUMMARY OF ACTIONS REQUIRED:

              BY MIDNIGHT OF THE DAY FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULED MATCH:

Captains must make contact and exchange lineup information  using roster players names ONLY.

Captains must enter into the WTTA website that a rainout has occurred. Dates should be entered if they have been decided. If not, the original match date can remain.

              WITHIN 72 HOURS OF START TIME OF SCHEDULED MATCH:

Captains must complete rescheduling of all four lines and enter all dates into the WTTA website

If any line has not completed rescheduling, captains must contact Flight Coordinator and provide list of available dates for their line to play. At that point the Flight Coordinator will randomly choose a date, and the rescheduling will be complete. If one team does not contact the Flight Coordinator, then a date will be drawn from the other team's dates, and both teams will be required to play on that date.

               BY MIDNIGHT OF THE DAY FOLLOWING THE LAST LINE SCHEDULED TO PLAY:

Captains must input all results for all four lines of the match into the WTTA system.

Should any line be rained out a second (or third) time, the new date of play must be entered into the system by midnight of the day following the additional rainout.

FLIGHT WINNERS
1. A total of all points at the end of the regular season will determine the order of finish in a Flight.
2. Ties for all positions will be broken as follows:
  1. Head to head results: Most points received
  2. Head to head results: Least games lost
  3. Fewest subs used during the season
3. The team winning its Flight will receive a plaque that can be displayed at their club. All players on the teams finishing 1st or 2nd in a Flight will receive an individual gift.
4. All players on the team with the highest average rating for Sportsmanship in each Flight will receive an individual gift.
STANDARD RULES OF CONDUCT
1. Players may not accept any coaching during the progress of a match except during an official rest period (not to exceed 10 minutes) between the 2nd and 3rd sets. This means coaching by a designated coach or spectator, directly or indirectly.
2. Teammates or spectators may not volunteer advice on line calls, scoring, or the conduct of a match. It is the home team's responsibility to control the spectators' conduct during play. Poor behavior will not be tolerated. Only players are permitted to be on court during play. No pets allowed.
3. There shall be no hindrance of a player during a match. This includes but is not limited to: telephones, cameras, videocams, beepers, pagers, children or pets (regardless of supervision).
  
  CELL PHONES: Cell phones must be silenced during play. Should a phone ring during play, any player hindered by the ring may call a let. The phone should then be silenced and the point replayed. If the player refuses to silence the phone and it audibly rings again during play, that player loses the point based on a deliberate hindrance.
4. No official linesman or umpires will be provided for matches; however, a player from each team may stand at the net to observe play for the duration of the match if a linesman is necessary.
5. Per USTA Rules regarding unofficiated matches, if Players cannot agree on a rule question during play, they have the option to either go back to a point prior to the disagreement, play a let for the point that is in question, or if they cannot agree to do either of those, a coin toss will determine how the matter is decided. This covers areas where players are unclear on rules covering a situation that occurs during match play and no USTA rule source is available.
6. If players violate either WTTA rules or the USTA code of conduct during a match, USTA rules regarding unofficiated matches will again be used. This means that the player first receives a warning, then if the offense occurs again, the player loses first a point, then a game, and then the match.
7. All participants in WTTA are bound by WTTA Bylaws, League Rules, as well as the official USTA rules, \"The Code\", and the handbook of ethics and fair play. All participants are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship and to accurately report all match results. Not all possible incidents and ramifications can be covered in the above rules. The Board can investigate allegations of unethical behavior, as well as violations of the rules, and is authorized to take appropriate actions, up to and including dismissal from the league, for any player or players involved.
8. Participants in unusual or undocumented situations should be referred to your captain. If in doubt, your captain may contact your Flight Coordinator or Club Representative. She will answer your question, contact the WTTA Director, or help you make an official protest to the Executive Board.

STAND ALONE FLIGHTS: Championship and Seniors

GENERAL

All WTTA Rules and By-laws apply to the Championship and Senior Flights with the following exceptions:

Teams in the Championship and Senior flights consist of three (3) doubles lines of play. A returning team is a team with 4 or more of the roster players returning. A team with 3 or fewer roster players returning will be considered new.
There is no automatic movement between the Championship and Seniors flight(s) and the other "numbered" flights from season to season.
For Seniors, all roster players and substitutes must be fifty-five (55) years of age before the season begins.
For Seniors play only, players are allowed to play for two clubs during the same season. Senior players may be listed as roster players or subs for one club for a Flighted team, and as Seniors roster players or subs for a second club. However, those players must be listed in those additional flights as roster players or substitutes to be eligible.
The Championship and Senior flights have no limitations in the number of eligible subs used.
Players who are replaced on a Senior team roster at mid-season will be ineligible to play or sub for any Senior team for the balance of that season but may continue to play or sub for a Flighted team, if they are listed there.
Teams wishing to move into or out of the Championship level, either returning teams or new teams, will submit their request to the Placement Committee on or before the deadline for new team applications. Teams winning Flight 1 are encouraged to pursue the opportunity to play at the Championship level. Teams who are in Championship and wish to move down to Flight 1 should also submit their request in writing. Teams that have good results in Championship (do not finish last) are encouraged to continue to compete at that level.
Any team that wishes to add a "professional" player to their roster will be required to also request Placement at the Championship level. Teams with professional players on their roster, who wish to request movement down to Flight 1, will have to replace those players in order to be eligible to play below the Championship level.

WTTA POLICY PROCEDURES

OFFICIAL PROTESTS/GRIEVANCES

All protests and grievances concerning match play, etc. should first be taken to the appropriate Flight Coordinator and/or club rep. If the issue cannot be resolved at that level, than the Captain of any team may file an Official protest with the WTTA board.

Official protests may be filed by the Captain of any team participating in WTTA who feels one or more of the WTTA rules has been violated. The protest must be in writing and submitted to the Director of the league within 5 days of the protested match. The protest must contain details of the dispute and all previous actions taken. A $25.00 filing fee must accompany the written protest. Representation at the official hearing before the Executive Board will be optional, but limited to two people from each club.

REQUESTS FOR VARIANCE

Variance requests may be filed by the Captain of any team participating in WTTA. They must be in writing and submitted to the Director of the league by July 1 for the Fall season and by January 1 for the Spring season. The request must contain a detailed explanation of the special circumstances and valid reasons why the Executive Board should grant the variance. A $25.00 filing fee must accompany the written request. Representation before the Executive Board will be optional, but limited to two people from each club.

REQUESTS FOR REVIEW OF RULE(S)

Any WTTA member who feels that one or more of the current WTTA league rules is negatively impacting the league as a whole may request review of that rule by the Administrative Committee of the Executive Board. In order to have that rule reviewed, the member must submit a request in writing to the Executive Director. The request should state the rule that the member would like to have reviewed, and the reason that the member feels this rule is a negative for the league. The member should also include recommendations for possible changes, etc. All requests must be in by February 1 of each year, and rule changes will only be reviewed and announced before the summer of each year, for implementation with the Fall season. (Rules clarifications may be made at any time necessary during the year).