LEAGUE TABLE

SCORE SHEET (A5 landscape)

1.   HOW TO JOIN?

a.  To secure your place in the Doubles League, contact Jim Hunter via info@needingworthtennis.co.uk or through the Tennis WhatsApp Group. Each division holds four players. Any additional players who cannot be assigned to a division will be placed on a waiting list and admitted in entry order.

b.  New players or players returning to the doubles league will be placed in the lowest division, or if no place available, placed on the waiting list in entry order. Returning players do not take priority over those already on the waiting list.

c.  Juniors aged 14 and older are eligible to join the league provided they have been nominated by a coach and a signed parental consent form from the Club has been completed and submitted to the Welfare Officer. Parents of junior participants are expected to take the initiative in communicating with other members of their child's division.

d.  The Doubles League is administered solely via a dedicated Doubles WhatsApp Group, which is also used to send scores to the organiser as well as providing sight of scores to other competitors.

e.  Players may contact fellow competitors to arrange dates and times for matches by creating a WhatsApp group for their division, or by direct messaging as long as it complies with the Needingworth Tennis Club Online Safety and Communication Policy (click here to download) which strictly prohibits private messaging with any junior under the age of 18. Additionally, for juniors under 16, match arrangements can only be made through a registered parent. Players should arrange their match quickly to prevent delays. If no date can be agreed upon, the majority will choose one, and the fourth player must find a replacement as outlined in Rule 4c. If no replacement is found, the remaining three players will proceed according to Rule 4d. Divisions that either do not play or fail to register their match will be relegated by two divisions.

2.   DOUBLES COMPETITION FORMAT

a  Four players per division.

b.  Players must arrange their own matches and book a court for 90 minutes either via the website or the Booker phone App.

c.  Each match consists of nine games, so everyone plays a total of 27 games.

d.  Each player participating, partners every other player in the following strict rotation:

• A & B play C & D
• A & C play B & D
• A & D play B & C.

e.  No ad scoring  If the score reaches deuce, it’s a sudden death point. The default rule is - receiver’s choice. However, if there is a mixed pair(s), this should be gender to gender.

3.   CHOICE OF ENDS AND SERVICE

a.   The choice of ends and the choice to be server or receiver in the first game shall be decided by the toss of a coin or the spin of a racket before the warm-up starts. The pair who wins the toss may choose:

• To be server or receiver in the first game of the match, in which case the opponent(s) shall choose the end of the court for the first game of the match; or
• The end of the court for the first game of the match, in which case the opponent(s) shall choose to be server or receiver for the first game of the match; or
• To require the opponent(s) to make one of the above choices.

4.   DOUBLES COMPETITION TENNIS RULES

a.  Each League will run for a calendar month.

b.  Players are to provide their own tennis balls.

c.  If you can't play, you may ask someone on the waiting list or someone outside the current league to substitute for you. Their results can keep you from relegation but won't earn you promotion. However, if their results place you in the relegation zone, you will be relegated.

d   If you do not find a replacement, you go down 2 divisions. The remaining players play their matches 1 against 2, with the single player playing the singles court.

e.  If there are players waiting to enter the league and you have failed to play two times in 4 months you will automatically be withdrawn from the league.

f.   Players who retire mid-match keep the games they've won; the remaining lone player plays on the singles court v the other 2. All remaining rubbers must be played using the same format.

g.  Players arriving late will be deducted 1 game per full 5 minutes late.

h.  The winner sends a photo of the score sheet on the Doubles WhatsApp group.

i.   It is the player’s responsibility to check the website to ensure their score has been posted correctly.

j.   The new league will be posted on the first day of the month, it is up to individual players to check the website to see who their opponents are.

5.   PROMOTION / RELEGATION

a.   A tie for a promotion/relegation place will be decided by both players playing 1 golden point against each other. To decide who serves, spin a racket - Winner decides:

• To be server or receiver in which case the opponent shall choose the end of the court for the golden point; or
• The end of the court for the golden point, in which case the opponent shall choose to be server or receiver for the golden point; or
• To require the opponent to make one of the above choices.

The receiver selects which side of the court they will receive the serve from.

b.   The player with the highest score moves up a division,

c.   The player with the lowest score goes down a division.

d.   If 3 players tie, all will spin a racket; the two with matching calls play a golden point to determine the winner.  

Occasionally adjustments to positions may be necessary due to players dropping out of the league, or new players entering. While players may be moved up a division due to these adjustments, every effort will be made to ensure that nobody is moved down. If a player is moved up in this way, it will normally be a player who has retained their place in the lower division who moves up, rather than one staying in the higher division when they have come bottom.