Hills Tennis Association Inc

.. = changes made in 16/17

Rules of Match and Play

Hills Tennis Association Inc

Season 2016/2017

It is recommended all teams have a copy of these Rules of Match and Play available to them

PLEASE REFER TO THESE RULES OF MATCH AND PLAY WHENEVER YOU

EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM

If problems remain unresolved contact relevant Committee Senior or Junior Activities, Midweek or Night Tennis via a written request on the Complaints Form Appendix 6 (2) or download from HTA website.

CONTENTS

1.INTRODUCTION 3

1.1Glossary

1.2Application of these Rules

1.3General Penalty Clause

2.REGISTRATION & RESTRICTION OF PLAYERS all Seasons 3

2.1Registration HTA and Tennis SA; Junior Age Limits

2.2Restrictions on Players

3.TEAM NOMINATIONS 5

3.1Nomination Forms

3.2 Grading of Teams/Setup of players in results recording software

3.3Withdrawal of Teams

3.4 Other Tennis Association participation - Junior and Senior

4.MATCH PROGRAMME 6

4.1Competitions

4.2Match Dates and Venues

5.SELECTION OF TEAMS 6

5.1Team Members5.2Order of Merit

5.3Alteration to Order of Merit

5.4Bye

5.5Forfeiting Matches

5.6Eligibility for Finals

5.7Finals Matches

5.8Drawn Finals Matches

5.9Team List for Finals- Senior and Junior Comps only

6.PROVISION OF EQUIPMENT 10

6.1Provision of Tennis Balls

6.2Net

6.3Nets Straps

6.4Wet Weather Equipment

7.CONDUCT OF MATCHES 10

7.1Completion of Scoresheet before Commencement Time

7.2Match Times

7.3Hit-ups:

7.4Late Arrival or Non Attendance

7.5Forfeiture of Sets

7.6Order of Play

7.7Match Format

7.8Tiebreak:

7.9Right to Commence Serving:

7.10Umpires

7.11Clothing

7.12Morning & Afternoon Tea

8.CONDUCT OF PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS 13

8.1 Player Behaviour and Rules

8.2 Foot Faults

9.CANCELLED, UNFINISHED AND ABANDONED MATCHES 13

9.1Cancellation of Matches Due to Hot Weather

9.2Abandonment of a Match Due to Emergency Services Duties

9.3Abandonment of Matches Due to Wet Weather

10.MATCH RESULTS 14

10.1Lodgement of Results

10.2Printing of and Forwarding of Completed Match Scoresheets

10.3Forwarding Abandoned Match Scoresheets

11.PREMIERSHIP POINTS 14

11.1Determination of Winning Team

11.2Allocation of Points for Decided Matches

11.3Allocation of Points for Forfeited Matches

11.4Allocation of Points for Cancelled or Abandoned Matches

11.5Allocation of Points to Teams Affected by Programme Changes

11.6Premiership Tables

12.PREMIERSHIP AWARDS 15

12.1Presentation of Shields/Cups

12.2Presentation of Pennants

13.COURTS 15

13.1Association Use of Club Courts

13.2Two Courts per Allocated Match

13.3Court Preparation

13.4Court Obstructions

14.COMMUNICATION/SUBMISSIONS TO THE RELEVANT COMMITTEES 16

14.1Communication

14.2Submissions

15.APPENDIX 1: Code of Conduct Policy 17

16.APPENDIX 2: Tennis Australia Rules for Non-Umpired Matches 18

17.APPENDIX 3: Tennis Australia Etiquette 19

18.APPENDIX 4: Outside Interference 19

19.APPENDIX 5 (1): Foot Faults 19

20.APPENDIX 5 (2): HTA Foot Fault Report Form 20

21.APPENDIX 5 (3): Foot Fault Flow Chart 21

22.APPENDIX 6 (1): Tennis Grievance Procedure Flowchart22

23.APPENDIX 6 (2): Tennis Grievance Procedure - Complaint Form23

24.APPENDIX 7: Beginners Skills Checklist24

25. APPENDIX 8: Five Player Rule Interpretations 25

26.APPENDIX 9: One Relative Position Explanation 26

INTRODUCTIONGlossary

Throughout these rules the word Association shall mean the Hills Tennis Association Inc.

The term Management Committee shall mean the elected Management Committee of the Association.

The term Junior Activities Committee shall mean the elected Junior Activities Committee of the Association.

The term Senior Activities Committee shall mean the elected Senior Activities Committee of the Association.

Relevant Committee means either the SAC, JAC or Night Committee whichever one is relevant to the query/issue being raised

The word Club shall mean any Member Club of the Association.

Seniors have no age restriction

The word Junior applies to aspects of the Association which have an upper age limit. (For more detail see Rule 2.1).

The term Cancellation of Matches shall mean any matches officially cancelled by the relevant Committee.

The term Abandonment of a Match shall mean any match not completed for some reason, but by mutual agreement of both participating Captains and Supervisors.

The term One Relative Position per Week shall mean one position where the players named are the same as those named for the previous week.

A week shall mean the time between one programmed Saturday match and the next.

Application of these Rules

1.2.1 These rules shall be read in conjunction with the constitution of the Association and shall apply to all Association players unless the rule indicates otherwise.

No deviation from these rules shall be permitted by any Club unless prior authorisation has been obtained from the relevant Committee Senior Activities Committee, Junior Activities Committee, Night Committee or Midweek Committee. The SAC, JAC, Night and Midweek Committees have been given authority to interpret these rules when necessary and to sanction exemptions for their relevant competitions. The decisions of the relevant Committees shall be final.

1.2.2 All matches shall be conducted under the rules of tennis and the tennis etiquette and rules for non-umpired matches as adopted by Tennis Australia except as otherwise stated herein. Any player continually breaching the rules, or a single serious breach of the rules shall be reported to the relevant committee for action.

1.2.3 Any changes made to these rules by the Management Committee shall be forwarded to Club Secretaries after grading is complete and at least two weeks prior to the start of the season in which that rule shall apply.

General Penalty Clause:

Violation of any rule contained herein may attract a penalty. The Management Committee may impose a financial penalty upon any Club, or a premiership point penalty upon any team, for any breach of the rules of match and play. Any such penalty shall be decided by the relevant Committee and may be applied in addition to any specific penalty mentioned elsewhere herein.

REGISTRATION & RESTRICTION OF PLAYERS All SeasonsRegistration HTA and Tennis SA; Junior Age Limits

HTA: all players shall be registered on playing their first match. Details required are name, contact telephone number and, for junior players only, date of birth, to be provided on either:

a) An Association team nomination form forwarded by the club concerned in accordance with Rule 3.1 or

b) Any additional players may be registered by entering their full name and details into the Results Recording software program.

c) All players need to be registered with Tennis SA by their first match each year. This is done via the Tennis SA approved player registration software, currently My Tennis. Any player not registered is not insured, therefore, it is in the clubs best interest to register all players, including Hot Shots, occasional fill-ins, coaching only participants, volunteers, committee members and life members. Cover does not start until payment is received. The HTA recommends that clubs pay Tennis SA by the beginning of the season, or the due date of the official Tennis SA invoice at the latest.

d) Clubs also need to affiliate with Tennis SA, based on the number of home courts used plus any other courts hired/rented/used that are not already affiliated with Tennis SA), These additional venues must be included on the clubs Tennis SA affiliation form to ensure insurance coverage (this does not apply if hiring courts from another HTA affiliated club). If a club is using courts managed by another club, it should gain evidence from that other club to prove that they are affiliated with Tennis SA and that those courts are covered. This evidence is to be submitted to the HTA and those courts do not need to be included in the court count required for affiliation.

Penalty: Forfeiture of all sets played after 1st November in the current season for those players not registered with Tennis SA

Junior Player: for the purpose of Tennis SA registration a Junior Player is defined as being 18 years and under as at 30 September prior to the beginning of the current season.

The date of birth of all players aged 18 years and under must be provided to indicate eligibility for Junior membership and inter-association team selection.

Junior Age Limit: Players 17 and under as at 30 September prior to the beginning of the current season are eligible to play in the current HTA Junior Saturday morning competition. No player aged 6 and under is permitted to play competitive tennis without an Exceptional Talent Permit from the JAC. These players may participate in Hot Shots (red ball) at club level only. Players who are aged 10 and under as at 30 September prior to the beginning of the current season must not commence playing in the yellow ball competition without an Exceptional Talent Permit from the JAC. Junior players who played yellow ball in previous season may continue to play yellow ball in the current season without a permit.

Age restrictions apply to the Junior Beginner Orange Ball Competition. Players who are 8 & under as at 30 September prior to the beginning of the current season are eligible to commence playing Saturday Morning Junior Tennis in this division. This division is a modified competition smaller court and low compression balls.(refer to orange ball guidelines for further details).

Age and skill restrictions apply to the Green Ball division. Players who are 10&U as at 30 September prior to the beginning of the current season are eligible to play in this division if they have achieved the skills as per the Beginners Skills Checklist.

Both the Orange and Green Ball competitions are mixed competitions with their own divisions 1, 2 etc.

Restrictions on Players

A player may:

1.2.1 Play for one club in the junior competition and play for a different club in the senior competition.

1.2.2 Play for one club in the Saturday competition and for another club in the Night, Midweek or Winter Pennant competitions.

1.2.3 Juniors only -In emergencies only, play in both junior 8.30am and 10.30am timeslots.

1.2.4 Play for 2 teams from the same club in the same division, but only if they are regular number 3 or 4 position players in that division. All players may cross between teams for the first 4 weeks only. Fill-ins may fill in for any team, but once they have played 5 matches for one team, that is deemed to be their regular team.

A player may not:

1.2.5 Be permitted to play for more than one club in the same competition.

1.2.6 Play for 2 different Clubs in this Association in the same season and competition, unless written clearance is obtained from the players former Club.

1.2.7 Play in more than one senior match in each series of matches.

1.2.8 Play for more than one tennis Association in the same series of competitions (ie, any Junior comp, Friday night or Saturday morning, any Senior Saturday competition, morning or afternoon) during a season.

Clarification 1: Players playing in an Association deemed to be an extension of the HTA (excluding Metro League) will be permitted to fill in for a HTA club (Division 1 only) a maximum of 3 times per player per season. This applies to the lowest 2 players as per the nomination form. Permission for any other player to fill back to the HTA must be expressly given by the SAC/JAC. Only one player per higher Association is permitted to play back to HTA on any given week. Order of merit must be followed at all times. These players are not eligible to play HTA finals under any circumstances.

Clarification 2: HTA club players may fill up to another Association a maximum of 3 times per player per season, provided order of merit is adhered to.

Clarification 3: Where the HTA is seen as an extension to another Association (ie seen as having a higher standard of play), players may fill-in between the 2 Associations, provided written permission has been given by both the outside Association and by the relevant HTA Committee.

Clarification 4: Junior players participating in the Summer EDTA Friday night competition as nominated and approved by the HTA are exempt from the above. All players in any EDTA Friday night team must be a HTA Saturday player (Junior or Senior) or have had significant history with the HTA to be eligible. This is at the discretion of the JAC. This applies to nominated players only. Fill-ins must comply with the above rule.

1.2.9 Carry or consume alcohol, or other illicit drugs on any courts within the Hills Tennis Association.

Penalty: Forfeiture of all sets played by the player.

TEAM NOMINATIONSNomination Forms

1.1.10 All team nomination forms shall be made using the nomination forms issued by the Association. The form must be completed in full (including player singles stats for Junior comp and Senior trad comp and doubles stats for Snr doubles comp), be in order of merit and forwarded by the subscribed date to the Association Officer named on the form. Any team nominated without all relevant information being supplied may not be accepted.

1.1.11 A player may be nominated in one team only for each series of competitions (e.g. one team only for Saturday afternoon tennis, one team only for Tuesday night tennis etc.)

1.1.12 Order of Merit will be played from the first Saturday of the competition and should reflect the order as listed on the nomination form. From the first week players may only move one relative position per week. A permit may be applied for in exceptional circumstances if a new player has been placed in the wrong position by several positions.

1.1.13 A player who is not named on team nomination sheets at the beginning of the season must obtain permission from the relevant Committee by the end of January within that season if intending to be a regular player or to qualify for Finals. If the player is considered significantly above the standard of that division then permission will not be granted regardless of how many matches that player has played.

Penalty: Forfeiture of all sets played by the player in breach of the above rules

Grading of Teams/Setup of players in results recording softwareOnce teams have been graded and the program is set up on the results recording software then clubs must enter their players into their teams. This is to ensure the players populate the results entry screen each week to assist with printing of score sheets, player eligibility for finals, order of merit, etc. There will be a two week grace period at the beginning of each respective season, after this time any team who has TBD showing instead of players names, after the Confirmation of Scores deadline, may lose two premiership points per occurrence(at the discretion of the relevant Committee). The Management Committee is willing to assist Clubs who are having difficulty with setting up teams on the recording software (written instructions are available).

Penalty: Clubs may lose two premiership points if teams are not set up after two weeks

Withdrawal of Teams

In the event of a withdrawn team the remaining players shall not be permitted to play lower than one relative position per week without permission from the relevant Committee.

For senior competition clubs can only withdraw teams from their lowest division upward, unless the SAC accepts an alternative arrangement.

Penalty: Loss of points for offending player/s.

Any team withdrawn after the program is drawn up will be fined $100

Other Tennis Association participation Junior and Senior

Prior written permission must be obtained each and every season from both the HTA Management Committee and the other Association if clubs wish to participate in a competition within another Association. This must be received no later than 4 weeks prior to HTA nomination closing dates. This applies to both winter and summer competitions.

The following conditions apply for summer competitions:

3.4.1If nominating to a higher Association, nominations must be for Division 1 only, or another division if the team is deemed stronger than the highest relevant HTA division by the SAC/JAC. A copy of the nomination form for the other Association, including a full list of all intending players names is to be submitted to the SAC/JAC with the clubs other nominations. This is to ensure the strength of the HTA competition continues and that higher level players are retained.

Penalty for breach of the above conditions 4 premiership points deducted from the highest like-division in the HTA competition for each breach of this rule.

MATCH PROGRAMMECompetitions

1.1.14 The Association shall organise Competitions each consisting of a minor round and a finals round as specified by the Management Committee.

1.1.15 No finals will be played in the Orange Ball (Under 8s) divisions of both boys and girls. Premiership points will not be awarded.

1.1.16 No finals shall be played in the midweek competition, where the team finishing highest on the premiership table at the completion of the minor round will be deemed the winner.

Match Dates and Venues

4.2.1The dates and venues of all minor round matches shall be as shown on the Association programme including all scheduled venue rotations. All scheduled venue rotations must be notified to the Relevant Committee prior to the start of the relevant season. The Relevant Committee may, at its discretion, cancel, reinstate or reschedule any part of the programme.

4.2.2The approval of the relevant Committee is required before a Club can amend the venue of a match shown in the programme.

Penalty: 2 Premiership points per team concerned per breach for any breaches of the above rules.

4.2.3The higher ranked team will have home court advantage for Semi and Preliminary Finals rounds. This will also occur for Junior Grand Finals. If there are insufficient courts, or the courts and/or lights are deemed unsuitable for finals play, the venue will be determined by the relevant Committee.

Senior Grand Final venues will be determined by the SAC.

All member clubs of the Association will make their courts available for finals and will ensure the courts are open and ready to play on 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.

SELECTION OF TEAMSTeam Members

All persons playing for a club must be registered players of that club (see rule 2.1)

SENIORS ONLY: A Fifth/Sixth Player: may be used in any competition. The fifth/sixth player must be named on the scoresheet and the opposing captain/supervisor notified before play commences. A fifth/sixth player, male and/or female, may share the sets with any other team member and must observe the order of merit. (see Appendix 8) In Saturday doubles competition a fifth/sixth man and a fifth/sixth woman are allowed.

A seventh player is not permitted to play under any circumstances.

JUNIORS ONLY: A sixth player is not permitted to play without a permit from JAC.

Penalty - Forfeiture of Match

Injured or Sick Player: may be replaced by either the fifth or sixth or substitute players, provided neither player plays more than the maximum sets allowed per player. If a fifth or sixth player was not named on the scoresheet a substitute player may be called upon. The injured or sick player must forfeit the remainder of the set during which the injury was sustained. If the injured player is able to complete the set in which they were injured, no further forfeits are required, provided the substitute player is ready within the required time limit. If a substitute player is not ready to play within 30 minutes of the player retiring, the remaining set(s) will be forfeited. No more than 6 players may be used in any match.

Order of Merit

Order of merit means that players are ranked in order of their ability, in relation to the other players from their Club who are playing in the same Competition.

Order of merit shall be determined primarily, but not solely, by the players recorded match results.

5.2.1Clubs deemed to have players playing out of order of merit will be required to provide a written explanation to the relevant Committee. A penalty may be applied.

Traditional Competitions:

a) Singles: Players shall play in order of merit

b) Doubles: If playing doubles, the number 1 singles player MUST play in the first (top) doubles. Any pairings may be used to form doubles combinations provided this rule is adhered to. If the number 1 singles player playing ON THE DAY does not play doubles, then any doubles combinations may be used for the remaining 4 players.

c) Gender: All sets must be played for the gender intended. No female sets to be played by males and no male sets to be played by females.

Doubles Competitions:

Womens doubles and mens doubles: the pairing of players shall be in order of merit (see rule 5.2 above). All sets have to be played for the gender intended. No female sets to be played by males and no male sets to be played by females.

Mixed doubles: Any appropriate pairing of players may be used provided that the doubles pairings shall be listed in order of merit. Neither the number one man nor the number one woman shall play in the third or fourth mixed double

Gender: All sets must be played for the gender intended. No female sets to be played by males and no male sets to be played by females.

Penalty: All sets played by the wrong gender or in the wrong order will be forfeited.

5.2.2In junior competition mixed teams are allowable in the lower divisions and will be graded in the Boys competition. All requests for players (e.g. girls to play in boys competition) must be forwarded to the Junior Activities Committee and will be considered individually for a permit.

1.2 Alteration to Order of Merit

1.3.1 Minor Round: - Also see rule 3.1.3. A player cannot be raised more than one relative position per week nor dropped more than one relative position per week. In all cases players must observe the order of merit. (See Appendix 9 for an explanation of One Relative Position per Week). (See also 5.4.4 for Bye).

Exceptions: - For permission to move a player more than one relative position the Club Secretary shall apply to the Chairperson of the relevant Committee, giving full particulars and reasons for such proposed changes.

Penalty: All sets played out of position by a player who has been moved more than one relative position in one week may be retrospectively forfeited.

1.3.2 Final Minor Round:

All players are encouraged to play in order of merit as per approved final team listings.

Penalty: All players playing out of order of merit from the approved final team listings during the finals will forfeit all sets concerned

Bye

1.4.3 Byes will be avoided in programs as much as is practically possible.

1.4.4 A Bye does not qualify as a played programmed match.

1.4.5 A team having a bye is not required to submit a scoresheet.

1.4.6 In the event of a team having a bye, a club must not play any player in a division lower than where that player has played the majority of matches to date, unless the One Relative Position per week rule is applied, i.e.: No. 4 player in Div 6 can play No. 1 position in Div 7.

Penalty: Forfeit all sets played on the match date by a player who has contravened this rule.

1.3 Forfeiting Matches

1.5.1 A Club forfeiting a match must not play any player in a division lower than where the player has played the majority of matches to date, unless otherwise allowed by the relevant Committee, or the One Relative Position per week rule is applied:

a) Provision exists for Senior teams to play matches outside of scheduled match times to avoid a forfeit.

b) Provision exists for Junior teams affected by the Heathfield High School International Volleyball Championships to reschedule matches to avoid a forfeit. This is the only provision made for rescheduling of junior matches.

c)The team on the receiving end of a potential forfeit has the power to choose to accept an alternative match time or reject it. The Recording Secretary is to be notified of any changes made to the scheduled time of a match.

Penalty: Forfeit all sets played by a player who has contravened this rule.

A Club forfeiting an entire match shall advise the relevant Club Coordinator (Senior, Junior, Night, Midweek) of the opposing team a minimum of 2 hours before the commencement time of the match. All Junior matches must be notified no later than 9pm on the Friday evening. If the club coordinator cannot be contacted by phone then the club secretary is to be phoned. If contact is not able to be made by phone then an email is to be sent to the Chairperson of the relevant committee advising contact could not be made including all relevant details.

Penalty: Loss of 6 premiership points for junior, traditional and night competitions and 12 points for doubles competition, for non- notification/late notification of forfeiture of match

1.5.2 The team listed as the home team enters the forfeit via the results recording software program and the away team confirms the forfeit by the relevant deadlines to ensure points are allocated.

Both teams are to complete a scoresheet and keep it for the season. Scoresheets MUST be produced if requested by either the Recording Secretary, JAC/SAC/Night/Midweek committee or Management Committee within 48 hours of the request.

Penalty: premiership points may not be allocated.

1.5.3 Any team which forfeits three matches will be deemed to have retired from the competition.

Where practical, earlier notification of the withdrawal of a team from the competition, shall be made by the Club to the relevant Committee, who shall notify all Clubs in that Division.

A fine of $100 will apply for any team withdrawing/retiring from the competition

Eligibility for Finals

5.6.1 Saturday matches: A player must meet BOTH of the following eligibility criteria in order to qualify to play in finals matches:

The player has played five matches in the team in which the player wishes to play finals; and

The player was nominated (either on the original nomination form, or subsequently approved by the relevant committee before the end of January of the current season) in the team in which the player wishes to play finals.

5.6.2 Junior players are eligible to be reserve players for senior teams in finals provided they are deemed to be of a similar standard by the SAC. A permit is required in all cases.

5.6.3 A player shall only be permitted to play finals matches in the competition in which that player has played the majority of matches. No permits will be granted for any player who has played in another Association, with the exception of Clarification 2 as listed in rule 2.2.8.

5.6.4 Exception: Any juniors who plays in the Friday night EDTA will be exempt from the above rule provided they were on the original EDTA nomination form or were granted a permit in writing by the JAC and they meet all other finals eligibility requirements.

5.6.5 A player shall not be permitted to play in finals matches in a division lower than the division in which that player has played the majority of matches.

5.6.6 Any player who has played in a finals round match in a higher division shall not be allowed to play in a finals round match in a lower division unless such a player acted only as a reserve for the higher division.

5.6.7 Fifth/Sixth Player/Substitute Player: must meet all eligibility criteria.

5.6.8 A player who is not named on the Team List for Finals, submitted two weeks prior to finals from the club in the current season is ineligible to play in finals unless permission from the relevant Committee has been applied for in writing and granted in writing.

Penalty: Forfeiture of all sets played by the player who has contravened this rule.

Finals Matches unfinished or cancelled

5.7.1 All unfinished or cancelled finals matches must be completed before the next round of finals in the same competition.

5.7.2 Junior matches will be rescheduled to the Sunday morning following the unfinished final at 9am at the same venue and with the same players as recorded on the scoresheet for the Saturday match. (unless otherwise advised by the JAC)

Senior matches can be rescheduled with the agreement of both Supervisors to a time and venue approved by the relevant Committee but no later than the Wednesday immediately following the finals match with the same players as listed on the scoresheet for the Saturday match. On resumption of an unfinished finals match the previous score shall stand.

5.7.3 In the event that all matches in a semi-finals round are cancelled due to hot or wet weather, the matches shall be completed within one week, or at the discretion of the relevant Committee.

5.7.4 The team used to complete an unfinished finals match must be the same as the original team unless otherwise allowed by the relevant Committee.

5.7.5 In the event of a Grand Final match being cancelled, or not being completed, the relevant Committee will award the final to the team that was available to play the final on or before the re-scheduled date. This date will be the Sunday following the original scheduled Saturday match.

Junior matches will be programmed for 9am the Sunday immediately after the Grand Final.

Senior matches can be rescheduled with the agreement of both Captains to a time and venue approved by the relevant Committee but no later than the Wednesday immediately following the rescheduled finals match with the same players as listed on the scoresheet for the Saturday match.

Night Tennis matches teams are to agree on a suitable night to reschedule the final. This is to be within a week of the scheduled grand final. In the event that neither team is available to complete the grand final match the relevant Committee will award the match to the team finishing highest on the premiership table at the end of the Minor Round.

5.8 Drawn Finals Matches

Junior and Saturday Traditional: In the event of a draw in the major rounds, the 1st and 2nd doubles as listed on the scoresheet will play a tie-break game (not set) each. The winning team shall be the team aggregating the most points in these tie-break games and, if points are equal the team who won the 1st doubles tie-break game wins the final. All players involved in finals matches must stay at the court until a match result has been reached in case of a drawn finals match. In the event of the absence of a player in a drawn finals match no substitute player can be used and the relevant tie break doubles game will be forfeited.

Night Tennis: In the event of a draw in the grand final the Mens and Womens doubles as listed on the scoresheet will play a tiebreak game (not set) each. The winning team shall be the team aggregating the most points in these tiebreak games. If the points are equal the team that finished higher at the completion of the minor round shall be declared the winner.

Saturday Doubles: In the event of a draw in the major rounds, the 1st and 2nd doubles for both men and ladies as listed on the score sheet will play a tie-break game (not set) each. The team winning the most tie-break games will be declared the winner. If two tie-break games are won by each team the team aggregating the most points in these tiebreak games shall be declared the winner. If points are equal the team that finished higher at the completion of the minor round shall be declared the winner. All players involved in finals matches must stay at the court until a match result has been reached in case of a drawn finals match. In the event of the absence of a player in a drawn finals match no substitute player can be used and the relevant tie break doubles game will be forfeited.

5.9 Team List for Finals- Senior and Junior Comps only

1.9.4 It is compulsory for each Club to submit a detailed list of players to the relevant Committee Chairperson two rounds prior to the first final matches. Order of Merit for finals should reflect the normal Order of Merit for the minor rounds. Any unexplained or unusual late changes may not be approved for finals.

1.9.5 The player list must show the playing order for all players who will be used (including fifth/sixth players), and substitute players who might be used.

1.9.6 Only listed players shall be allowed to play, and they must play in the same order as listed for all finals.

1.9.7 The actual order that will be used must be reported on the scoresheet handed to the opposing captain before the commencement of each final (refer Rule 7.5). The order must also match that on the team list held by the relevant Committee.

Penalty: Teams playing in finals with players not in order of merit as per the approved finals lists will forfeit all sets concerned.

PROVISION OF EQUIPMENT

Provision of Tennis Balls

1.1.8 Balls used in Association matches shall be as approved by the Management Committee.

1.1.9 Senior home teams shall provide four new balls for traditional competitions, except Div 1 Men who are to provide eight new balls. Saturday doubles competition home teams shall provide eight new balls. Night tennis home teams shall provide four new or good balls. Junior home teams shall provide four balls for each minor round match. New balls must be used for Division 1 matches. All other divisions are to use four new or good balls with visible brands.

1.1.10 Finals matches: each team shall provide one half of the total number of balls specified in Rules 6.1.1, 6.1.2. except Night Tennis teams where the higher ranked team shall provide 4 new balls.

Net

Nets used for Association matches must be in good order and repair.

Penalty: $10.00 per court.

Net Straps

Fitted centre net-straps are compulsory on all courts.

Penalty: $10.00 per court.

Wet Weather Equipment

To enable matches to resume promptly after any rain interruption, the Home team shall provide, depending on the court surface used either:

One squeegee, or similar, in good condition per two smooth surface courts, or two broad yard brooms, in good condition, per two rough surface courts.

Penalty: $40.00 per item not provided.

CONDUCT OF MATCHES

Completion of Scoresheet before Commencement Time

For each match the Captain or Supervisor of each team shall, before commencement time, fill in the authorised match scoresheet with the names (both First name and Surname) of all players on both teams in order of merit. A Fifth/sixth or Substitute player must be named with the order of merit recorded beside (e.g. Barry Player 3). No alteration shall be made without the consent of the opposing Captain or Supervisor; otherwise the set or sets concerned will be forfeited, or replayed at the discretion of the relevant Committee.

Match Times

Matches shall commence at the following times:

Junior Saturday morning: Early matches MUST start at 8.30am and finish at 10.30am.

Junior Saturday morning: Late matches MUST start at 10.30am and finish at 12.30pm.

See Notes to Junior Supervisors for detailed information on starting and finishing times.

Where a junior match is incomplete at the Finish time listed above, and there are no vacant courts available play must cease at the listed Finish time, after finishing the game (not set) currently in progress. The actual game-score in any unfinished sets must be recorded on the scoresheets. If the match is incomplete due to players not being ready to play then that team will forfeit any unfinished sets (as per rule 7.4.1).

If there are vacant courts and with the consent of both Supervisors every endeavour should be made to finish the match to achieve a result.

Senior Saturday afternoon matches MUST start at 1.00pm. No sets are to be commenced after 6.00pm.

Night matches MUST start at 7.00pm.

Midweek matches MUST start at 9.15am.

Hit-ups:

A three (3) minute warm up is allowed in all competitions. Adherence to this rule will avoid a late finish and/or incomplete or unplayed sets. Juniors should hit-up before 8.30am, and when there are vacant courts, before 10.30am.

Late Arrival or Non- Attendance

Players must be present and ready to play at least 15 minutes before the scheduled starting times listed above in 7.2.

1.4.11 Junior Matches: Saturday morning matches: If two (2) sets of either doubles or singles have not commenced by the scheduled start time (the warm up does not count as having commenced MUST be the actual sets) then the team not ready to play will forfeit all sets not completed by the appointed finishing time. The appointed finish time is 2 hours from the scheduled start time. A note to this effect must be made on the scoresheet and signed by both supervisors. It is not necessary for the doubles sets to be played first.

1.4.12 Senior Matches: Any team not present and ready to play one set per allocated court 15 minutes after the commencement time, shall forfeit the sets concerned.

a) Each captain shall be responsible for inserting in the team result sheet, the actual time of starting, and in the event of a start beyond the scheduled time, for noting on the back of the scoresheet, the team at fault in accordance with this rule. Any player not present and ready to play 30 minutes after the commencement time, unless by consent of the opposing Captain, shall forfeit all set(s) concerned. Any player required to forfeit more than one set due to late arrival or non-attendance will be unable to count that match for finals eligibility.

b) Saturday matches: If a set (either double or single) cannot commence within 10 minutes of the allocated court becoming available because of player unavailability, that set shall be forfeited.

c) Any set that can be played (double or single, in any order) must be played before a forfeit can be claimed in minor rounds only. This does not include players who are more than 30 minutes late as per part a above.

1.4.13 Night Matches: Any team not present and ready to play one set 15 minutes after the start time, shall forfeit that set. Any player not present and ready to play, 60 minutes after the start time shall forfeit all subsequent sets.

1.4.14 Midweek Matches: See Rule 7.4.2 Senior Matches above.

Forfeiture of Sets

Best efforts must be made to fill teams from the top division down. In the event of any set or sets having to be forfeited due to non-attendance of any player then the team must forfeit the lowest position. In the event of illness or injury occurring after the scoresheet has been completed the sets forfeited shall be those that the forfeiting player would have played providing the player is present at the venue at match start time.

Juniors: If play has already commenced and a player is not in attendance by the commencement of the 3rd set and the lowest position cannot be forfeited due to sets already played then a penalty of 2 points will apply.

Order of Play

For minor round matches there is no set order of play i.e. doubles need not precede singles. As a court becomes available, commence the next set that can be played.

For Junior & Senior Traditional finals matches doubles will be played first then the order of play for singles will be 4, 3, 2, 1. Night Tennis no set order for finals.

Match Format

7.7.1Juniors

Junior Boys Divisions 1 to 7 and Junior Girls Divisions 1 to 5: Each player plays one (1) 6 game set of doubles and one (1) 6 game set of singles, tiebreak at 5 all.

Junior Boys Divisions 8 and below and Junior Girls Divisions 6 and below: Each player plays one (1) 6 game set of doubles and one (1) 6 game set of singles, first to six games wins the set.

Junior Beginner Divisions Orange Ball - 8 and Under Divisions

a) Orange ball is a mixed competition. There will be several divisions and numbered from 1 down. No finals will be played in the 8 and Under divisions.

b) First to 4 wins. Games to be "sudden death." No tie breaks.

Clubs are encouraged to seek Coaches assistance in determining player eligibility for orange ball.

Junior Beginner Divisions Green Ball - 10 and Under

a) Green ball is a mixed competition. There will be several divisions and numbered from 1 down. Clubs are encouraged to seek Coaches assistance in determining player eligibility for green ball.

b) First to 6 wins. To play normal deuce rules with green balls. These divisions will play finals.

Both Green and Orange ball age restrictions are guidelines only. Older players can play in these divisions if they aren't ready to play in the division above. Children must be 7 years or above to start playing competition tennis.

7.7.2Seniors

Traditional Competition

Doubles (all divisions) - Doubles rubbers will consist of the best of 2 sets (tiebreaker played at 6 all for these sets). If one set each then a Match (Super) tie-break (** see below) will be played to determine the winner of the rubber. This Super tie-breaker will be classed as a set.

Singles - Division 1 Men Only: Singles rubbers will consist of the best of 2 sets (tiebreaker played at 6 all for these sets). If one set each then a Match (Super) tie-break (** see below) will be played to determine the winner of the rubber. This Super tie-breaker will be classed as a set.

** A Match (Super) tie-break is the first to 10 points, with the winner being ahead by 2 points.

Singles Division 1 Women and 2 Men Only - Singles rubbers will consist of 1 set to 9 games. Tiebreaker played at 8 all.

Singles all other Divisions Singles rubbers will consist of 1 set to 6 games. Tiebreaker played at 6 all.

Doubles Competition

Each player shall play up to four 6-game sets of doubles, tiebreak at 6-all. Mixed doubles must be played first unless by mutual agreement of both captains.

7.7.3Night Teams:

Each player shall play up to three 6-game sets of doubles, each with a different partner, tiebreak at 5-all.

7.7.4Midweek:

Each player shall play up to four 6-game sets of doubles, tiebreak at 5-all. No finals will be played in the Midweek competition.

Doubles pairings shall be as follows:

a) first 2-set match: 1/2 and 3/4 play their opposites.

b) second 2-set match: 1/3 and 2/4 play their opposites.

Tiebreak:

All set tiebreaks shall be standard 7-point tiebreaks (first to seven points with a margin of two). Where specified, a Match (Super) tiebreak shall be a 10-point tiebreak (first to ten points with a margin of two).

Right to Commence Serving:

The choice of ends and the right to be server or receiver in the first game shall be decided by toss. The player winning the toss may choose, or require the opponent to choose:

a) to be the server or receiver, in which case the other player shall choose the end; or

b) the end, in which case the other player shall choose to be server or receiver.

Umpires

An umpire must be provided whenever requested by a player. That umpire will be selected by mutual agreement of both captains/supervisors.

Clothing

Proper tennis attire must be worn. Tennis shoes are compulsory.

Morning & Afternoon Tea

Home teams must provide morning tea for the Midweek competition and afternoon tea for the Saturday senior competitions.

CONDUCT OF PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS

Player behaviour and rules

All players, parents, coaches and spectators are required to abide by all rules of tennis including these rules, Tennis Australia rules and the International Federation of Tennis rules. This also includes the HTA Foot Faulting Policy, Code of Conduct, Tennis Australia Etiquette and Rules for Non-Umpired matches. Any person found in breach of any of the above will be subject to disciplinary action by the relevant committee. This can include informal/formal warnings, demerit points, forfeiture of sets, suspension, exclusion from tennis venues and report/referral to SA Police.

Foot faults

Foot faults are in breach of tennis rules and are considered a display of bad sportsmanship. Players concerned with foot faults should consult the foot fault policy located in Appendix 5.1, 5.2, 5.3

Penalty: Forfeiture of sets where foot faulting is verified by authorized HTA representative only

CANCELLED, UNFINISHED AND ABANDONED MATCHES

Cancellation of Matches Due to Hot Weather

All Junior morning, Senior & Midweek matches will be automatically cancelled if the forecast temperature is 36C or above for Mt Barker as per the Friday night (Saturday matches) or Monday night (midweek matches) Television News weather reports. Confirmation of forecast temperature can be sourced via http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml.

Cancellations of Friday night Green/Orange ball competitions for extreme weather conditions will be notified via the HTA website by 4.30pm Friday.

There will be no cancellations under this rule for Night Tennis matches.

No radio broadcast will occur.

Abandonment of a Match Due to Emergency Services Duties

If any player is prevented from playing in a minor round match due to emergency services duty on that day/night the match is consequently abandoned. Each team involved shall receive half the number of points and half the number of sets allocated to that match. In the event of a finals match being so affected the match shall be replayed according to the conditions set out in Rule 5.7.

If any players are called away for emergency services duty during a match an attempt must still be made to determine a winner (see Rule 11.1 Determination of Winning Team). If a winner cannot be determined the above rules shall apply.

A Club abandoning a match shall advise the Club Secretary of the opposing team as early as possible prior to the scheduled commencement time of the match. The Club Secretary must forward a written explanation to the Recording Secretary within three days. Both teams concerned must forward a completed scoresheet to the Recording Secretary to claim their premiership points.

Abandonment of Matches Due to Wet Weather

Juniors - Both supervisors of teams may agree to abandon a match, provided the time is later than half an hour after the scheduled starting time. Any team abandoning a match prior to the aforementioned cancellation times shall forfeit the match. Four players from each team MUST be present for a match to be abandoned. Any team without four players will forfeit those sets without players present then the rest of the sets will be abandoned.

Seniors - Both captains of teams may agree to abandon a match, provided the time is later than one hour after the scheduled starting time. Any team abandoning a match prior to the aforementioned cancellation times shall forfeit the match. Four players from Traditional or eight players from Doubles teams MUST be present for a match to be abandoned. Any team without four or eight players will forfeit those sets without players present then the rest of the sets will be abandoned.

Night - Both supervisors of teams may agree to abandon a match, provided the time is later than half an hour after the scheduled starting time. Any team abandoning a match prior to the aforementioned cancellation times shall forfeit the match. Four players from each team MUST be present for a match to be abandoned. Any team without four players will forfeit those sets without players present then the rest of the sets will be abandoned.

No person can be forced to play on wet and/or slippery courts. If the Supervisors/captains disagree on abandoning a match, a report in writing, from each team, must be lodged with the chairperson of the relevant Committee within three days of the match. However, both Supervisors/captains should use every endeavour to complete the match.

All players are expected to attend scheduled court location, prior to abandoning matches.

Penalty: Forfeiture of sets by team without sufficient players

MATCH RESULTS

Lodgement of Results

The Captain or Supervisor, or Club delegate, of the home team (Saturday matches) is required to enter the match results into the website recording program by 6pm on the Sunday after the match. Night Tennis matches are to be entered within 48 hours of the match being played. Follow the links on www.hta.asn.au. . Away teams to confirm matches by 9pm Tuesday night. Any matches not confirmed within a week of the original match will be deemed official and no disputes will be allowed.

Penalty: $20.00 per home match not entered

Printing of and Forwarding of Completed Match Scoresheets

10.2.1 Seniors - Trad and doubles teams must print a scoresheet from the Hills Tennis Association website prior to arriving at the venue. Teams are required to be set up in the competition software by 10pm Friday evening.

10.2.2Juniors - Scoresheets are provided by the HTA and do not need to be posted to the Recording Secretary.

10.2.3All competitions - All scoresheets must be correctly filled in and signed by both Supervisors/Captains. Both the first and last names of all players must be recorded on the scoresheet. All scoresheets are to be kept and produced within 48 hours if requested by relevant committees.

10.2.4Senior Saturday Division 1 Traditional and Doubles winners must also forward a legible scoresheet to The Courier, fax 8391-2312, email sport@courier.net.au.

Forwarding Abandoned Match Scoresheets

In the event of a match being abandoned by team supervisors/captains, the procedure set down in Rule 9.3 must still be followed. This does not apply where all matches are cancelled by the HTA under Rule 9.1.

PREMIERSHIP POINTS

Determination of Winning Team

For a completed match the team scoring the greater number of rubbers/sets shall be the winner. If the sets are equal, then the team with the greater number of games shall be the winner. If both sets and games are equal, the match shall be drawn. A winner can be determined in an unfinished match only if that team is in an unbeatable position.

Allocation of Points for Decided Matches

Traditional, Juniors & Night matches: Three points shall be given for a win and one and a half points for a draw. In addition one point will be given for each rubber**/set won. Each team will receive half a point for each incomplete or unplayed rubber**/set.

Senior Doubles & Midweek: Four points shall be given for a win and two points for a draw. In addition one point will be given for each set won.

(Premiership Points are calculated on the basis of: half the number of rubbers** or sets that could be played will be awarded as premiership points. ie 6 rubbers/sets = 3 points, Senior Doubles are the exception with 4 points awarded regardless of the number of sets that could be played)

Allocation of Points for Forfeited Matches

A team receiving a forfeit shall receive the maximum number of points, rubbers**/sets, and games and premiership points. A team giving a forfeit shall receive no points, no rubbers**, no sets, and no games. There will be a penalty of loss of premiership points for failure to notify the opposing team of the forfeit within the time frame as specified in Rule: 5.5.2

**Where the term rubbers is used, it is referring to the Senior Traditional Competition only

Allocation of Points for Cancelled or Abandoned Matches

1.4.15 HTA cancelled matches: no points will be allocated.

1.4.16 Abandoned matches: points will be allocated for completed rubbers/sets; points for any remaining rubbers/sets will be shared equally. If a team has obtained sufficient rubbers, sets and games to be declared the winner they will be awarded the premiership points. If a result has not been achieved prior to abandoning the match the premiership points will be divided equally by the two teams, provided that Rule 9.3 has been abided by.

Allocation of Points to Teams Affected by Programme Changes

Teams required to move division as a result of a regrade will be allocated an average of premiership points from the division to which they are moving. All teams in the divisions affected will be advised immediately. Re-grading will only happen after one full round has been played and only at the discretion of the relevant Committee.

Premiership Tables

Premiership points shall be used to determine the relative positions of teams within each division. The team with the highest number of premiership points shall take the first position and so on until the positions of all the teams have been decided.

If two or more teams have equal premiership points the team having won the greater number of matches shall take the higher position. If the matches are also equal the team having won the greater number of sets shall take the higher position. If the sets are also equal the team having won the greater number of games shall take the higher position.

The competition tables that are generated by the online Competition Planner system are programmed to allocate points based on the by-laws of the Hills Tennis Association. As such, the confirmed published tables are deemed final. The ladders will show points ratio. Points ratio will be used to determine the ladder positions based on premiership points divided by the number of matches played. This will ensure that all ladders are accurately reflected each week in divisions where there are byes rather than having to make manual adjustments at the end of the season.

PREMIERSHIP AWARDS

Presentation of Shields/Cups

Shields or cups, to be held for one year, shall be presented to the winner of the Grand Final in each division. (The orange ball divisions will not play finals,).

All junior shields/cups must be handed back to the presenting supervisor once team photos are complete unless the person wishing to take the shield provides their name, address and phone number to the presenting supervisor. Senior trophies/shields may be kept by the Club upon paying a $50 holding fee (refundable on return in the same condition). Shields/cups must be returned by the HTA AGM.

Presentation of Pennants

A pennant shall be presented to all teams playing in a Grand Final. In addition 5 medallions per team will be presented to players who participate in a Junior Grand Final. If a club has 6 players in a team they are to organise a medallion for the extra player.

COURTS

Association Use of Club Courts

All Club courts used for Association matches shall be made available for:

a) Finals matches, and

b) Association tournaments and inter-association matches.

Two Courts Allocated per Match

Clubs shall ensure that at least 2 courts per scheduled match will be available unless exempted by the HTA. Additional venues may need to be arranged if there are insufficient courts.

Court Preparation

It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that courts and facilities are ready for play at least 15 minutes for junior matches and 30 minutes for senior matches prior to stated commencement time.

Court Obstructions

No player will be disadvantaged by obstructions within the court boundary defined by the fencing enclosure excluding fixed objects. In such circumstances a player may request and be granted a let rather than risk damage or injury.

Penalty: $20.00 per breach of each rule.

COMMUNICATION/SUBMISSIONS TO THE RELEVANT COMMITTEES

Communication

Players, parents, spectators cannot communicate directly with any committee. All initial communication MUST go through the clubs relevant coordinator. If relevant coordinator/s are not available then communication can be made via the club secretary. The relevant committee will decide to either deal with the clubs coordinator/secretary or the person requesting the communication. This rule applies to general rule queries, foot fault complaints along with complaints regarding player behaviour etc.

Submissions:

The Junior Activities Committees shall arbitrate all disputes relating to junior matches, the Senior Activities Committee shall arbitrate all disputes relating to senior matches and the Night Tennis Committee shall arbitrate all disputes relating to night tennis matches within interpretation of these rules. Any complaints concerns regarding player, parents, or spectator behaviour, bad language etc. must be in writing with details including date, nature of the complaint and witnesses, signed by a Club official and lodged with the Chairperson of the relevant Committee within 72 hours of the incident. The relevant Committee will investigate the complaint and will either warn the offender or penalise them.

(Updated August 2016)

APPENDIX 1: Code of Conduct Policy

Clubs must make a copy of this document readily available for reference.

For junior matches only: In the first two weeks, supervisors are asked to talk to both teams together prior to the match about the CODE OF CONDUCT expected of all players.

On match days the following action can be undertaken: (this applies to any player/parent/spectator in any HTA competition):

One warning only will be given if a player, spectator or parent engages in any of the following behaviour:

Bad language (directed at self or others).

Racquet abuse (throwing or hitting net, fences, etc.).

Yelling or screaming at themselves or others, so that it is clearly audible and distracting.

Intimidation.

Constant dispute of line calls.

Ball abuse (hitting out of court, into fences, and not directly returning balls to opponent).

External interference by parents or spectators, including constant praise to one player which can be off putting/intimidating to their opponent/s.

Coaching of any kind.

A second offence of ANY sort will result in immediate forfeiture of the set.

If the code of conduct/dispute is serious or continuous then the following action can be taken:

Disputes and Code of Conduct.

How to Proceed?

1. Refer to flow chart (at the end of this document) for disputes. If required, complete the complaints form and forward to relevant HTA Committee Chairperson within three (3) days of the incident.

2. The relevant HTA SAC, JAC or Night Committee are the sole authorities for interpreting the rules.

3. The HTA Disputes Committee will take disciplinary action and/or apply penalties if a breach or offence is deemed to have occurred. This can include suspending the player concerned or prohibiting the parent from attending any HTA junior matches (including tournaments).

4. There is no right of appeal against disciplinary action or penalties applied by the HTA Disputes Committee. Please refer to the relevant HTA Policy for further information regarding complaints.

5. The Rules of Match and Play are to be read in conjunction with the Code of Conduct, Rules for Non- Umpired Matches, Tennis Etiquette and Outside Interference.

APPENDIX 2: Tennis Australia Rules for Non-Umpired Matches

1. Each player is responsible for all decisions in his/her half of the court. He/she should be completely honest on all calls but, if in doubt, he/she should give his/her opponent the benefit of the doubt and play the ball as good. You should NOT play a let.

2. It is your obligation to call all balls on your side, to help your opponent make calls when the opponent requests it, and to call against yourself (with the exception of a first service) any ball that you clearly see out on your opponents side of the net.

3. Any out, let or fault call must be made immediately (i.e. made before either an opponent has hit the return or the return has gone out of play); otherwise the ball continues in play. Calls must be verbal and clearly audible to the opponent followed by a signal if necessary. Lets may be called by any of the participating players.

4. If a player incorrectly calls a ball out, and then realises that the ball was good, the point should be replayed on the first occasion (involuntary hindrance) and the point lost on each subsequent occasion (deliberate hindrance). In the case of a point winning shot, a let would not be played.

5. In doubles, when returning service, the partner of the receiver should generally call the service line for him/her. The receivers should generally call the centre and side service lines.

6. If players cannot agree on the score, they should calmly discuss the points/ games that are the areas of disagreement. If they cannot reach agreement they should replay only the points or games in question. All points or games, which the players agree on, stand e.g. Two players cannot agree on whether the score is 40-15 or 30-30, but agree on the winner of the 1st, 2nd and 4th points. Therefore only the 3rd point needs to be replayed.

7. Players are prohibited from checking the mark of the ball on their opponents side of the court, unless invited by their opponent to do so.

8. Where a ball interrupts play, either by rolling/bouncing onto the court, and/or creating a visible interruption behind the court a let should be played.

9. If a player hinders his/her opponent it can be ruled involuntary or deliberate. When a player has created an involuntary hindrance (ball falling out of pocket, hat falling off etc), the first time a let should be called and the player should be told that any such hindrance thereafter will be ruled deliberate. Any hindrance caused by a player that is ruled deliberate will result in the loss of a point.

APPENDIX 3: Tennis Australia Etiquette

1. All balls on your side of the net are your responsibility, to pick up and where appropriate, return by rolling the ball under net directly to the server.

2. The receiver should not return the first service if it is an obvious fault let it go by or ground it.

3. Do not enlist the aid of spectators, including parents, coaches etc, in making line calls, or attempting to determine other on-court matters.

4. To avoid controversy over the score, the server should announce the game score before starting a game and the point score prior to serving for each point.

5. Wait until a point is over before walking behind a court where a match is in progress.

6. To retrieve a ball from another court or to return a ball to another court, wait until the players have completed a point.

7. Do not stall, sulk, complain nor practice gamesmanship.

APPENDIX 4: Outside Interference

There are a number of outside (off court) disturbances that are NOT permitted. These include:

1. Spectator interference.

2. Coaching.

3. Unfair comments made within earshot of the players.

4. Unsporting behaviour e.g. clapping double faults/hitting the ball into the net etc.

5. Support for one player that intimidates the other player.

Appendix 5 (1) Foot Faults -

If a player is faced with an opponent who they believe is continually foot faulting, they should:

Ask a Supervisor (at Junior level) or Captain/team mate (at Senior level) to observe the player in question.

If foot faulting is believed to be occurring by the above person, then the Supervisor (Juniors) or Captain (Seniors) should speak with the opposition Supervisor/Captain and mention that it is occurring.

The opposition Supervisor/Captain should approach the player concerned and request that the player address the foot faulting.

If the foot faulting continues, the relevant committee (SAC /JAC/Night/Midweek) is to be informed by the relevant Club Coordinator or Club Secretary. A Foot Faulting Report form should be submitted to the Chairperson of that committee within one week of the match in which the alleged foot faulting occurred.

The Chairperson of the relevant committee will officially inform the Club from which the alleged foot faulting player originates that a report has been made. The club must inform the player concerned (and the club coach if at a junior level) that a report of foot faulting has been made. The player should also be made aware of the process outlined below.

If 2 Foot Faulting Reports are received from different sources regarding the same player, a representative appointed by the HTA will attend one of the players next 3 matches and observe. They will then report back to the relevant committee. The relevant committee will discuss appropriate action, based on the skill level and competition of the player. This may include:

A formal letter being sent to the player and their coach (Junior).

Forfeiture of all sets played on the observed day (Seniors and Juniors).

This process may repeat during the season.

Appendix 5 (2) - HTA Foot Fault Report Form

This form is downloadable from the HTA Website: click here to access

Please email this form to the Chairperson of the relevant committee - details available on the HTA website.

Your Name:

Phone/Email:

.

Your CLUB:

Your Captain:

Date of alleged foot faulting:

Match:

V

Division:

Alleged Foot Faulting Player:

Details:

(What was done on the day to try to resolve the foot faulting?)

THIS SECTION FOR RELEVANT COMMITTEE USE ONLY

(to be completed by relevant Committee Chairperson)

Report Number:

1 2 3 4 5 6

Checklist:

Notify Club Coordinator & Secretary (request notification of when player has been informed)

Notification that player has been informed received from Club Coordinator/Secretary

If 2nd report, notify relevant Club Coordinator of the process to follow (& request notification of when player has been informed)

Organise HTA rep to view 1 of players next 3 matches

Organise Committee meeting to discuss outcome

Name of HTA Rep appointed:

Date viewed:

Location:

Match:

V

Comments by HTA rep:

FOLLOW UP ACTION REQUIRED (after relevant committee has discussed the issue):

Appendix 5 (3) Foot Fault Flow Chart

HTA Foot Fault Procedure Flow Chart

APPENDIX 6 (1): Tennis Grievance Procedure Flowchart

APPENDIX 6 (2): Tennis Grievance Procedure Complaint Form

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APPENDIX 7: Beginners Skills Checklist

Hills Tennis Association Junior Activities Committee

Beginner Skills Checklist

The following pre-requisite skills are required to play in the HTA Saturday Morning Junior Competition.

STROKESKILLS CHECKLIST

Forehand

Consistent clean contact with ball during bounce and hit*(see below) practice

Achieves side-on position during swing

Can anticipate positioning of ball landing and can position body in preparation for return of shot

Some control of power and direction

Maintains approximate correct grip

Backhand

Consistent contact with ball while stationary during feed-in**(see below) practice

Can prepare positioning of body in relation to ball landing

Achieves side-on position during swing

Some control of power and direction

Serving

Consistently able to hit ball cleanly over net from baseline during bounce and hit practice

Can maintain side-on position during bounce and hit serve

Able to coordinate ball toss and over-arm swing

Racquet-ball contact approximately 50% of the time during over-arm serve

Emerging control of power and direction

GAME KNOWLEDGE

Court Awareness

Can identify baseline, service line and tramlines of court

Can identify forehand and backhand sides of court

Rules and Scoring

Understands simple rules e.g. change ends, serve from alternating sides, doubles court versus singles court

Can track point scores with adult stand-by assistance

* bounce and hit the player is independently bouncing and hitting the ball

** feed-in the coach is throwing or bouncing the ball to the player to hit it

It is anticipated most Beginners will need to participate in a minimum of 10 x hour coaching sessions to achieve the above skills

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APPENDIX 8: 5 Player Rule interpretations

APPENDIX 9: One Relative Position Explanation