Spring 2009

Rules, Regulations, and Logistics

Revised March 26, 2009

WESTERN MAINE CONFERENCE RULES AND REGULATIONS

FOR MATCH PLAY

1.                  Home teams supply at least 5 new cans of U.S.T.A. approved tennis balls for each match.

2.                  Matches are expected to start at 3:30, unless mutually agreed upon by the athletic administrators of each school.  There is usually a 15-minute grace period.  If a team is not going to be able to make it to a site before the grace period ends – The Coach of that team should call the opposing school or coach and explain the emergency situation that has created the delay.

3.                  U.S.T.A. rules will be enforced, as will all MPA rules that are published in the annual tennis bulletin for tournament play.

4.                  Coaches are expected to jointly rule over all matches with the home coach having the final responsibility in cases where there are gray areas.  Please keep in mind that all established tennis rules as published by the USTA, MPA, and WMC Conference must be upheld.  The Home Rule clause cannot be invoked by the home coach to set aside an “official tennis rule”.

Protests: the MPA and the Western Maine Conference do not have rules that allow for filing of protests, however, the following scenario could solve some problems:

1.                  The home and visiting coaches should confer and jointly rule on all disputes.  If they do not agree the home coach makes the final decision on all matters not addressed by established team tennis rules.

2.                  If the two coaches are not able to agree in solving a problem relating to the rules, it would be wise to halt that game, set, or match point at that precise moment until the correct ruling can be established.

A.     The coaches could attempt to obtain a ruling to support his/her position and then continue the match.

B.     Come to a mutually agreeable decision and continue the match right or wrong which means that the final match team score would stand.

C.     Withdraw that singles or doubles team from the team match and risk a ruling body.  At this point, the coach who forced the incorrect interpretation upon his/her opponent (not agreeing to a joint resolution that would allow the match to continue) would be ruled “out of order” and that “team point” in the tennis match would be forfeited.  (It must be remembered that the two teams should “play-out” all other “team points” in the match:  If not, those “team points” would be forfeited as well by the coach who attempted to establish an incorrect interpretation of “official” team tennis rules!)

D.     Remember, all points, which are played after a dispute, are final.  The results will not be changed.

E.      Coaches are reminded that traditionally “tennis” is a “genteel” game at the high school level and it should be kept that way!

5.                  Home coaches must call all match results to the local papers immediately after the match is completed.  All coaches are expected to call in the results of heal point counting matches to the MPA recorder as stipulated in the MPA tennis bulletin.  If coaches do not meet this mandate, it becomes the responsibility of the athletic director to meet this requirement.  (Refer to annual MPA Bulletin.)

6.                  All cancelled matches must be made-up as soon as mutually possible with league matches taking priority over outside matches at all times.  All league matches must be played by appropriate dates as heal point standings for all teams are affected by the match results.

7.                  The league offers a doubles tournament for all team members who are not scheduled to compete as one of a school’s top three singles players in state sponsored singles competitions.  Awards are given to the winning teams and runners-up.  Boys and girls compete at different sites on a Saturday and the regular schedule does not allow for a make-up date.

8.                  Matches consist of the best two out of three sets with twelve point tiebreakers.  Eight game pro sets may be played to decide matches if both coaches mutually agree and conditions dictate such a decision.

9.                  No matches should be played during unsafe conditions or on unsafe surfaces.  The home team must make sure that their courts are safe enough to allow for a scholastic tennis match to be played.  Coaches will usually make a joint decision as to whether a match can safely be continued or even started after both teams have arrived at the match site.  The home school’s coach, athletic director, or principal will make the final determination if a joint decision regarding playability cannot be reached.

10.              In response to tennis coaches’ requests and affirmation of their desires by the league athletic directors:  Coaches will be allowed to confer with their players at the completion of any set for a maximum time limit of 5 minutes.  Coaches must realize that this is a leaguer rule only and is not in line with what is allowed at the state or national level.  Coaches and players are requested not to abuse this rule.

11.              Due to the results of the coaches ballot in the Spring of 1991 and an approval vote by league athletic directors, the following rule has been adopted:

Tennis court and playing arrangements will be left up to the home school as long as responsible and knowledgeable school employees from either school are available to supervise all split court sites.  (Passed by coaches 9-5 and unanimously by athletic directors.)

12.              Coaches are expected to attend all matches, league meetings, and MPA meeting that are scheduled thru out the spring season.  Coaches must keep team and individual records and present these to the league coaches and the athletic director in charge of tennis at the meeting where the league all-stars are selected.  All-star teams will be determined by the coaches and presented to the athletic director in charge of tennis for further processing at the end of the coaches’ meeting.

13.              Coaching during the change-over is allowed if the following criteria are met:

·        Coaches will mutually agree prior to the start of the match regarding coaching during change-overs, particularly at locations with courts on split-sites. (added spring 2008)

·        Only coaches can coach during the change-overs (no parents)

·        The change-over time is limited to 90 seconds

·        Coaches do not step on the court (stay behind the fences)

·        The agreement is for all the matches during the competition

·        Coaches do not abuse the rule - The time is used for instruction not ‘gamesmanship’

            *Rule is in effect unless both coaches agree not to coach during the cross-overs.

            (added 2/8/07)

14.              Format for Junior Varsity Tennis:

1.                  Three point match scoring system: There will be three equal points in JV team competition.  The team that wins the most points wins the match.  (3-0, 2-1)

2.                  All matches will be played as doubles matches.  If a team has only four or five JV players, the format could be changed to 2 singles and one doubles match (four players) or one singles and 2 doubles matches (five players) upon the agreement of both coaches.  If, however, an agreement cannot be reached the match format would remain as three doubles matches and the team with the fewest players would then forfeit any matches for which they could not provide players.

3.                  The scoring format for each individual match will consist of an eight game pro-set, no-ad scoring. 

4.                  Coaching will be allowed during odd-game changeovers but will be limited to the current 90-second break time.

5.                  All matches will be scheduled to follow immediately after the varsity matches.  If these matches are put on as soon as courts become available, the amount of time that varsity players will be waiting will be minimal.

Conference Champions are determined by the following Criteria:

1)      Conference record

2)      Heal points break all ties

* The conference has been using this selection criteria.  However, this method has never been included in this handbook (added 2/8/07)