2010 Adult/Senior Tournament Regulations

2010 Adult/Senior Tournament Regulations

I. Participants; Tournament Entry

All players must be current members of the USTA. Proof of membership must be presented to tournament officials. This may be done on site or by enclosing a copy of the membership card with the entry. Membership applications will be available at the tournament desk.

Tournament players are bound by the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section Code of Conduct Applicable to Adult/Senior Tournament Play (viewable on-line at www.midatlantic.usta.com). Players must make themselves available for play during the sanction period and may not enter a tournament they know they cannot finish. A player with a scheduling conflict may submit an application that includes an explanation of the conflict. Such a conditional application may then be either accepted or rejected by the tournament committee. Players are entitled to a refund of their entry fee if their entry is not accepted or if they withdraw before entries have closed. A player may not enter more than one tournament scheduled for any part of the same time period without the expressed written consent of each tournament director. The availability of on-line registration is mandatory for all Adult tournaments, but tournament directors may accept mail-in entries if they wish. Seeding information should be submitted at the time of entry. This is especially important for players new to the area or an age division. If a player has no current ranking or record, he/she may include any significant past records or rankings.

In seeding tournaments, tournament directors should consider all available information including previous years’ rankings, current standings, and head-to-head results, as well as player comments as discussed above. 

Players who have entered one singles and one doubles event may not be required to violate the daily play limits set by Mid-Atlantic. Players participating in more than one age division shall be given a minimum of 30 minutes rest when required to play back-to-back matches. Players, at their option, may agree to a shorter rest period. For all adult divisions, except the Men's Open, a ten-minute rest period must be taken after the second set if either player or team requests it. A tournament may eliminate the rest period for Women's Open events if advance notice is given.

II.  Types of Tournament; Age Group and NTRP

Mid-Atlantic Adult tournaments are defined basically as either Age Group or NTRP tournaments, as follows:

Age Group Tournaments:   Tournaments defined by age eligibility shall be held for age groups Open and 30 to 85 at five year intervals.  A player becomes eligible for a new age division when his/her birthday occurs during the calendar year of the age group in question (i.e. a player may play in the 40s at any time in the year in which he/she turns 40).  

NTRP Tournaments:   NTRP tournaments are based on players’ NTRP ratings, which may range from 2.5 to 5.0 in singles and doubles, and 6.0 to 8.0 in combined doubles.  Age is not a factor, except that NTRP tournaments are not open to those 18 and under.

The regulations set forth below apply, first, to age group tournaments, and secondly to NTRP tournaments where variations in the regulations may apply.

III.  Age Group tournaments

A.  Tournament Formats

1. Local and District Tournaments and MAS Championship tournaments involving 70 and over age divisions may, at the discretion of the tournament director, employ a 10 point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.  The intention to employ a 10 point match tiebreak must be set forth in the available tournament information, such as on the Mid-Atlantic website (www.midatlantic.usta.com) and tournament entry forms.

2. In the event of inclement weather affecting outdoor tournaments, the standard format may be modified to permit a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set and/or no-ad scoring.

3. “Shootout” tournaments, defined as tournaments limited to one-day play, may employ either a 10 point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set OR a single 8 game pro set with a tie-break played at 8 all.  For ranking purposes, Doubles Shootout tournaments are to be termed, and weighted as, Mid-Atlantic championship events.  EIGHT (8) GAME PRO-SETS ARE NOT ALLOWED FOR NATIONAL RANKING PURPOSES.

TOURNAMENTS DEVIATING FROM THE PRESCRIBED TOURNAMENT FORMATS WILL NOT BE COUNTED FOR USTA/MID-ATLANTIC RANKINGS.

B. Daily Play Limitations for Age Group Tournaments

C. The Mid-Atlantic Age Group Tournament Schedule

The Mid-Atlantic Age Group tournament schedule consists of (1) Mid-Atlantic Championships; (2) State Championships; and (3) all other District tournaments. Each of these three types of tournaments are weighted differently in the computer ranking system as described in Section D.2.a   below:

1. Mid-Atlantic Championships

Mid-Atlantic Championships are the only tournaments that are mandatory for a Mid-Atlantic ranking. These tournaments are played at various times throughout the year in a variety of different settings and surfaces (indoor, outdoor, clay court, hard court) in order to ensure players a number of chances at meeting ranking requirements.

2. State Championships

State Championships may be closed to non-residents. This includes the District of Columbia. All closed tournaments are identified in the schedule.

3. Local District Tournaments

These are all sanctioned tournaments that are not designated as Mid-Atlantic or State Championships. Results are included for Mid-Atlantic rankings.

D. The Ranking System

1. Membership/Residency Requirements

To be considered for a Mid-Atlantic ranking, a player must be a USTA member in good standing at the close of the ranking year (December 31). The player must also maintain a residence or reside within the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section for at least six consecutive months within the ranking year.

2. Ranking System

a. Preliminary Rankings for both singles and doubles age divisions are developed for each calendar year’s play, based upon the USTA STAR computer program.  The STAR results are then reviewed by the Ranking Committee in arriving at Final Rankings. Tournaments are weighted as follows:

USTA/Mid-Atlantic Championships     75

State Championships                                     65

Local District Tournaments                50

b. Specific ranking requirements, by age groups, and Section or District, are shown in the Table on Ranking Requirements below:

2010 Adult/Senior Ranking Requirements

c. Preliminary Rankings and player records will be mailed to all qualified players and posted on-line at www.midatlantic.usta.com by mid-December. Players who have met the ranking qualifications and have not received a preliminary ranking, or who have received a player record containing inaccuracies, should contact the Mid-Atlantic Section office by December 31. Corrections to the record and player protests will be a part of the ranking process.

d. Final Rankings will be available on-line by the end of January.

3. Default Policy

1. All completed matches and all matches in which a player is defaulted by an official or retires at any time after the first service of the match, are considered for ranking purposes. Any such default or retirement is counted as a loss for the player retiring or defaulted. The tournament in which such default or retirement occurs is counted toward the minimum number of required tournaments for ranking purposes. Defaults declared by the players themselves in advance of a match shall count neither as a loss to the player defaulting nor as a win for the player to whom he defaults.  However, a pattern of excessive defaults by any player may be taken into account as a negative factor by the Ranking Committee in arriving at final rankings.

4.  Monthly Standings

In additional to annual rankings, the Mid-Atlantic Section publishes monthly standings.  The standings cover the most recent 12 months of play and, as is the case with the annual rankings, are based upon the STAR computer system.  To be eligible for a standing, a player need play only one tournament and have at least one match win within the 12-month period.

IV. NTRP Tournament Regulations & Ranking Requirements

A. Tournaments

1. There will be at least one Mid-Atlantic Sectional Championship. Each Mid-Atlantic District will have at least one “Regional” Championship and/or or a State/District Championship. These will be open to all Mid-Atlantic players. A “regional” championship is defined as a major tournament within a region of a District. Designation of NTRP regionals will be determined by each District.

2. Players must use their current NTRP Rating. Self Rating is allowed only if the player does not have a current NTRP rating.

3. Only adults (19 years of age and older) are allowed admittance into any USTA/MAS NTRP tournament.

4. The use of 10-point tie-breakers in lieu of 3^rd set is authorized in all NTRP tournaments.

5.  In NTRP tournaments without age restrictions, a 60-minute rest period between matches must be allowed.

B. Criteria for NTRP Mid-Atlantic Rankings

1. At least one win in an NTRP tournament.

2. Ranking categories- Men’s and Women’s 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 singles and doubles; Combined men’s, women’s and mixed doubles 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0.

3. NTRP rankings and monthly standings are based on the Point System as used in National rankings.  Final rankings will be posted on the MAS website in January 2011.

4.  Following are the point tables on which NTRP rankings and standings are based.

USTA/MAS Championships L2 - 400 Points: 2/3 Tie-break Sets

District/State Championships L3 – 200 Points: 2/3 Sets, Set Tie-break in lieu of 3^rd

Open/Smash or Regular L4 – 100 Points: any local event, lasting 1-3 days

Express Tournaments L5 – 50 Points: alternate formats (1-set or 8-game pro-set); non-elimination, maximum draw of 16 – finished in half-day