Slazenger Cambridge & District

Summer Doubles Tennis League 2003

www.cambridgeltc.com/pennrule.htm

League Secretary: Alison McNaught Phone 01223 515156
email alisonmcnaught@dial.pipex.com

5^th July – 13^th July Cambridgeshire County Championships Various entries to suit anyone who plays for a team.
Entry forms will be available at the Club, from the County Office and on www.cambridgeshire.totaltennis.net

Rules of The Cambridge & District Lawn Tennis League 2003

1. The League shall be named the Cambridge & District Lawn Tennis League.

2. Membership of the League is open to all tennis clubs which are affiliated to the Cambridgeshire Lawn Tennis Association. Membership is also open to any tennis club affiliated to one of the neighbouring County Lawn Tennis Associations, subject to the approval of all members of the League. New entrants shall, in general, commence in one of the lowest two divisions of the League. Should a club withdraw from a higher division then its place shall be filled by the club most suited, as decided by the AGM of the League. A club may, in exceptional circumstances (to be determined by the AGM), be admitted into a higher division of the League.

3. The Annual Subscription shall be £4.00 for each team entered in the Leagues or Grays Cup competitions by clubs affiliated to the Cambridgeshire LTA and £5.50 for each team entered by clubs affiliated to neighbouring counties.

4. The financial year of the League shall end on the 30th September and the accounts shall be incorporated into the accounts of the Cambridgeshire LTA

5. (a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year for the purpose of receiving reports, electing officers, considering and amending the rules of the League and transacting any other business of the League.

(b) Any member of a League club may attend the AGM but each club shall have one vote only, and that only on an issue in which it has teams involved.

(d) All decisions at general meetings shall be decided by a simple majority. In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

(e) An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Honorary League Secretary at any time on the instructions of the Executive of the Cambridgeshire LTA or within 14 days of the receipt of a written request from at least five League clubs. The notice convening the meeting shall state the purpose for which it has been called.

6. The administration of the League shall be undertaken by the Honorary League Secretary or any deputy appointed by him/her. The Honorary League Secretary shall be a member of the Advisory Council of the County Lawn Tennis Association. The League Secretary and a committee of at least two other members shall be elected at the AGM. The committee should consist of representatives of at least three different clubs. Any appeals must be decided on a majority vote of the committee. A committee member will not be entitled to vote if his/her club is involved in the dispute.

7. The League shall consist of one or more divisions of Mens, Ladies and Mixed Doubles. The divisions of the Mens and Ladies Leagues shall consist of eight teams each, the Mixed of six teams each. The number of teams in the lowest two divisions may be adjusted to suit the total entry.

8. There is no limit on the number of teams a club may enter in the League.

9. The top two teams in each division will be promoted at the conclusion of each season, and the last two teams in each division will be relegated.

10. Matches will comprise two pairs, both pairs to play each opposing pair for two sets, with a tie–break if the score of 6–6 is reached in either set. The winner of each match will receive two points, the loser nil points; if the match is drawn on sets each team will receive one point. When teams have an equal number of points, their positions in the League table shall be determined by the number of sets won, and, if still level, by percentage of games won.

11. The Honorary League Secretary will, with the help of a sub–committee, arrange all fixtures, each team nominating the day of the week on which it wishes to play its home matches. The complete list of fixtures will be sent to each club not later than 28^th February.

12. Matches must be played on the day fixed, the only reason acceptable for postponement being the unfit nature of the courts, or exception 12(b) below. The Home captain shall decide on the fitness for play and both teams must turn up unless they have been advised that conditions will not allow play. Postponements for rearranged matches may be accepted, for unavoidable reasons, at the discretion of the League Secretary, who shall be informed prior to the postponement if at all possible. If a date to continue cannot be agreed by all the players at the time of the postponement then the home captain must within a week offer the away captain three alternative dates, avoiding other League fixtures, to be within one month of the original date. If the home captain fails to offer three alternative dates then the away team will be given the match. In the event of a match postponement involving two teams from the same club, a result card naming all players involved in the match must be completed and sent to the League Secretary. For team eligibility purposes all named players will be considered to have played in the match.

(b) Any team may change the date of a match scheduled for the half term week in May. Such a change must be made by 1st April and the League secretary notified. The rules for postponements will apply

13. When a match has been started but is prevented from being completed, for example, by bad weather or bad light, then the same players should arrange a date to continue the match within one month of the original date. If all of the players cannot make themselves available on the same date to continue the fixture then the outstanding sets can be completed piece meal on different dates within one month of the original date. In the event that a player is unavailable for the month following the original fixture date, the unfinished sets must be conceded unless there are exceptional circumstances that would have to be agreed by the League Secretary in which case the result shall be void and the match replayed within one month with the strongest team available. If a date to continue cannot be agreed by all the players at the time of the interruption of play then the home captain must within one week offer the away captain three alternative dates, avoiding other League Fixtures, to be within one month of the original date. If the home captain fails to offer three alternative dates then the away team will be given the match with all the remaining unplayed games and sets being awarded to the away team. In the event that the away team does not accept any of the three offered dates for completion of the match then the home team will be awarded all of the outstanding games and sets. In the event that the interrupted match is between two teams from the same club, the match must be continued within eight days of the original date. Failure to do so will result in the match being considered a draw 0-0 but no points will be awarded.

14. If a team fails to fulfil an arranged or rearranged match it shall forfeit the match 8–0, 48–0. A team not fulfilling a fixture because of inability to raise a team shall not only lose the points and the games 48–0 but will also have two points deducted

15. All matches arranged for evening play must commence at 6.30pm or before and those arranged for weekend play at the agreed time. Play shall commence as soon as possible. If a pair arrives late, the opposing captain may claim one set 6–0 for each complete half an hour that the pair arrive late. If it proves impossible to obtain a result, the usual procedure for completing the fixture shall be invoked. If there should be any dispute as to a suitable finishing time then it shall be regarded as unreasonable to continue play after 9.15pm in May or 9.30pm in June or July for evening fixtures. If a team should arrive more than one hour late then the opponents may claim the match.

16. A player cannot represent more than one club in a season and must be a bona–fide member of that club. However, this rule does not prevent a player playing in the Mixed League for one club and Mens or Ladies for another, provided that player is a bona–fide member of both clubs.

The definition of a bona–fide member of any club is that he/she shall be a full club member or have County membership paying a subscription of not less than two-thirds full membership. Subscriptions to be paid by the date of the first match in which the player took part. The League Secretary may request certified confirmation of the above from any club via its Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

17. Clubs with more than one team in the Ladies, Mens or Mixed Leagues must nominate (for each of their teams) in writing to the League Secretary before 30th April in each season, the names of four players per team who will form the basis of the team. Those players nominated may not play for a lower team irrespective of the Division(s) in which other teams from that club may play i.e. a first team player may not play for the second team. Players from lower nominated teams may play for higher teams for a total of two occasions only in Mens & Ladies and one occasion in Mixed. Once the player has played 3 times for any number of higher teams he or she may not play again for the team for which he or she has been nominated. This rule will apply to all clubs having more than one team in any classification of Leagues.

All teams other than the lowest team must be nominated, e.g. if a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Mens team are entered only the 1st and 2nd team need be nominated. Any nominated player must play in at least one match for that team and at least three nominated players must play in the first match, except in the most exceptional circumstances as agreed by the League Secretary.

A player who has not been nominated, having played 3 times for a higher ranking team (twice for the Mixed), is committed to that team and may not then represent a lower ranking team during the season; but an unnominated member of a lower ranking team may play for a higher ranking team irrespective of the number of times he or she has played for the lower ranking team.

If a club has more than one team entered in the same division those teams shall play each other before any other League fixture.

A nominated player must play in at least one match for the team in which he has been nominated. Failure to do so will result in a penalty of -2 points unless exceptional reasons are agreed by the League Secretary.

18. The Home team at each match shall arrange for the result to be recorded for club purposes, and shall also complete a result card for forwarding to the League Secretary by post. All result cards, whether or not the match is completed, shall be posted within 3 days of the original date of the match. Both playing captains must sign the card, and in the event of a dispute about the result, both captains must report on the match to the League Secretary within three days. Failure to do so will incur a fine at the discretion of the League Secretary, whose decision may be altered upon appeal at the Annual General Meeting of the League. Any falsifying of the card would result in relegation of the relevant team(s).

19. All fixtures must be completed by 31st August each year.

20. Any proposed alteration or addition to these rules must reach the Honorary League Secretary in writing by 1st October each year for the propositions to be made at the AGM

21. Failure to comply with these rules shall render a club liable to a fine at the discretion of the League Secretary, whose decision may be altered upon appeal to the AGM

22. Any club failing to return a trophy in its possession at or before the AGM shall be liable to a fine of £20 per trophy. Any trophy lost should be replaced by the League Secretary and charged to the club responsible.

23. Soft-soled tennis shoes must be worn by all players. The home Captain has the right to refuse to allow a player to take part in a match if he/she is wearing training shoes with serrated soles.

24. A Winter League (played in October, November and December) and a Veterans League (played in February and March) may be organised by the League Secretary, or a deputy. The size of the divisions shall be decided by the committee and nominations (Rule 17) will not be needed. These matches would be friendly. Alterations to the timetable can be made by agreement between the relevant captains.

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Apr 2003