2015 Captains Meeting

1. 2015 Captains Meeting

2. ArkansasLocal League Coordinators

3. Our purpose is to promote the game of tennis by providing successful programs and helpful service to the teams in AR. This Spring we have over 370 teams signed up to play team tennis! .

4. How Do You Get One of These?

5. How Do You Get One of These? • Go to your local Revenue Office • Transfer your current plate or renew • $35 additional fee • $25 of each purchase will go to the Arkansas Tennis Patrons Foundation and the money will be used to refurbish courts around the state.

6. 2015 USTA League Season

7. Captain’s Duties – Your Roster • Team Size Limits • 2.0, 2.5, 5.0: 12 player max • 55+ roster max: 12 player max • Every other team: 16 player max • Any person who turns 18 or 40 in the calendar year of 2015 is eligible for the respective league

8. Captain’s Duties – Your Roster • Players must register for your team before their first match. • However, players will incur a $5 late fee if they register after March 15 • Players must play in two matches to qualify for State • Midseason matches do NOT count toward eligibility • One default may count toward • Retired matches DO count for all players involved

9. Captain’s Duties – Your Roster • In leagues with only two teams, 40% of your roster must hold the designated rating of the league. • A player may play on more than one team • If they are on two teams that advance to State at the same level (but different local leagues), they must declare which team they will play with prior to the first match at State.

10. Updated Rule! 18+, 40+ or 55+ players may advance to Sectionals with more than one team in the same age group. This applies for Mixed doubles as well. ** The two teams must be different NTRP levels ** Sectional Tournaments will not make scheduling accommodations

11. Captain’s Duties – Your Roster • If you have 4 NEW USTA players on your roster, you qualify for a $100 prize • This is for any coach or captain or tennis enthusiast • Email leaguetennis@arktennis.com for the entry form

12. NTRP RATINGS

13. Updated Rule! Players 65 and older will no longer see their computer rating change when year-end ratings come out. If a 65+ player would like to move up a level, they may appeal their rating. If they are within the appropriate range, their appeal will be granted.

14. Understanding NTRP Ratings • All players who played three (qualifying) matches in 2014 will generate a year-end NTRP rating. • Your DYNAMIC rating is to the nearest 100th of a point (3.42). YOU only see your year-end rating to a 10th of a point (3.5) • Only Adult League matches count as qualifying (not combo, interim, mixed, etc)

15. Understanding NTRP Ratings • With each match you play, your dynamic rating goes up or down based on how you perform against the computer’s guesstimate. • The system considers your LIKELY score based on current dynamic ratings of each player in the match.

16. Understanding NTRP Ratings • If you perform better than expected, your rating goes up. • If you don’t perform as well as the computer thinks you will, your rating goes down.

17. Understanding NTRP Ratings • Is it possible for your rating to go up to the next level during a season? • YES • Is it possible for your rating to drop down to the level below during a season? • YES

18. Understanding NTRP Ratings • Year-end ratings are only based on play during the Adult Spring Season (18+, 40+, 55+ and 65+) • Rating types • C: computer rated • A: appeal rated • M: mixed rated • S: self rated

19. Understanding NTRP Ratings • Mixed Rating? What is that? • Players who participate in mixed doubles exclusively will receive an M rating at year-end. • If they choose to re-enter the Adult League season, they must use their latest Computer Rating or Self-Rate

20. Understanding NTRP Ratings • Self-rated players: • Must honestly and accurately fill out the self-rate questionnaire. • If not happy with the rating produced, players may file a self-rate appeal • If a self-rated player is promoted to a higher level during the season, ALL prior matches played by that player will be reversed.

21. NTRP Grievances • Only self-rated players can have a rating grievance filed on them. • No grievance can be filed against a player with a valid computer rating • Complete the NTRP grievance form and submit to the LLC

22. Understanding NTRP Ratings • If a captain/team has 2 or more promoted players within a 12-month period, they may be subject to an NTRP Grievance and subsequent suspension from USTA League

23. Understanding NTRP Ratings • Computer-rated players may NOT be disqualified during a season.

24. Scheduling

25. Scheduling • PLEASE be sure to send the scheduling info on any matches played BEFORE February 20 so that it will show accurately in TennisLink • Match ID #’s must be included on submitted schedules • You are only responsible for submitting your Home matches, but it is very helpful to send your complete schedule

26. Scheduling • Visiting teams should not ever be asked to split court fees for outdoor courts • If Home team chooses to provide indoor courts vs outdoor courts, the Visiting team is not required to split indoor court fees • If Home team and Away team mutually agree to play indoors when setting up the match, the Visiting team is required to split

27. Scheduling • Once a match has been scheduled, the date/time/location/surface CANNOT be changed unless MUTUALLY agreed upon • You must notify the local league coordinator as soon as a match has been rescheduled • If you cannot agree on a match schedule, we will set the match time and location

28. Match Play • Each team must have a captain or acting captain at each match • Lineups must be exchanged simultaneously just before play begins • If the lines are playing at staggered times, the entire lineup must still be exchanged

29. Match Play • Use Scorecards from Tennis Link

30. Match Play • If a captain knows in advance that they need to forfeit a line, they are to let the other captain know as soon as possible • Must default from the bottom up

31. Match Play • Substitution Rule: Prior to the start of an individual match, if injury to, illness of, disqualification of, or a no show of a player occurs, a team may substitute a player in the affected position within the 15 minute default time, using a player not already listed on the lineup. If no substitution can be made, the affected position only will be defaulted.

32. Match Play • If a team defaults an entire match, a grievance may be filed against the captain and the team and fines may incur

33. Match Play • Confirm scores before leaving the match • The WINNING captain is responsible for entering scores • Scores must be entered within 48 hours • If you dispute a score – please notify LLC • Rescheduled matches must be turned into the Local League Coordinator ASAP

34. Match Play • Inclement Weather • Unless the captains mutually agree BEFORE the match to complete the match at a later date, when inclement weather hampers a match the match is over • All completed matches stand • All individual matches will use total games won to determine winner • There is a score-keeping rule in place

35. Match Play • Timed Matches • Prior to the start of the match, the home captain must notify the opposing captain of the allotted time for the match, the end time of the match, and the method of timekeeping on each court. Play must end on all courts at the designated time unless a rollover court is secured prior to the beginning of the match

36. State Selection Process 18+, 40+ and Mixed Teams are chosen in the following manner: • An NTRP level with fewer than seven teams statewide will have four bids. • If a local division has: • 7 teams or less = they receive one bid • 8 – 14 teams = they will receive two bids • 15 – 21 teams = they will receive three bids • The State will issue Wildcards as necessary to fill the draw

37. Midseason Bids • If the winner of Midseason is already a local league winner, then bid will go to the next in line at Midseason, not that team’s local league. • If the Midseason has a semi-final and final, the winner of the bid would come from no farther than the fourth place team. • If there is no semi-final or final at your Midseason tournament, the bid would go no further down than second place in your group.

38. Seeding for State First place winners from each local league will be placed in separate round robins with, in some cases, round robins having more than one first-place winner. All other spots will be by random draw. We try and keep local league teams from playing each other as much as possible.

39. Of Note…. All Mixed Doubles State Tournaments will be held all on the same weekend due to the Sectional and National Tournament dates. Interim will be on a separate weekend. All of Interim will also be played together, but on a separate weekend from Mixed.