League Season June 10th,
2005 thru August 31st, 2005
Match Scheduling
Ten (10) matches (in some cases this number may vary) are provided for each participant to complete during the 10-week season. Players are responsible for scheduling their own matches at any site that is mutually agreeable between opponents. Matches do not have to be played in any particular order. "Replacement matches" (playing a team you have not been scheduled by the computer to play) do not count in the league standings.
Schedule & Contact Info
Your official listing of which teams you
and your partner are scheduled to play are available on the Bay Area Tennis league
website. Participant contact
information is also available online on the Bay Area Tennis league website.
Scheduling Etiquette
As you have made a commitment to
participate in this league, please make every effort to honor that commitment
by promptly returning phone calls and email requests to setup matches. Please also play as many matches as
possible. J
Match Format
Best two-out-of-three set format,
12-point tiebreaker (regular scoring).
Both players responsible for bringing balls to match; winner gets
unopened can. Matches should be played
according to the "Rules of Tennis".
Official USTA rules do not apply.
Online
Score Reporting
Some redesign and bug fixes need to be
completed on the league website. An
automated email will be sent once the site is ready with your login
information. The website address is http://www.BayAreaTennis.com. In the interim
period, feel free to phone or email your scores to me. J
Winners are responsible for entering scores via the league website, or by sending scores to me. If you do not have internet access, please report scores to me at (925) 672-4109. If you experience any problems using the web site, please let me know.
Partner
Changes / Substitutions
To minimize administrative efforts, partner changes are only
allowed prior to a Team's first official league match. Once that first match is
started, no partner changes or substitutions are permitted.
Standings
Division standings are updated as soon
as you log onto the website and enter your score. Total ranking points determine standings within each division and
are based on the following formula:
Total
Ranking Points = Wins + Win/Loss Pct. + Bonus Points
Match #6 Played Add
.10 to Total Ranking Points
Match #7 Played Add
.25 to Total Ranking Points
Match #8 Played Add
.25 to Total Ranking Points
Match #9 Played Add
.40 to Total Ranking Points
Match #10 Played Add
.50 to Total Ranking Points
Therefore, it is to your advantage to play as many matches as
possible. Additional ranking points can
be obtained for each match played (win or lose) after 5 matches - the minimum
participation baseline. These points
can be useful in improving your seeding for the tournament.
End-of-Season Tournament & BBQ September 10th & 11th, 2005
The End-of-Season Tournament is scheduled to take
place Saturday, September 10th thru Sunday, September 11th,
at Saint
Mary’s College
in Moraga. You must complete at
least 5 matches (as scheduled per the league website) in order to qualify for
the End-Of-Season Tournament. More
details about the Tournament to follow.
Tournament Desk & Official Information Line
The official tournament Information Line phone
number is (925) 930-4609. It can handle a high-volume of simultaneous incoming calls, and
will be updated periodically to inform you of any scheduling changes, as well
as instructions of how we will proceed in the event of rain. Additionally, if
you want to talk to me live in person, phone my cell phone at 925-457-7717.
In case of Rain
The alternate weekend date for the
End-of-Season tournament is scheduled for
October 1st & 2nd, 2005. In the unfortunate event of rain the weekend of the Tournament,
please phone the official tournament Information Line regularly for
updates. Your match might be postponed
or the tournament may be cancelled all together.
In case of cancellation on both tournament
weekends, league standings from the regular season will stand, and winners
would be determined from standings reported by Friday, September 2nd, 2005.
Mixed Doubles League Website
To
report scores and check league standings, log on to our website. You can also find opponent phone and email
contact information, but only if you formally log in. The URL is:
http://deuce.bayareatennis.com
League T-Shirt
League
t-shirts can be picked up at the End-of-Season Tournament. If you are unable to make it, we will mail
your t-shirt to you.
Questions?
If you have any questions or experience any problems regarding the Summer 2005 Mixed Doubles League, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Email: mailto:BAT2005@Brwncald.com
Contact: John Bondon
Home phone: (925) 672-4109
Work Phone: (925) 210-2242
Cell phone: (925) 457-7717
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
1)
What is Bay Area Tennis . com?
We are a new non-profit in our fifth year of
operation. Our concept is to promote
recreational tennis throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We plan to do this by both promoting the
leagues & tournaments of existing tennis clubs & organizations in the
area, and by developing our own programs.
Next year we will plan to redesign and unveil a new “Community Portal”
website, as well as a few other enhancements to the website, aimed at promoting
interaction among Bay Area tennis enthusiasts.
We hope you will find these new features a useful way to learn of other
tennis opportunities around the Bay Area, find others at your level to hit or
setup matches with, trade tennis gear, or simply discuss tennis issues with. J
2)
Why do some teams have 10 scheduled matches, while others have a
different number?
Some divisions have an odd number of teams,
therefore scheduling exactly 10 matches was not possible for all teams.
3)
When & where do we play these matches?
You and your partner are responsible for
coordinating with your opponents the time & place of each of your
matches. Matches can be played at any
location mutually agreed upon by all parties.
4)
Do matches have to be played at the Heather Farm Tennis Center in
Walnut Creek?
No. I can't emphasize that point enough. Though I
spearheaded the Winter Doubles League for the Walnut Creek Racquet Club in
years past, this league is not affiliated with the WCRC or the Heather Farm
Tennis Center.
Additionally, Heather Farm is a public pay facility. Players that do not pay the annual Court
Usage fee are subject to the daily use fee. Therefore some league participants
may prefer to play elsewhere. Please
respect those that feel this way. Matches
can be played at any site mutually agreed upon by both teams. It's really that simple.
5)
What are some alternate locations to play matches?
Matches
can be played at any public or private court facility you agree to in Contra
Costa County or Alameda County.
6)
Can I ask opponents to play matches at my private tennis club? Who is
responsible for paying the guest fee?
Sure, if you or your partner belong to a private
club and are allowed guests, you can offer to play your matches there. But be sure to inform your opponents in advance
if there will be a guest fee. If you
are not willing to pay this, you should not expect your opponents to, either.
7)
Do I need to complete all 10 of my scheduled matches?
No, but I would encourage you to complete as many as
possible. Other teams are counting on
your cooperation and commitment to the league, as who plays who has been
pre-determined by the website computer.
Work and personal obligations, however, as well as weather conditions,
may prevent some teams from completing all their matches.
8)
I've called our opponents several times to schedule a match but they
fail to return my phone call and/or email.
Do we get a default win as a result?
No. But if a
team consistently fails to respond to requests for matches, that is an obvious
example of poor sportsmanship. Please
report such incidents directly to me, your League Coordinator.
9)
Our opponents arrived more than 15 minutes late to our match. Do we win by default, or must our opponents
default a game for every 15-minutes they are tardy?
No. There
are no defaults for matches not played and no such penalties during the regular
league season. You can, however, expect
a 15-minute default rule will be in effect for the End-of-Season Tournament.
10)
What if our opponents never show up for a scheduled match?
Report the incident to me, your League Coordinator. You will not be awarded a default, but I will deal with such inappropriate behavior personally. Teams that willfully engage in unsportsman-like conduct will be banned from the End-of-Season Tournament, as well as possible future leagues & events.
11)
What happens if it starts raining or the lights go out AFTER we have
already started playing our match?
In case of rain delay or court lighting failure once
a match has begun, the match should be postponed and continued as soon as
possible. Final date to complete all
matches is September 2nd, 2005.
12)
What if a player gets injured AFTER we have started our match?
This is the only time a default is appropriate. The injured team is expected to retire (default). However, if both teams are agreeable, such a
match can be postponed and completed
later. In such a situation, however, all parties must agree to this
postponement. If the match cannot be completed by September 2nd,
2005, an automatic default applies.
13)
Then if USTA League rules do not apply, what are the formal rules for
this league???
This is an informal, recreational tennis
league. Even though this is not a
sanctioned USTA league, the Golden Rule applies. Good sportsmanship
is the Golden Rule in action, both on and off the court!
14)
Why is there a minimum match rule?
This is an idea borrowed from the WCRC’s Singles
& Doubles Leagues to encourage teams to continue playing matches past the
minimum 5 to qualify for the tournament.
This is the only qualification for entry into the End-of-Season
Tournament. There is no restriction to the maximum number of matches a team can
play. In addition, playing past the
minimum 5 matches only adds to your Ranking Point total. The more matches you complete, the higher
your bonus point total!
15)
Can I play matches against teams that aren't on my formal list of teams
"scheduled" to play?
Sure. You are welcome to contact other teams, meet new people, and play as many opponents, as often as you wish. Only the first match, however, against your official list of opponents (as per the League website) counts in the league standings.
16)
If I am unable to coordinate a match with one of my opponents, why
can't I substitute that match for another on my contact list?
Although this may seem limiting, it is beyond the
technical capabilities of our website to make this accommodation. It also creates an administrative nightmare
for those involved in organizing this league.
17)
Who do I contact if I have trouble with the web based score entry
system?
Please contact me directly, as it is important for
me to be aware of any problems or issues you are facing using the web based
score entry system so we may fix them in a timely manner. The website will be used for our future
leagues and events, so any improvements made for your benefit will likely
impact many others down the road! Do
not hesitate to contact me if you are having problems.
18)
What if I don’t have an email address or web access?
No problem!
Simply report your winning scores to me directly. If you don’t have an email address or my
emails to you bounce back undelivered, I will phone you later this summer to
let you know how the End-of-Season Tournament will work. If you don’t hear from me, please phone me!
19)
What happens if I or my partner sustain an injury or are unable to
complete the season -- can we change partners?
No, not once you have begun playing league
matches. You are free to change
partners prior to starting your first Doubles League match. However, after that, no further
substitutions are permitted for your team.
20)
What happens if my partner & I can not resolve a match dispute with
our opponents?
Please make every effort to resolve matters on your
own, however, when it becomes necessary to bring a third party into the mix,
the League Coordinator should be asked to provide this arbitration.
If, for example, your opponents insist on enforcing
a rule you don't know about, such situations should be brought to my attention.
We've tried to structure this league in the simplest, most enjoyable way
possible. This means keeping the
"rules" to a minimum.
The only "rules" or guidelines that
presently exist for this league, are what is written here and posted on the
Official league website or mailed to you.
Think of them like the Pacific Bell Yellow Pages … If you don't see the rule stated here, or on the league website, maybe
it doesn't exist! J Should you encounter a situation not covered by the above set of
guidelines, please let me know!