Set: 24-02-2024
| Name |
| 1 |
| The league shall be named the Coventry & District Lawn Tennis League |
| Membership |
| 2 |
| Membership of the League is open to all Tennis Clubs in Coventry and District, who are affiliated to the W.L.T.A., subject to the approval of the Committee. |
| Subscription Fee |
| * 3 Amended for 2023 Season |
| The Annual Subscription is £18.00 for each team entered in the
League including an annual fee to the results service MyDivision.
The league subscription may be reviewed at any AGM, and the
secretary shall advise clubs in advance of any change to the
MyDivision fee. |
| Changes |
| 4 |
| The Annual Subscription must accompany the entry of teams for the next season and is not returnable if teams are withdrawn. Any clubs withdrawing a registered team or altering their match night after 1st January following the A.G.M. will be fined. The amount of the fine will be fixed by the committee and notified to the club not less than 14 days before the A.G.M. |
| AGM representation |
| 5 |
| All Clubs not represented at the A.G.M. will be fined. The amount of the fine will be fixed by the Committee and notified to all Clubs not less than fourteen days before the A.G.M |
| Presidential Election |
| 6 |
| The League shall elect a President at the Annual General Meeting. |
| Governance |
| 7 |
| The League shall be governed by a Committee comprising a Chairman, General Secretary, Honary Treasurer and not more than eight ordinary members of the Committee, who shall be elected annually. |
| Committee Membership Nominations |
| 8 |
| Election to the Committee shall be by Nomination Form and Ballot. Each Club may submit nominations for the Presidential and ex-officio positions and for one Committee vacancy. |
| Notification of Nominations |
| 9 |
| The General Secretary shall send approved Nomination Forms to all Clubs not less than six weeks before the Annual General Meeting, which must be returned to the General Secretary within fourteen days of receipt. The General Secretary shall send a full list of nominations to all Clubs not less than fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. |
| Attendance and voting rights |
| 10 |
| Any member of the League Clubs may attend the Annual General Meeting and contribute to discussion, but each Club shall have one vote only for each team entered in the League in the previous season, with the exception that in voting on any matter which, based on the Committee's decision, relates solely to the Men's Divisions, each Club shall have one vote for each Men’s Team entered in the League in the previous season, or relates solely to the Ladies Divisions, each Club shall have one vote for each Ladies Team entered in the League in the previous season. |
| League Structure |
| * 11 Amended for 2023 Season |
11A League Structure
The League shall consist of one or more divisions playing men's doubles and one or more divisions playing ladies doubles. The divisions will consist of not more than eight teams. Each team will play all the other teams in the same division twice during the season.
11B Promotion / Relegation
At the conclusion of each season, the top two teams in each division will be promoted to the next higher division and the bottom two teams in each division will be relegated to the next lower division. Notwithstanding the foregoing, promotion shall not take place if it would result in more than two teams from any one club playing in any division of the ladies or men's leagues. In that situation, the third placed team will be promoted to the higher division.
11C Team Entry
All clubs must enter teams using the online MS Forms link by the deadline indicated. If the number of club teams is less than the previous year the club must indicate which team is to be removed.If the number of club teams is more than the previous year any additional team will be entered into the lowest division. It is not possible to remove a team and add a new team in the same season |
| Fixtures |
| 12 |
| The Committee shall arrange all fixtures. Fixtures will be available on MyDivision no later than 1st April. |
| Fixture Play Rules and Substitutions |
| 13 |
13A Fixture Play
All matches must be played at the Ground Location on Mydivision (unless mutually agreed otherwise), on the date fixed, the only reason acceptable for postponement being the unfit condition of the courts at the planned start time. The Home Captain shall decide upon the fitness for play. Both teams must turn up unless both captains agree otherwise. If the match is abandoned or postponed, the Home Club must notify the Results Secretary within 3 days, giving reasons. In the case of abandoned matches, close of play scores must be submitted at the same time.
(NEW) If the away captain disagrees with the decision to abandon; postpone or play the match, a dispute may be lodged by email with the relevant match secretary within 3 days giving reasons. The match secretary shall then make the final decision based on evidence presented by both sides.
13B re-playing unfinished or postponed matches.
Unfinished matches shall be continued from the point of interruption. The uncompleted match as it stands must be entered on MyDivision by the home captain within three days. Within 3 days of the original scheduled date it is the responsibility of the home team Captain to offer 2 dates 1 of which must be a weekend date within the following 14 day period for the match to be completed. If both captains agree that a weekend date is preferable, then the match must start between 10.00 and 15.00 at the weekend unless otherwise agreed.
The two parties then have up to 3 further days to agree the new date and must then notify the results secretary of the new date immediately. The dates offered must not clash with scheduled Coventry & District league fixtures of the away team and not include the break week for rearrangement.
13C Substitutes
In exceptional circumstances, by agreement between the two Captains and with the consent of the Results Secretary, one substitute player can be fielded by either or both teams in order to permit completion of unfinished matches within the fourteen day rule. Any rubber in which the substitute players take part must continue from where it was halted. A substitute player shall not be allowed in the event of illness or injury preventing a player completing a match on the fixed date and the rubber or rubbers involved shall be forfeited. All substitute players must be eligible to play for the team in question i.e. not tied and properly registered. Should a substitute player only play one rubber of a match this will be counted as one match played for the team involved.
13D Failure to fulfil a fixture
Any team which fails to fulfil a fixture shown in the Handbook for any reason other than provided for in Rule 13A, shall be liable at the discretion of the Committee to have its record expunged and to be expelled from the League. The Committee's ruling shall be final. |
| Teams, Format & Scoring |
| 14 |
| Each team shall consist of two pairs and both pairs will play each opposing pair. Each match is worth four points, one point is awarded for each rubber won.
The Wimbledon tie-break system shall be used at six games all in the first two sets. The tie-break is started by the player whose turn it is to serve and he or she serves the first point only. Thereafter each player serves two points in sequence. The tie-break is won by the first pair to score seven points with a 2 point advantage i.e. 7-5, 8-6, 9-7, etc. The third set shall comprise a Championship tie-break which will be won by the first pair to score ten points with a 2 point advantage, i.e. 10-8, 11-9, 12-10, etc.
When Clubs have an equal number of points, the positions in the League Table shall be determined by the percentage of sets won, and if still level, by the percentage of games won. The Championship tie-break shall count as one set, and also as one game. |
| Courts |
| 15 |
| The Home Club shall provide two outdoor courts for each match. The choice of courts shall be made by the Home Captain. The Committee stipulates that a change of surface during a match must be made by mutual consent of both captains. The match must continue under floodlights if they are available. |
| Balls |
| 16 |
| The Home Club shall provide eight new balls, authorised by the LTA, and from a manufacturer nominated by the League Committee, for each match. |
| Player registrations |
| 17 |
| No player may play for more than one club in any one season.
Only the following players shall be qualified to represent that
club in matches: a) Members elected in accordance with the
rules of the club at an annual subscription entitling them to the
usual playing privileges; b) Full time coaches at the club;
c) Life members of the club.
Each player must be registered on-line on MyDivision with the Coventry & District League by his
or her club not less than 14 days before playing in a league
match. No registrations may be made after 30th June in any one season. The committee shall have the power to refuse to accept any registration. |
| Play Eligibility |
| 18 |
| Any player having played in more than two matches in higher divisions shall not be permitted to play in a lower division during the same season. When a Club has more than one team in the same division, no player may play more than twice for a higher ranking team and then a lower ranking team, but a member of a lower ranking team may play for a higher ranking team, irrespective of the number of times he has played for the lower ranking team. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any player having played in more than two matches in a higher division shall not be permitted to play in a division consisting of fewer than seven teams in the same season. |
| Ineligible Players |
| 19 |
| Clubs playing ineligible players shall forfeit the rubbers (this
includes sets and games) in which ineligible players play, but their
opponents shall only be entitled to the rubbers they have won plus any
rubbers lost against an ineligible player.
Explanation: Ineligible players need to understand that their results
will be entered as 0-6, 0-6 and 0-6, 0-6. The aim is to make teams fully
aware of the impact on their own clubs and the unfair distortion of the
league should they field someone who is not allowed to play. |
| Timing & Timeliness |
| 20 |
| All matches shall commence not later than 18.30 (unless
mutually agreed otherwise). Opponents may claim 1 set against
a pair not ready to play at 18.30 and a whole rubber where that
pair is not ready by 19.00. Any set not played shall be recorded
6-0. Where any part of the rubber is contested on court the actual
score shall be recorded.
Penalties will be imposed on any team which fails to field four players. These are as follows: IN ADDITION to the rubbers conceded, ONE POINT will be deducted for EACH PAIR which fails to turn up. |
| Retirement |
| 21 |
| For any rubber not completed because of retirement, the remaining games and sets will be conceded e.g. Players A and B are winning 6-2, 5-1 when player A retires, the score is recorded as 6-2, 5-7, 0-1 in favour of the opposition. |
| Entering Scores |
| * 22 Amended for 2023 Season |
Results may be entered on MyDivision by either
the home or away team. The other team must confirm the result. This entire process must be completed by midnight on the third day after the match was played. For example, if the match was played on a Tuesday the whole process must be completed by midnight on the Friday.
The person who submits or confirms a match score on MyDivision must be someone who played in that match or the registered Team Captain on My Division.
Failure to submit/confirm a result within the prescribed time will result in forfeiture of the rubbers, sets and games won by the offending team. The non offending team will not be entitled to any rubbers, sets and games lost against the offending team. Should both teams fail to enter the result within the prescribed time, the match will be void.
The Results Secretary must also be advised within THREE days of the
date of the match of any uncompleted rubbers and the arrangements
made for completion of the match. The uncompleted match as it stands
must be entered on the MyDivision by the home captain. |
| Season End |
| 23 |
| All League fixtures shall be completed by 31st August each year. |
| Disputes |
| 24 |
| All disputes shall, (not later than fourteen days after the match in which the problem arises) be referred to the General Secretary or the appropriate Results Secretary, in writing, who shall bring them before the Committee for discussion. Officials and players of Clubs may be called to appear before the Committee in cases of dispute. |
| Change of Secretary |
| 25 |
| Any Club changing its Secretary shall inform the General Secretary immediately. |
| Court Inspection |
| 26 |
| All Match courts are subject to inspection by the League Committee and all grounds are to be open to League Officials while matches are in progress. All Match courts must be clearly marked and free from any dangerous objects. The nets must be undamaged and a net band must be provided on each court. The League Committee has the right to inspect the courts of any Club which applies to join the League before admitting that Club to membership. |
| Miscellanous fines |
| 27 |
| The Committee shall have the power to impose a fine on any Club violating these rules, and/or to award the points for any match involved against the offending Club, and/or to declare such a match void. In addition, the Committee shall impose a fine of £5 (Five Pounds) on any Club failing to return any of the League trophies by the date shown in the Rules and Fixtures Handbook. |
| Rule Changes |
| 28 |
| Any proposed alteration to the Rules must reach the General Secretary in writing not less than twenty-one days before the Annual General Meeting. The General Secretary will then advise Club Secretaries of the proposals not less than fourteen days before the A.G.M. Following the circulation of the proposals, any amendments to the proposals should reach the General Secretary no later than seven days before the A.G.M. who will circulate them to all Clubs immediately. Any proposed alteration or addition to the Rules shall be passed at the A.G.M. if the proposal is approved by more than fifty percent of the total number of votes cast on the proposal. |
| Authority |
| 29 |
| Any matter arising not provided for in the Rules shall be dealt with by the Committee. |
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