Cliff Notes on League Tennis for Players and Captains
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Introduction ............................................................................................. 2
Forming a Team...................................................................................2-5
Eligibility .................................................................................................. 5
USTA Membership.................................................................................. 6
NTRP Ratings ......................................................................................... 6
Self-Ratings .........................................................................................6-7
Preparing your roster .............................................................................. 7
Match schedules ..................................................................................... 7
What about inclement weather? ............................................................. 8
The captains' meeting ............................................................................. 8
The Season........................................................................................8-10
Match time/default times ....................................................................... 10
Playoffs ............................................................................................10-11
Wildcards .............................................................................................. 11
Team selection...................................................................................... 11
Entry Fee .............................................................................................. 11
State/District, Sectional, and National Championships ....................11-12
Lineups ................................................................................................. 12
Scorecards .......................................................................................12-13
Rules ..................................................................................................... 13
Grievances ............................................................................................ 14
CORTA Code of Conduct ................................................................14-15
Grievance filed for a team forfeit ........................................................... 15
Self-Rate NTRP Complaints ................................................................. 15
Using the Web/Emails......................................................................15-16
Courtesy, Sportsmanship and other Stuff ............................................. 16
Glossary ...........................................................................................17-19
Appendix ..........................................................................................20-24
A. What is a Tie-Break? ..................................................................20-21
B. NTRP Guidelines............................................................................. 22
C. Chart of Number of Matches to be Scheduled ................................ 23
D. 70/30 Rule Cheat Sheet .................................................................. 24
1. INTRODUCTION
Initially this was designed to be for new captains, but as we wrote it we realized that it might be
helpful for league players too. Things change from year to year, and even the more experienced
player can get snagged now and then by the more complicated issues.
Not everything can be covered on our website. So, here’s a sort of guidebook for you to use. It’s
also available on the CORTA web site under, “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”. Think of it as
“Cliff Notes on League Tennis for Players & Captains”. We have attempted to cover subjects
in some sort of order, but you can skip around as the season progresses to find specific
information. Our website, www.corta.org is loaded with information, and occasionally we’ll refer
you to it as we go along. This handbook is not intended to discourage you from contacting our
office or your coordinator. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] or by phone,
706-317-4136. Either way, we’re happy to help with whatever we can.
Thank you so much for playing CORTA league tennis. Enjoy your season!
PLEASE NOTE: This is a guide to help you understand CORTA league tennis. It is not a set of
governing rules. In case of any inconsistency between the guide and the governing rules, the guide
will NOT be the controlling factor. Any failure to comply with the USTA League Tennis National,
Southern, Georgia and/or CORTA Regulations will not be excused on the grounds that you relied on
this guide.
2. FORMING A TEAM
Congratulations. You are a captain. CORTA would be nothing without you. You have decided to
be a captain because either you know that you have what it takes to be a great leader of
men/women, or no one else would do it.
You need courts, players and inner strength.
Courts: Some teams are based at private clubs while other teams may choose a public facility as
their home courts. Either way, make sure you ask permission to host a team out of that facility. If
your team intends to have a team practice, your host facility will need to reserve those as well.
Cooper Creek has specific policies regarding team practices and matches so make sure your
team is set to go! Also, unless you purchase a membership at a facility, you’ll be asked to pay a
court fee each time you use the court – be prepared to pay these fees upon arrival at all practices
and/or matches.
Each 18 & Over League match consists of 5 individual matches (2 singles and 3 doubles
positions). Our 2.0, 2.5 and 5.0 teams have fewer players and smaller teams, so they play 3
individual matches (1 singles and 2 doubles positions). The 40 & Over play one singles and 3
doubles positions. Mixed Doubles, Combo Doubles, 55 & Over, 65 & Over, and City Leagues
play 3 individual matches (3 doubles positions). For a match played using five courts at one time,
you can generally allow 90 minutes for the match.
Coach: Oooh…touchy situation? I’m sure some of your players don’t really think they need to
learn anything. How can you improve on greatness? But perhaps, being the proud captain you
are, you’re tired of seeing your name listed in the league standing in the local paper anywhere but
on top! Well, maybe it’s time to ask for help. If your team does decide they are ready to improve
and make a serious attempt to win the season, or maybe just needs to fine tune the basics, you’ll
need to contact a tennis pro to establish the dates, times and fees for your team’s practice.
Team Registration: First Big Step-you register your team. This may be your first adventure on
our web site, and we think you'll find it quite easy. All you have to do is access “Helpful Links”
and then “USTA TennisLink” from the corta.org website. (Hint: the link is located on the lower
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right hand side of the home page). Select “USTA Leagues”, you will be directed to “Register for a
Team”. To Register for a team you will need a USTA Membership # and a team # provided by a
Team Captain or Local League Coordinator.
If you need to create a new team # online, there’s a “click here” link at the end of the sentence at
the top of the Register for a Team page.
When prompted, you should choose:
Section - Southern
State/District - Georgia
Area - GA-Columbus-CORTA
League - Choose the league that you are registering for!
The team name should be listed as the captain’s last name, followed by the co-captain’s last
name, followed by the home court abbreviation. (Example: McEnroe/Connors-CC)
TennisLink is so smart that the information you enter is actually used to generate your match
schedule. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure and associate your team with your home facility.
So please use the following codes:
Facility
Buena Vista
Callaway Gardens
Columbus State University
Cooper Creek
Country Club of Columbus
Green Island Country Club
Lakebottom
Opelika Tennis Center
Samford Avenue/Auburn
Willow Creek Apartments
Yarbrough Tennis Center/Auburn
Abbreviation
BV
CG
CSU
CC
CCC
GI
LB
OP
AU
WC
YTC
USTA/TennisLink Code
921005132
919360031
922078912
920557894
919360057
919359337
922158859
919359944
920338615
919370497
2004487452
The email address is very important. It’s our main form of communication. It allows us to be in
touch with you throughout the season. We frequently send out emails to all captains and cocaptains, keeping them in the loop about deadlines, rules, general information, match schedules,
etc. We also use email addresses to reach individual captains when questions arise about
matches, or grievances, etc. You may also receive emails as reminders to confirm a scorecard
that your opponent has entered. It is your responsibility to keep that email address up to
date. You must login to your CORTA account on the CORTA website. The login is located at the
top of the CORTA homepage. After you have logged in, there is a link at the top of the page
called “My Profile”. Click on My Profile and update your e-mail address. You may update your
directory e-mail at any time. You’ll also need to update your email address on your USTA
account.
If you want to be captain, but don't use email, be sure you have a co-captain who does, so your
team receives all the information that other teams are getting.
!!WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!!
DO NOT register a team unless you are sure you have enough players.
CORTA considers your registration to be a firm commitment to bring a team to the league, and
we do our scheduling based on these firm commitments. If you are just hopeful that you will have
a team, or you think you will probably have a team, don't register until you are sure. You don't
have to register the first day that registration opens. The deadline to register a team will be closer
to the season start date and will be published on the website each season for each particular
league.
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And if you did register a team and find out that the players you were counting on are all moving
away, injured, pregnant, or deciding to go elsewhere, LET US KNOW RIGHT AWAY. If we have
not started scheduling, we can drop your team easily and will thank you for letting us
know. Teams that drop out after the registration deadline are subject to serious grievance action,
because we may have to redo an entire schedule, forcing all the teams left in your flight to deal
with undo stress and confusion. Trust me…you definitely don’t want to make friends that way.
Format: The scoring format for all matches will be the best two out of three tie-break sets, with a
set tie-break being played at 6-all. In the event you split sets, a 10-point match tie-break must be
played in lieu of a third set. You will have a two-minute break between the end of the second set,
and the beginning of the 10-point match tie-break. (See Appendix A for tie-break instructions)
During the two-minute break…you can relax, talk big time strategy with your partner, or even take
a quick trip to the bathroom, but…NO coaching is allowed. That means no words of wisdom from
your tennis pro or teammates!
A team wins the match when it wins at least three of the five individual matches played in the 18
& Over League or two of three individual matches for levels 2.0, 2.5, 5.0, Mixed Doubles League,
Combo Doubles League, 55 & Over League, 65 & Over League, and City League. The 40 &
Over League plays 4 lines per match, so if your team wins at least three lines you win the overall
match. If it’s tied two-two, the overall match win will be dediced by a predetermined tie-break
procedure. Don’t worry …. TennisLink is pretty smart, so you don’t have to worry about trying to
keep track of the standings. From the match results you enter, TennisLink will maintain the
accurate team standings according to team points won, individual matches won, head-to-head,
fewest sets lost, and fewest games lost. So go online and check it out…you may even find your
team is in first place, or you may find you need to go out and practice some more
Players: USTA regulations require a minimum of eight players on an 18 & Over League team
and 40 & Over League team for all state championships (five for levels 2.0, 2.5, 5.0). The
minimum is six for Mixed Doubles, Combo Doubles, 55 & Over, 65 & Over, and City League but
believe me, the minimum is not enough. USTA regulations allow you to default two of five
individual matches (one of three individual matches for levels 2.0, 2.5, 5.0, Mixed Doubles,
Combo Doubles, 55 & Over, 65 & Over, and City League), but face it, that is not much fun. You
have no wiggle room and must win everything to take the match. This is called pressure. Your
opponent may be delighted to have such an advantage, but more often the other team is
disappointed because they had a full line-up of players who wanted to play.
So, what number of players is just right? There is no one correct answer, but consider these
things:
What is your team philosophy? If you are a group of players eager to enjoy tennis, meet new
players and move through the League Season without the pressure of trying to be the best in
your division, a large team on which everyone gets to play a couple times might be just fine. If
you are a group of gung-ho players hoping to really do well and advance to post-season play,
your plan may be to field the best team possible for every match, in which case a smaller team
might work better.
With women it’s easy to tell the difference between these two team types. Just look at their shirts.
The social women’s team has a very friendly team shirt, usually a pastel pattern, with an adorable
design. The competitive women’s team shirts are in solid primary colors, and the design is on the
order of an understated lightning bolt across the heart. With men it’s harder to tell. Guys don’t go
for team shirts. Sometimes the spectator is lucky if they are wearing any shirts at all. A clue to
identifying a competitive team is a shirt with blood smeared across the front.
On the other hand, if you load up your roster with 30+ players, you are asking to be burned in
effigy before the end of the season. It will be very difficult to give everyone two chances to play.
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And everyone will want at least two chances to play because that is how they become eligible to
advance to state, and that’s also how they’ll generate a computer rating for the following year.
Also, please remember, until the deadline to register teams, we won’t know how many teams will
sign up for the various levels of play. We make every attempt to make our schedule based on
fairness to all teams at every level, but it is impossible to give each team in our league the same
number of matches. Flighting may be necessary in some of the levels with large number of
teams. We’ve developed a chart that indicates the number of matches your team can expect to
have according to the number of teams at a level. Check it out…you might find it helpful when
trying to determine how many players you’d like to have on your team. It’s printed in Appendix
C, and also available online under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”.
CORTA does allow for participation on more than one team in the same league during the same
season (example: Joe Smoe with a 3.0 rating may join a 3.5 team if he wants!). Anyway, it is
important that you understand how this rule works and even more important that you understand
how this rule impacts your team.
CORTA introduced this multi-team rule for the first time in our 2003 Combo Doubles season and
for the most part it was received very enthusiastically by players who enjoyed the chance to play
more tennis. Some captains reported problems to us and these problems had to do with what
they described as their player's "loyalty" or "commitment." As captain, you should keep in mind
that should your team advance to the state championships there will be times when you have
been counting on Joe for a critical match, and it turns out that he is the member of another
championship team and his other captain got him first. Be sure you discuss with your multi-team
players just what your expectations are, and what their definition of commitment is. This could
save you misunderstandings down the line.
USTA official policy encourages a player to play up if he or she believes that their current rating is
incorrect. That is, if you generate a computer rating of 3.5 but plan to take lots of lessons, practice
4 times a week, or take that homeopathic drug that guarantees incredible topspin, you should
think about playing up. If you have a 3.0 rating but think you are too good for a 3.0 team, the
DNTRP three strikes program will think so too. This National program evaluates every player's
rating after every match, and if your scores indicate three times that you are too good to be
playing on a 3.0 team, you will be moved up to a higher level.
CORTA’s policy is to encourage players to play their NTRP level. To help with this issue the
70/30 rule was adopted. Bottom line, it means that 70% of the players listed on an 18 & Over, 40
& Over, 55 & Over, 65 & Over, or City League team roster must be playing at the team NTRP
level. So, if you have a 4.0 team with 20 people on your roster, 14 of your players must have
either a computer rating or self-rating of 4.0. The other 6 people on your roster may be 3.5, but
no lower. (National regulations state “a player may play only one NTRP level above the player’s
current NTRP level in the Adult & Senior Divisons). We realize that you’d probably rather be
playing tennis than doing math, so check out the cheat sheet in Appendix D. The chart is
available online too…under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”, Additional Information, and is
the 70/30 Chart. Remember, if you play up…you increase the chance of being disqualified if you
have appealed your rating or are self rated!
Sometimes, due to unfortunate circumstances (injury, job transfer or alien abduction), a player
may request to be deleted from a team roster if he/she has not been listed in a lineup. CORTA
will issue a partial refund of league fees to players who request removal by the drop deadline.
This date will be published on www.corta.org under the specific league page.
3. ELIGIBILITY
Every player on your team must meet two eligibility criteria: USTA membership and NTRP rating.
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Okay, Now you’re really scared. How can you check all this? What if your players tell you they're
okay and they’re really not? What if you play someone who shouldn’t be on your team? Is it too
late to move away and leave this whole mess up to your co-captain? Take a deep breath. When
you do your roster on the web, the computer database will help you check these things.
USTA MEMBERSHIP
At the start of the season, all your players must have USTA memberships that extend at
least through the end of the local league season, including all local playoffs.
If you have players whose memberships have expired, or will expire before the end of the
season, the computer will tell you so when you or they try to join a team. Until your player’s
membership expiration date is valid, you will not be able to add him to your roster, and he will not
be able to play for your team.
Players may join or renew their membership online and then immediately proceed with team
registration (this is the number 1, best idea!). They may also call 1-800-990-USTA and renew
their membership by credit card. Do not wait until the last minute to add someone to your team,
and do not play him in a match unless his name appears on your team roster.
There is also the option to renew memberships by U.S. postal mail. This is NOT a good idea.
This takes a long time and can cause you problems down the road. Every season there is a
captain who tries to add a player to his roster between the time the player mails it, and NY
receives and processes it. They argue that once the player has paid his money, he is
eligible. Not so. Their membership information must be updated in the USTA database in order
for the player to be added to a roster!
NTRP RATINGS
Computer ratings are published twice a year - once before the fall season (usually early-mid
August), and then the final year end ratings are published in late November or early December. If
you disagree with your computer rating, you will have an opportunity to appeal…unless of course
you played in a State, Sectional or National Championship match. Then you are considered a
Championship Benchmark Player, and your rating may not be appealed the first year after
publishing. Details of the process will be available on the CORTA website. If you appeal, DO
NOT register for a team until your final rating has been confirmed. Also, please forward all
appeal decisions to [email protected]. We maintain our own database, and want to make sure it’s
accurate and in sync with the USTA database.
There is some good reading information about ratings on www.corta.org under the Adult
Programs header. It’s listed under “Captains’ Corner”. Check it out!
So, what is a valid rating for League Play? Basically, computer ratings are valid for a three year
period (two years for players 60 and over) or until another computer rating is generated.
If you don’t have a valid computer rating, don’t be alarmed. You can still play league tennis.
Read on…
4. SELF-RATINGS
NTRP, National Tennis Rating Program, is a classification program that identifies and describes
levels of tennis ability. The NTRP is used to assure equitable competition in USTA League
Tennis.
New players, and players with expired ratings will enter the program by rating themselves using
the NTRP General and Specific Characteristics of Various Playing Levels. For a description of
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the general characteristics of levels of play, (see Appendix B), or check it out on www.corta.org
under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”, “Ratings Information”.
If you’re not sure what level you should be playing, you might want to ask a teaching pro to hit
with you to help you determine your NTRP level. Or if you play with someone who’s already in the
league and you’re beating the stew out of them, you probably want to rate yourself higher than
the level they play. Of course, if they are the ones giving you the lesson, you should probably
rate yourself at a lower level.
The opportunity to self-rate is presented when a player registers for a team. When a player enters
his or her name on a roster, the computer checks for a valid rating, and finding none, will take the
player directly to the self-rating program. After the player has self-rated, the player can place
himself on a team roster.
5. PREPARING YOUR ROSTERS
Roster: Once you have registered your team, you will be able to put players on your
roster. Some captains like to do this themselves and get reimbursed by their players later.
You may also tell your players to go to the web and register themselves. (Oooh, this sounds like a
great idea….they’ll become familiar with the website, be able to access all sorts of interesting
team info, and maybe even want to be the team captain next season!) If you choose this option,
you will need to provide your players with your specific team number in order for them to register.
Team numbers are specific for each season, league, level, and captain.
Either way, there is a player registration fee for each name added to your team. This fee covers
your league fee for that season plus a one-year membership to CORTA – wahoo!!
6. MATCH SCHEDULES
We do the initial scheduling. We will group your team with other teams at the same skill level, and
if your division is very big, we will divide it into flights. The number of matches you have depends
on the number of available weeks in the season, and the number of teams in your group. As
mentioned before, there’s a chart that will give you an idea of the number of matches your team
can expect to have according to the number of teams at your level. See Appendix C or check it
out online under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”.
The master schedule is prepared in the office using the TennisLink Scheduler program. The
schedule includes the date, time and location for each match and assigns that match a specific
match number. This very official schedule will be published on TennisLink 5-7 days prior to the
start of league play and MUST be followed by all teams. Yep, that means…NO
RESCHEDULING! No changing the date, time or location of a match. Believe me, there are
severe consequences you don’t want to find out about.
Well, there’s always an exception to a rule…you may request the rescheduling of a match with
the league coordinator if there is a conflict with player(s) involved in USTA League Championship
play. We work hard in the office to try and avoid these types of conflicts, but we aren’t always
clairvoyant. This situation is really rare, so please consult your local league rules for all the details
if the situation arises.
The only other reason a match may be rescheduled would be due to inclement weather. CORTA
has determined that to mean lightning, rain or severe temperatures. You know a temperature of
32º or colder can be pretty cooold while 100º or warmer can be down right dangerous, not to
mention HOT! If you’re trying to determine the official temperature, go to www.weather.com and
search by the zip code of the facility where your match is to be played. Please check your
CORTA League Regulations for more details on the subject.
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WHAT ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER?
The following list of pointers can be used in the event that bad weather prevents you from playing
your matches according to the schedule.
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The site manager at the facility is the person who will make the call as to whether or not a
match will have to be cancelled due to bad weather. There is no need to call CORTA or the
league coordinator in advance of the match concerning the weather. The site manager can
give you information concerning the availability of courts before the league coordinator can.
•
Upon cancellation of team matches by the site manager, the captains of the teams should
immediately begin discussing rescheduling, using CORTA regulations (Section VII.
Inclement Weather) as guiding procedures.
•
Matches can be made up individually or as a whole team; many teams find it nearly
impossible to reschedule matches as a whole team.
•
When rescheduling, in order to keep your line-up a secret from your opponent, negotiate the
rescheduling of matches with the opposing captain in terms of positions, not names of
players. (Ex: "My #2 and #3 doubles and #1 singles are available tomorrow. Is there an
afternoon next week when your #1 doubles and #2 singles can play?")
•
CORTA regulations (Section VII. Inclement Weather) state that matches postponed due to
inclement weather must be made up within 15 days of the originally scheduled match and
that the coordinator must be notified within 2 days of the originally scheduled match when a
rescheduled date cannot be agreed upon.
•
Because of the unpredictable nature of weather, a match may be called off by the league
coordinator before the scheduled day of the match, but only in very rare cases.
7. THE CAPTAINS’ MEETING OR…NOT?
Generally, there will be a Captains' meeting approximately 5-7 days prior to the start of the fall
league season. Sometimes we find it necessary to have an additional captain’s meeting during
the year, but almost always the most important meeting of the year will be the one that’s held
each fall, which is the season that begins the league year. This is when new league policies
and/or rule changes are announced, so you won’t want to miss it! During this time, CORTA likes
to present a little “THANK YOU” gift to our captains. Yeah, we know that being a team captain
can be a thankless job, so we like to take this opportunity to present captains with a little
something to let you know how much we appreciate YOU! Call it a bribe if you’d like, but we think
it’s the least we can do for all your hard work and effort.
8. THE SEASON
All important dates for each league season are posted on the CORTA website under each
specific league page. Pay attention to any deadlines for drop dates, playoffs dates, as well as
dates for post season championships.
The number of matches you have is determined by how many teams are at your level. Smaller
flights may have a double or even triple round robin. Larger flights will play each opponent only
once.
When you are the home team:
You bring the balls! You’re thinking oh, no…we have to buy balls too! No, don’t worry. You will
be given a can of balls for each individual match where you are listed as the home team. Balls
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may be picked up from the CORTA office and the dates for pick up will be published on the
website. Don’t forget! After pick up week, balls are returned to storage So anyway, remember,
each time you are listed as the home team on the schedule, you need to bring each of your
singles players and/or each of your doubles teams an unopened can of balls. We can’t say it
enough…make sure you pick up your balls…make sure you pick up your balls… make sure you
pick up your balls! Otherwise, you’ll be spending good money buying balls that we know you
would rather be spending on lessons.
Bathrooms and water must be available. That is a rule. Sometimes it’s a good idea to bring a
water jug because some facilities do not have water on each individual court.
Many teams provide refreshments. This is not required, but it is always appreciated.
If there is some question about the weather, go to the courts early and make sure they are
playable. If it looks like the weather is going to be iffy on match day, you may want to have a
prearranged time to contact the visiting captain to confirm the court situation. But please know
that matches can only be cancelled by the on-site facility staff. Otherwise, the match must
be played as scheduled.
If a match is postponed or interrupted due to inclement weather, refer to CORTA League
Regulations, Section VII. Inclement Weather.
When you are the away team:
Get directions if you don’t have them. We have directions and fee information for each facility
posted on the web site under “Captains’ Corner”, “Facilities”, but if you have any questions,
contact your opponent. They should be able to provide you with all the details.
Contact your players. If your team is not traveling together, be sure they all know where to go and
when to get there. Plan to get there up to 30 minutes early. This gives you extra traveling time for
traffic snarls, wrong turns, forgotten racquets, nervous bladders, etc. If you know that Joe Smoe
is something of a flake, tell him the starting time is 45 minutes earlier than it really is. Or talk to his
wife. Better yet, offer him a ride.
Also, as a visiting team, before leaving the facility, you’ll want to check to see if all court fees have
been paid. This courtesy should be practiced at all matches to ensure that facilities are paid for
their use!
So, now it’s time to show your stuff…that’s right, it’s game day. Unpack your racquets and your
“A” game. Finally, it’s your chance to reveal the tennis pro hidden inside. After all, it’s the reason
you’ve been taking all those lessons. So remember, matches are to begin at the scheduled time.
Once you take the court, you will have ten minutes to warm-up and then you should begin play.
Of course, once you have taken the court, if your opponent(s) aren’t there within fifteen
minutes…it’s a default. You win, but you don’t get to play. So please be on time. Your captain
will appreciate it, your teammates will appreciate it, and even the teams that are scheduled to
play after you, will appreciate it! (FYI…players who arrive late, but before the fifteen minute
default rule, are entitled to a five minute warm-up.)
Hey! This is a pretty big thing you will need to know…ALL matches are scheduled Eastern Time.
Yep, that includes matches scheduled in Auburn! Those are scheduled on Eastern Time too!
Sometimes, when your team shows up to play their match, the courts you were assigned may be
in use by an earlier scheduled match. When that happens you should be prepared to send your
team out in the following order:
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Adult League
1 Doubles
All Other Leagues
1 Doubles
1 Singles
2 Doubles
2 Doubles
3 Doubles
2 Singles
3 Doubles
The scoring format for all league matches will be the best two out of three tie-break sets, with a
match tie-break break (10-point tie-break) being played in lieu of the 3rd set. You get a twominute break between the second set and the 10-point match tie-break, but remember NO
coaching is allowed! All USTA League matches must follow the Coman Tie-Break procedure. It’s
actually much easier and makes the match fairer when you consider the effects the elements
(sun, wind, etc.) might play in a match. (See Appendix A for Tie-Break information.)
MATCH TIMES/DEFAULT TIMES
Line-ups should be swapped prior to the scheduled match time, regardless of court availability.
We recommend that captains exchange their line-up with the opposing captain 15 minutes before
the scheduled match time. That will give your players time to get to their assigned courts without
causing any delay. Note…you are exchanging line-ups, not giving your line-up to the opposing
team for them to study!
Examples of matches beginning on the hour and on the half-hour:
Match Begins
Swap Line-Ups*
10-Minute Warm-Up Begins
Begin Play
Default Time
9:00 am
8:45 am
9:00 am
9:10 am
9:15 am
1:30 pm
1:15 pm
1:30 pm
1:40 pm
1:45 pm
*NOTE: Line-up swap times stand, regardless of court availability. If no court is available at your
scheduled time…your match time will begin when a court becomes available. You’ll still have 10minutes to warm-up and the fifteen minute default time will be in effect. (Ex. Your court becomes
available at 10:40…match begins at 10:40, 10-minute warm up begins at 10:40, first point should
be played at 10:50 and the default time is 10:55.)
Remember, players running late, but before the fifteen-minute default time, are entitled to a five
warm up instead of ten minutes.
9. PLAYOFFS
Sometimes when levels have been divided into flights, there is the need for local league playoffs.
At the end of their scheduled matches, the top teams in each flight will need to participate in local
league playoffs.
Advantages: It gives a few of the teams (maybe yours) an extra match or two. This is good. It
gives a team that loses its first few matches a reason to fight on, since finishing the season in the
top of your bracket may give you a chance to win it all in the playoffs.
Disadvantages: You may be the team that ends the season in first place and then gets ambushed
by one of the playoff teams.
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Local league playoffs are part of the local league season. In your local league playoffs you may
use players who have played only once, or even not played at all, as long as they are valid
members of your team, and were added to your roster before they play a match.
Sometimes when a team is REALLY good, they might win both the Fall and Spring season.
Whoa! Pretty impressive! When that happens, things start to get exciting. Most of the time
CORTA is eligible to send two teams at each level to participate in the State championships. So,
you’re probably wondering how we determine which “other” team will represent CORTA at the
State Championships. Well, in order to avoid any confusion, refer to CORTA League Regulations
IX. Progression (C).
10. WILDCARDS
Sometimes wildcards are used to round out the number of teams that advance to post season
play. When the USTA-Georgia calls and offers us a wildcard, teams will be chosen by the
following procedures.
TEAM SELECTION
When CORTA is offered a wildcard entry into a state level tournament, team selection will be
determined as follows:
I)
II)
If all first place teams are progressing to the state tournament, then the second
place teams from the same championship year will be eligible for the wildcard.
The second place team with the best win/loss record will be awarded the slot. If
this team decides to pass on the wildcard then it will be offered to the other
second place team. If both second place teams decide to pass, it will be offered
to the best third place team, and so on.
If a playoff occurred to determine which team would progress to the state
tournament, the runner up will be offered the wildcard.
ENTRY FEE
Wildcard teams will be responsible for paying their own entry fee into state, section, and/or
national championships.
11. STATE/DISTRICT, SECTIONAL, AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
When the tennis ball fuzz has settled and all local league competition is over, the winners from
the Local League playoffs advance to STATE competition. Sometimes it’s referred to as District,
but more commonly it’s known as STATE competition. You will play against the winners at your
level from the other teams across the STATE. All winners will need to complete a team entry
packet listing the players that will be available to compete. Remember for most leagues in order
to be eligible to play at the STATE tournament, players will have to be listed at least two times on
a scorecard. (Check your CORTA League Regulations for specific requirements.) There is an
entry fee for each team, but don’t be alarmed; CORTA will cover $100 of the entry fee for local
championship teams.
If you win at the STATE level you advance to SECTIONAL Competition. That’s where each of
the nine southern states (AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, AR, MS, KY, LA) send championship teams at
each level to see who’s the best in the South! There’ll be some paper work required, but nothing
compared to the work you’ll want to put in on the courts getting ready to go. Once again, CORTA
will help with your team’s entry fee by paying the fee for the minimum number of players required
for a line-up, plus two!
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And, if you win that, it’s on to the NATIONAL Championships. At NATIONALS there are
champions from each of the 17 USTA sections that will play for the BIG one! CORTA will help
with your team’s entry fee, but this time it’s covered 100%!
And if your team wins the National Championships, WOW!!! You’ll be the envy of not only your
local league, but also all USTA league players at your level. WAHOO!!
12. LINE-UPS
There are several things to keep in mind when you do your line-up…
• You are not required to field your teams in order of strength. That means that a 3.5 player and
her 3.0 partner do not have to play at a lower spot than a partnership of two 3.5 players. The
stronger of your two singles players does not have to play in the #1 spot.
• Playing a stronger team at a lower spot IS NOT CHEATING. It is strategy. It doesn’t always
work, but it is perfectly acceptable. Many captains web-scout their opponents before they play
and may believe that playing out of order is the perfect defense. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it
isn't.
• Your line-up must be complete, written down and exchanged 15 minutes before your scheduled
match time. New captains, you are EXCHANGING scorecards. You are not handing your line-up
to the other captain so he can study it and figure his line-up accordingly.
• Please be sure you are familiar with the rules regarding substitutions. There are a few special
situations in which you may legally substitute a player, but not many. Be sure you know what you
are doing. (See CORTA League Regulations IV. Match Day (C) 3; and V. Format of Play (G).
• If you know that you will not be have enough players for a team match, you may wish to notify
your opponent of the forfeit as a courtesy. (Ex. I only have 7 players available for Saturday, and
will not have anyone available to play #2 singles). It would be really nice, and I’m sure the
opposing captain and players would appreciate being notified in advance. We would all like to be
respectful of each others time, and would hate to travel to a match to be told you don’t have an
opponent.  If you choose to notify the opposing captain, then an official notification must be sent
via e-mail. Once the forfeit has been sent via e-mail and confirmed, the forfeit cannot be recinded.
If you think you may have a player available, you may want to re-think sending an official
notification – or you could hope for rain! Official email notifications are void when the entire
match is rained out!
• If your team is not able to play the majority of positions for a team match. All positions must be
recorder as forfeits! This makes everyone sad  PLEASE – PLEASE – PLEASE …do
everything you can to keep from forfeiting. Remember, players may be added anytime
throughout the season. Contact the CORTA office if it looks like you’re in jeopardy of issuing a
team forfeit, and we’ll try to help you locate some warm bodies or who knows…you might even
end up with a new ringer on your team
13. SCORECARDS
A scorecard starts as a paper document. You print a blank scorecard right from TennisLink. You
will see that each blank scorecard includes a list of eligible players for both teams. If your
opponent includes a name in their line-up that does not appear on that list, ask some questions
before you start the match.
Scorecards should be completed and exchanged before the match starts. At the end of a match,
it’s a good idea to review scores with the opposing captains so any discrepancies can be
resolved before everyone leaves the match. Captains must enter the match results directly onto
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TennisLink within 48 hours of the completion of the match. Once entered and confirmed by the
other captain, the computer record becomes the official scorecard and the paper copy may be
tossed in a drawer.
This system of captains entering their own match results onto the web has been around for
several seasons, and it's pretty nifty. Don’t worry that it is too technologically challenging for you.
The program is very simple and the CORTA staff will give you all the help you need.
How do you do it? You will need to log onto TennisLink using your USTA number and then
access the RECORD A SCORE link. Enter the match number (Remember - each match on your
schedule is assigned a specific match number) and then you’ll be directed to the scorecard page
where you can enter the player’s names and scores. Either the home team or the away team may
do the initial entry. The second captain confirms what has been entered. It's a very captainfriendly program, as you will see the first time you try it.
14. RULES
There are four layers of rules that govern USTA League Tennis matches:
1. USTA League Tennis Regulations
2. Southern Tennis Regulations
3. Georgia Tennis Regulations
4. And finally…CORTA League Regulations
You can find a pdf file for each of these on www.corta.org under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’
Corner”. Some of it is pretty dry reading, with some cumbersome language. Most of you will skim
through it and put it aside, until you or your team is involved in some thorny issue,
A LITTLE TIP: Study the CORTA League Regulations. THESE ARE IMPORTANT! These are
additional rules applicable only to CORTA. Make copies and give them to each of your players.
This is better than having a player, who does not know the rules, interrupt a match in which you
are playing in the zone, out of your mind unbeatable. This is also better than being the big
ignoramus when the other captain throws a rule in your face and you haven’t a clue.
Friend At Court is a very nifty little publication that includes lots of very valuable information, and
is written in a manner that makes it very enjoyable reading. Players can purchase this from
National USTA by calling toll free, 1-888-832-8291, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10
p.m. EST. The cost is around $5.00 plus shipping. USTA members receive a 10% discount. It
includes:
1) The Rules of Tennis.
2) “Knotty Problems”…56 real life situations and what to do.
Example: Just as you are serving, a bird crashes into your opponent’s head, causing her
to scream and throw her racquet which hits your partner, who inadvertently calls “Out” instead of
“Ouch”, causing the receiver to let your incredible ace go by.
3) “The Code… a summary of procedures and unwritten rules which custom and tradition dictate
all players should follow.” While it’s not on the New York Times Best Seller List, it is a Top Ten
Reader on CORTA’s list! Actually, you’ll probably decide to print a copy and keep in your bag. It
may come in handy if you have issues in a match.
All of the above rules and regulations are available under “Adult Programs”, “Captains’ Corner”,
“Rules and Regulations”. Check them out…and have your players check them out too! We
promise it will help you have a more pleasant experience playing league tennis if you and your
players know the rules!
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15. GRIEVANCES
A grievance is a complaint against another player or team. There are specific guidelines that must
be followed when a captain files a grievance. These directions are available under “Captains’
Corner” “Grievance Procedures and Forms” at www.corta.org. Grievance procedures are
described in more detail in the USTA League Tennis Regulation booklet, Section 2.00, and also
in CORTA League Regulations X. Local League Grievances.
Grievances generally revolve around sportsmanship issues or a rule dispute.
Poor sportsmanship is inexcusable and can turn an enjoyable match into a heated and extremely
unpleasant encounter. Because the eyewitness reports that come in to the CORTA office could
be from two different planets, they can be difficult to adjudicate.
“The other captain put her fingers near my throat and imitated choking me!”
“He called me a #%$&(@.”
When sportsmanship is a problem, the match should be played out whenever possible, and the
grievance filed afterward. When the Grievance Committee investigates a complaint of poor
sportsmanship, it frequently turns out that there was unpleasantness on both ends of the court.
The Committee does not care who started it. It is no justification to have received the first insult.
The best advice, very difficult to follow, is to ignore the bad behavior, play the match, and then file
the grievance. Captains, remember that you are responsible for the behavior of your players. If
you know your player has a short fuse and a big mouth, don’t play him. His behavior reflects on
you and your team.
Disputes about rules are easy to settle before they become grievance issues. Just know your
rules. Keep your CORTA League Regulations, The Code and a copy of Friend at Court in your
tennis bag. A word of advice: if your opponent breaks a rule, and you continue to play, don’t think
you can file a grievance later (after you have lost) and have the match overturned. Stop and settle
the dispute. If you can't settle it, stop the match. Do not be the captain who calls the office on
Monday and moans that
“We all knew the ball was going long, but their player caught it before it bounced. I insisted that
he had broken the rules, but they made us keep playing and we lost the match.”
“She wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom and so I lost the match.”
We have very official committees to deal with both grievances and appeals, and you can find out
more about who serves on those committees on the CORTA web site under “Adult Programs”,
“Captains’ Corner”, “League Committees”.
CORTA CODE OF CONDUCT
Sometimes, an official league grievance may not be the way to go. CORTA has a Code of
Conduct that all league players must follow, and procedures in place for administering
complaints. All complaints about player or spectator conduct are to be filed with CORTA by the
captain of the team or event director via e-mail within 48 hours of the incident. CORTA will track
each complaint filed against a player/spectator and notify the Conduct Committee when three
complaints have been lodged against an individual player or spectator.
You can find more about the Code of Conduct on the CORTA website under “About CORTA”,
“Code of Conduct”. Just know, players, spectators and coaches are expected to conduct
themselves with honor and integrity at all times with the highest level of sportsmanship, courtesy,
and fairness. Players are encouraged to abide by the letter and spirit of the rules of play and to
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be gracious in both victory and defeat. Individuals are under an obligation to avoid acts that may
be considered detrimental to the game of tennis and CORTA.
GRIEVANCE FILED FOR A TEAM FORFEIT
When a scorecard is entered showing a total team forfeit (playing less positions than will give
your team a chance to win) twice during a league season, a grievance will automatically be filed.
The captain of the defaulting team will be notified and may wish to provide additional information
to the Grievance Committee. If the committee rules all matches played or to be played are null
and void, adjustments will be made to the standings at the end of the season. Of course, you can
always ask the Appeals Committee to take another look if you have new information to provide.
Any remaining matches may be played if both teams agree. Scores should be entered for all
matches played. While the scores will not count for team standings, they will count for NTRP
ratings and for qualifying players for advancement.
PLEASE – PLEASE – PLEASE …do everything you can to keep from forfeiting. Remember,
players may be added anytime throughout the season. Contact the CORTA office if it looks like
you’re in jeopardy of issuing a team forfeit, and we’ll try to help you locate some warm bodies or
who knows…you might even end up with a new ringer on your team
16. SELF-RATE NTRP COMPLAINTS
Self-Rate NTRP Grievances may be filed. Yep, Southern has established a committee that will
review the complaints and render decisions, but the Grievance must be filed with the Georgia
State League Coordinator first. Think of him as the gatekeeper, he’ll administer the complaint,
and pass it along to the NTRP gurus. These complaints allow action to be taken against selfrated players who enter the program clearly below their actual skill level. There are specific
procedures that you must follow, and they’re available under “Adult Programs”, “Captains
Corner”, “Grievance Procedures and Forms”.
Otherwise, you should rely on the Dynamic National Tennis Rating Program to take care of those
players you are sure, well pretty sure, are out of level. That’s right, National USTA has developed
the Dynamic National Tennis Rating Program, with its Three Strikes component, to monitor the
playing level of all Adult and Senior League participants.
Dynamic NTRP ratings will be run by the computer to determine if any players are “clearly above
level” using the current Disqualification Procedure Guidelines. Players will be disqualified if they
achieve the currently established “clearly above level” status three times based on all matches
reported in the national database for Adult and Senior divisions. This includes all match play in
Adult and Senior divisions, in all sections. Remember, you must reach this disqualification level
three times during the championship league year in order to be disqualified. So rest easy, big
brother is watching!
Mixed Doubles league matches are handled a little differently in regards to ratings. Players may
not be NTRP disqualified based on match results, or in other words, there is no three-strike rule
applying to them. Mixed Doubles results will not be a part of generating a player’s year-end rating
except for players who play in the Mixed Doubles league exclusively. Sure…it all sounds a little
confusing, but actually the system seems to work pretty well.
17. USING THE WEB/E-MAIL
CORTA has rocketed into the computer age. You captains provide much of the information
yourselves, by entering your rosters online and by entering matches throughout the season. By
entering the information directly, it gets to the web quickly and accurately.
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What is web scouting? If you are captain of a seriously competitive team, you can do a lot of
scouting from the comfort of your den. Enter www.corta.org. Right from the home page you can
access current league standings! You will find that there are links all over the place and you can
jump from team to roster to player to match to opponent and back, just by moving your cursor
around until that little hand appears. You can find a player’s history back to 2002. You can look at
old team rosters as well as current rosters. When you have a list of match dates showing, click on
a date to see the whole line-up with scores. Click on a team name and you will see their record to
date, their schedule, and their roster, with ratings and expiration dates for all their players.
You don’t have to be an army general plotting battle strategy to click around our web site. Give
your grandson a thrill by showing him your name up there with other famous people. Take a look
at how your friends on other teams are doing and cheer them on. Use the e-mail addresses of
other captains to set up fun matches or get the recipe for that incredible artichoke dip that your
opponents brought to your last match.
Speaking of e-mail, that is the easiest and fastest way to get in touch with us here in the office, so
get to your keyboard and let us hear from you. Please be sure you identify yourself by team
name, level and gender, so we can respond quickly to your questions and comments. If you ask
us a question and we reply that we need more info, please include a copy of your initial e-mail
when you respond.
18. COURTESY, SPORTSMANSHIP AND OTHER STUFF
As a courtesy to others, please remember to use outer gates when entering courts. Never walk
behind a match while a point is in progress.
Please leave the court once your match is completed. No one should be on court or court seating
unless involved in actual match play.
Turn those cell phones OFF while playing your match. Cell phones are not allowed on the tennis
courts at anytime during a league match. (Comment: Using a cell phone in any way - calling,
receiving messages, texting - gives the appearance of coaching.) Not only are you irritating your
opponents, you’re distracting players on adjacent courts too. If a cell phone rings or is used, the
owner of the phone will turn the phone off and a point will be assessed against the cell phone’s
owner! Ouch! Make sure you turn your phone OFF!!! You definitely don’t want a second
occurrence because it will result in the phone owner's team losing the match. DOUBLE OUCH!
Games played shall be entered in Tennis Link with the team of the cellphone owner losing due to
retirement. So, please turn your cell phones OFF while on court!
Be aware, some facilities have a dress code. Basically, men must wear shirts…and women too!
Yeah, sports bras must be covered. Also, the clay court facilities won’t allow running shoes on
their courts, so, please wear tennis shoes. You might want to check with each facility before you
go, just to make sure you’re dressed appropriately. You wouldn’t want to arrive for a match and
find you aren’t allowed to go on the court.
The use of alcohol and/or tobacco products is prohibited on the courts….enough said! If you
want to toast your victory after the match, you may need to find a celebratory location off-site. City
ordinances prohibit the use of alcohol in Cooper Creek Park, as well as Phenix City Tennis
Center.
That’s it. Go play. Go win. Go enjoy yourself with USTA League Tennis.
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GLOSSARY OF TENNIS TERMS
ACE - A ball that is served so well that the opponent cannot return it.
AD – Short for Advantage. It is the point scored after Deuce. If the serving side scores, it is Ad
in; if the receiving side scores, it is Ad out.
ALL – An even score: 30-all. 3-all, etc.
ALLEY - The area between the singles and doubles sidelines on each side of the court. (The
singles court is made wider for doubles play by the addition of the alley.)
APPEAL - Request for reconsideration of a previous decision, determination or finding.
APPROACH – The shot hit by a player just before coming to the net that puts the opponent on
the defensive.
BACKCOURT – The area between the service line and the baseline.
BACKHAND – The stroke used to return balls hit to the left side of a right-handed player and the
right side of a left-handed player.
BACKSPIN – The backward rotation of the ball caused by hitting high to low under the ball. Also,
slice or cut.
BASELINE – The court’s back line that runs parallel to the net and perpendicular with the
sidelines.
BENCHMARK RATED PLAYER – A player, who advanced to championship or was disqualified,
by who other players’ NTRP ratings are calculated.
BENCHMARK RATING – A computer rating determined by the USTA NTRP Computer Rating
System for a player using a combination of their dynamic rating and their rating derived at
championships.
CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL – Any USTA League Tennis Program competition held beyond local
league competition or playoffs.
CHOKE-UP – To grip the racquet up toward the head.
COMPATIBLE – A match where the outcome is predictable, with the higher rated player winning
routinely.
COMPETITIVE – A match where the outcome is unpredictable.
COMPUTER RATING – A rating generated by the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System based
on two or more matches.
CROSSCOURT SHOT – A ball hit across the court diagonally from one side to the other.
DEEP SHOT – A shot that bounces near the baseline (near the service line on a serve).
DEFAULT – When a player fails to appear on time or is removed by a tournament official for
misconduct.
DEUCE – A score of 40-40 (the score is tied and each side has won at least three points).
DEUCE COURT – The right court, so called because on a deuce score the ball is served there.
DISQUALIFICATION – Action taken to remove from a team, a player deemed ineligible to
participate.
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DIVISION – Any one of the National league programs offered and administered by the USTA
(USTA League Tennis – Adult, Senior, Mixed Doubles, Super Senior) and any other USTA Area,
State/District, Section sanctioned program identified as part of TennisLink and entered as part of
the USTA NTRP Computer Rating System.
DOUBLE FAULT – The failure of both service attempts. The server loses the point.
DOUBLES – A match with four players, two on each team.
DOWN-THE-LINE SHOT – A ball that follows the path of the sideline.
DROP SHOT – A softly hit ball with lots of backspin that lands near the net after crossing it.
DYNAMIC RATING – A rating associated with a player that has the potential to change with every
match played by the player.
ELIGIBILITY – Qualifications to play.
FAULT – A served ball that does not land in the proper court.
FIFTEEN – The score of a player who has won one point.
FLAT SHOT – A shot that travels in a straight line with little arc and little spin.
FLIGHT – A group of teams competing at a specified NTRP level within a local league or
Championship competition where every team in that group plays every other team to declare a
winner. When flights are established, a playoff must be held at Championship level to determine
a champion in that NTRP level. Below championship level, the playoff may be held to determine
a champion in that NTRP level.
FOOT FAULT – A fault called against the server for stepping on the baseline or into the court with
either foot during delivery of the service.
FORECOURT – The area between the service line and the net.
FORFEIT – The results of a default or disqualification.
FOREHAND – The stroke used to return balls hit to the right of a right-handed player and to the
left of a left-handed player.
FORTY – The score of a player who has won three points.
GAME – The part of a set that is completed when one player or side either wins four points and is
at least two points ahead of his opponent, or wins two points in a row after deuce.
GOOD BALL – Applies to a ball in play that lands in the court (or on any part of a line forming the
boundary of the court).
GRIEVANCE – Written formal complaint regarding an alleged violation of a regulation or
procedure.
GROUND STROKES – Strokes made after the ball has bounced, either forehand or backhand.
HALF-VOLLEY – The stroke made by hitting a ball immediately after it has touched the ground.
INDIVIDUAL MATCH - Any singles or doubles match played as part of a team match.
LEAGUE COORDINATOR – Person appointed or hired to implement and administer the
Program.
LEAGUE PROGRESSION – Local league team winners have the opportunity to advance through
state, sectional and national championships competition.
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LET – A point played over because of interference. Also, a serve that hits the top of the net but is
otherwise good, in which case that serve is taken again.
LOB – A stroke that lifts the ball high in the air, usually over the head of the net player.
LOB VOLLEY – A volleying stroke hit over the head of the opponent.
LOVE – A score of zero.
MATCH – The overall contest, usually decided by the best two out of three sets.
NET GAME – Play in the forecourt close to the net.
NO-AD – A system of scoring a game in which the first player to win four points wins the game. If
the score reaches 40-40 (or 3-all), the next point decides the game.
OUT – A ball landing outside the boundary lines of the court or, on the serve, outside the
boundary lines of the receiver’s service court.
OVERHEAD – During play, a stroke made with the racquet above the head.
POACH – To hit a ball in doubles, usually at the net, that would normally have been played by
one’s partner.
POINT – The smallest unit of score, which is awarded to a player when the opponent does not
make a good return.
RALLY – A series of good hits made successively by players. Also, the practice procedure in
which players hit the ball back and forth to each other.
RECEIVER – The player who receives the service.
SERVE – Short for Service. It is the act of putting the ball into play for each point.
SERVER – The player who serves.
SERVICE BREAK – A game won by the opponent of the server.
SET – A scoring unit awarded to a player or team that has won: (a) six or more games and has a
two-game lead, or (b) six games and the tie-break game when played at 6-all.
SHOT – The hitting of the ball across the net and into the court on the other side.
SINGLES – A match between two players.
SMASH – A hard overhead shot.
SPIN – Rotation of the ball.
STROKE – The act of striking the ball with the racquet.
THIRTY – The score of a player who has won two points.
TIE-BREAK GAME (“tie-breaker”) – A system used to decide a set when the score is 6-all.
TOPSPIN – Forward rotation of the ball caused by hitting from low to high.
TOURNAMENT – A formal type of competition.
VOLLEY – During play, a stroke made by hitting the ball before it has touched the ground.
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Appendix A: What is a Tie-Break?
•
For CORTA's purposes, there are 2 types of tie-breaks:
The set tie-break determines the winner of a set which has reached the set score of 6-6.
The winner is the first team to get to 7 points with a 2-point spread (i.e. the tie-break is
not over at 7-6.)
The match tie-break determines the winner of the match in which one team has won the
first set and the other team has won the second set. The winner of the match is the first
team to get 10 points with a 2-point spread (i.e. the tie-break is not over at 10-9.)
•
Since, match tie-breaks are used at the state, sectional and national levels of play in USTA
League Tennis, CORTA has chosen the same format (two out of three tie-break sets, with a
rd
10 point match tie-break being played in lieu of a 3 set) for all CORTA league matches.
•
For instructions on how to play a tie-break, refer to the information below.
Singles
i. A player who first wins seven points shall win the game and the set provided he leads by a
margin of two points. If the score reaches six points all the game shall be extended until this
margin has been achieved. Numerical scoring shall be used throughout the tie-break game.
ii. The player whose turn it is to serve shall be the Server for the first point. His opponent shall be
the Server for the second and third points and thereafter each player shall serve alternately for
two consecutive points until the winner of the game and set has been decided.
iii. From the first point, each service shall be delivered alternately from the right and left Courts,
beginning from the right Court. If service from a wrong half of the Court occurs and is undetected,
all play resulting from such wrong service or services shall stand, but the inaccuracy of station
shall be corrected immediately it is discovered.
iv. Players shall change ends after the first point, and then every fourth point, and at the
conclusion of the tie-break game.
Doubles
In doubles, the procedure for singles shall apply. The player whose turn it is to serve shall be the
Server for the first point. Thereafter each player shall serve in rotation for two points, in the same
order previously in that set, until the winners of the game and set have been decided.
Rotation of Service
The player (or pair in the case of doubles) whose turn it was to serve first in the tie-break game
shall receive service in the first game of the following set.
[Excerpt from USTA Rules of Tennis]
The Coman Tie-break Procedure
What is it?
In the Coman Tie-break Procedure players change ends after the first point and then after every
four points, and at the conclusion of the tie-break.
The player whose turn it is to serve shall serve the first point from the deuce court.
After the first point, the players shall change ends and the following two points shall be served by
the opponent(s) (in doubles, the player of the opposing team due to serve next) starting from the
ad court.
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After this, each player/team shall serve alternately for two consecutive points (starting from the ad
court); changing ends after every four points, until the end of the tie-break game.
Switch sides after points 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, etc...…. and at the conclusion.
When will it be used?
The Coman Tie-break Procedure will be used at all USTA League Tennis National, Sectional and
State Championships for all set and match tie-breaks. Use of the Coman Tie-break Procedure
will therefore be used during all CORTA local league play.
Principle Advantages
Fairness – By changing ends more frequently, the effects of the elements (sun, wind, etc.) are
distributed more evenly between the two opponents as opposed to playing six consecutive points
before changing ends. In doubles, the server will always serve from the same end of the court,
rather than having to serve from both ends.
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Appendix B: NTRP Guidelines
To place yourself:
A. Begin with 1.5. Read all categories carefully and then decide which one best describes your present ability level. Be
certain that you qualify on all points of all preceding levels as well as those in the level you choose.
B. When rating yourself assume you are playing against a player of the same gender and the same ability.
General Characteristics of Various NTRP Playing Levels
(Wheelchair players please see note below)
1.5
You have limited experience and are working primarily on getting the ball in play.
2.0
You lack court experience and your strokes need developing. You are familiar with the basic positions for singles and
doubles play.
2.5
You are learning to judge where the ball is going, although your court coverage is limited. You can sustain a short rally of
slow pace with other players of the same ability.
3.0
You are fairly consistent when hitting medium-paced shorts, but are not comfortable with all strokes and lack execution
when trying for directional control, depth, or power. Your most common doubles formation is one-up, one-back.
3.5
You have achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on moderate shots, but need to develop depth
and variety. You exhibit more aggressive net play, have improved court coverage and are developing teamwork in
doubles.
4.0
You have dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides on moderatepaced shots. You can use lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys with some success and occasionally force errors
when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident.
4.5
You have developed your use of power and spin and can handle pace. You have sound footwork, can control depth of
shots, and attempt to vary game plan according to your opponents. You can hit first serves with power and accuracy and
place the second serve. You tend to overhit on difficult shots. Aggressive net play is common in doubles.
5.0
You have good shot anticipation and frequently have an outstanding shot or attribute around which a game may be
structured. You can regularly hit winners or force errors off of short balls and can put away volleys. You can successfully
execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys, overhead smashes, and have good depth and spin on most second serves.
5.5
You have mastered power and/or consistency as a major weapon. You can vary strategies and styles of play in a
competitive situation and hit dependable shots in a stress situation.
6.0 to 7.0
You have had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior and collegiate levels and have obtained
a sectional and/or national ranking.
7.0
You are a world-class player.
Players in Wheelchairs:
Players in wheelchairs should use these general characteristics to determine their NTRP skill level. The only differences
are as follows: Mobility: while players in wheelchairs may have skills that would normally provide them a certain rating,
the mobility factor suggests that when competing against able-bodied players, they should participate at an NTRP skill
level that provides for competitive rather than compatible play. Serving ability: Due to the nature of the player’s injury or
disability, a powerful serve may not be possible. In this case, it may be more realistic to self-rate below 4.0 as service
strength becomes key beyond this level.
Many tournament players in wheelchairs have already received an NTRP rating. Wheelchair players should check with
players whose skills match their own before determining their rating. The very best world-class players in wheelchairs
have an NTRP rating in the low 4.5s.
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Appendix C: CORTA Matches Scheduled in a Standard 10-Week Season
# Teams
at Level
# Flights
Play each
Team
# Matches
Scheduled
# Days
Required
Playoff
Needed
Comments
2
1
7x
5-7
7
No
Captains vote on number
2
1
6x
5-7
6
No
Captains vote on number
3
1
3x or 4x
6 or 8
9 or 12
No
Captains vote for 3 or 4 rounds
4
1
3x
9
9
No
5
1
2x
8
10
No
6
1
2x
10
10
No
7
1
1x
6
7
No
or
Captains vote for 1 or 2 rounds
7
1
2x
12
14
No
8
1
1x
7
7
No
9
1
1x
8
9
No
10
1
1x
9
9
No
11
1
1x
10
11
No
12
1
1x
11
11
No
13
1
1x
12
13
No
Flights required for the levels below; matches will be scheduled as shown above.
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2 (7 & 7)
1x
6
8*
Yes
15
2 (7 & 8)
1x
6 or 7
8*
Yes
16
2 (8 & 8)
1x
7
7
No
Two (2) berths to State
17
2 (8 & 9)
1x
7 or 8
7 or 8
No
Two (2) berths to State
18
2 (9 & 9)
1x
8
9
No
Two (2) berths to State
19
2 (9 & 10)
1x
8 or 9
8 or 9
No
Two (2) berths to State
20
2 (10 & 10)
1x
9
9
No
Two (2) berths to State
21
2 (10 & 11)
1x
9 or 10
9 or 10
No
Two (2) berths to State
22
2 (11 & 11)
1x
10
11
No
Two (2) berths to State
23
2 (11 & 12)
1x
10 or 11
10 or 11
No
Two (2) berths to State
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2 (12 & 12)
1x
11
12
No
Two (2) berths to State
Levels playing more than 10 matches will have some matches scheduled on days other than the customary Saturdays for
Adults and Sundays for Seniors. (*includes playoff)
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Appendix D: 70/30 Rule Cheat Sheet
CORTA League Rules Section II. (B) 3
Team captains will maintain a minimum of 70% of players on a team roster that are at the
specified DNTRP team level of play. Exceptions may be made for levels that do not have enough
qualified players to participate in a league.
# Players on Roster
# Players = 70%
# Players = 30%
6
4
2
7
5
2
8
6
2
9
6
3
10
7
3
11
8
3
12
8
4
13
9
4
14
10
4
15
11
4
16
11
5
17
12
5
18
13
5
19
13
6
20
14
6
21
15
6
22
15
7
Thanks to “Norcal” for sharing their sense of humor.
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