Autumn / Winter League Rules

Structure

  1. All teams wishing to enter the Autumn League must have taken part in the Summer League in the same year and must notify the Autumn League Match Secretary of their wish to take part by the end of July.
  2. The Autumn League shall consist of such one or more divisions as the Executive should determine. The EC will form each division during August with teams allocated to divisions based on their placing in that year’s Summer League.

Competition

  1. The team scoring the most points in each division shall be the champion team of that division and shall be awarded a prize determined by the EC. The team scoring the second most points in each division will also be awarded a prize determined by the EC.
  2. There will be no relegations or promotions and team’s results in the Autumn League will have no effect on their placing in the next year’s Summer League.
  3. Ties for winners and runners up, if level on points, sets won will decide. If level on sets, games will decide. If teams are level on games then head to head will decide. If still level, a coin will be tossed. League table should include sets for an against.
  4. All clubs taking part must allocate 2 courts for use in Autumn League matches.
  5. All matches shall be played under the laws of Lawn Tennis in the particular week appointed by EC/LMRSC and on the night submitted to the League at the beginning of each season if possible. (This night shall be Monday for 1st and 2nd teams). For the Autumn League matches may be rearranged (e.g. due to weather, bad light or need for floodlights) if agreed by both teams. Any matches not played within 1 week from the appointed match night will be recorded as a draw, no matter what the reason.
  6. Each match shall consist of two Mixed doubles, one Ladies doubles and one Gents doubles with a tie-break operative at 6 games all. Therefore, each of the four matches shall be worth 2 points and the completed match 8 points. Points awarded should be as follows: 2 points for a win; 1 point for a draw. Clubs must make every effort to field complete teams. Any gaps in a team must be in the lowest positions in the team and must only be in the club’s lowest team.
  7. No player shall play more than one like event in the same match. A player may play for more than one team in the same week so long as they are not unreasonably strengthening the team.
  8. Individual players may be registered for any number of teams but must still be played in order of strength. Clubs agree that the names of all registered players will be shown on the League results.
  9. The League will use the player lists from the same year’s Summer League but clubs may add additional players to teams when entering results so long as the team is not unreasonably strengthened.
  10. No score sheets will be used and all results must be entered online. The away team must give the names of the players to the home team at the time of the match to enable them to be recorded later.
  11. Pairs must be played in order of strength. Teams as well as individual players within a team must be played in order of strength.
  12. In the event of a player being incapacitated after play in a match that has begun, so that he or she cannot continue playing, a captain shall be entitled to include a substitute in any subsequent events in which the incapacitated player should have taken part, provided that the injury or other incapacity was caused after play in the match had begun and was not due solely to tiredness.
  13. Any team playing a player made ineligible under any of these rules shall forfeit all games and points won by that player whilst he or she was ineligible. Ineligible players must play in the lowest position in the team. Breaches of the rules by a higher team will not penalise other teams playing on different nights.
  14. The captain of the home team shall have submitted the results of the match, using the on-line system, within 24 hours of the match being completed. The captain of the away team shall have verified the results within 48 hours of the completion of the match. Missing either of these deadlines may result in points being awarded to the opposing team or other penalties, at the discretion of the LMRSC/EC.
  15. When entering match results, clubs may add additional players to any team as long as they are not unreasonably strengthening the team. A comment giving the full name of the additional player must be recorded by the club on the League Planner system.
  16. The cancellation of matches due to weather shall be made by 6.00pm to the person nominated in the handbook, or by 5.45pm in the matches due to start at 6.30pm.
  17. Postponed matches due to weather conditions may be played on an alternative night to be agreed by both teams. The alternative night must be within 1 week of the original appointed match night. Any matches not completed within one week of the appointed match night will be assumed drawn.
  18. In the event of inclement weather or bad light during a match, the match shall be deemed to have been completed if four sets have been completed. All sets not completed or begun shall be deemed void and recorded ‘not played’ on the system. In the event of four sets not having been completed, the match shall be treated as a postponed match and replayed as a new match. The match must be “rescheduled” on League planner by the home team before it is re-played.
  19. Both captains must be in agreement that conditions are safe to commence or continue play.
  20. All matches should start at 7.00pm except where an alternative arrangement has been agreed in advance by both teams. All players in a team should be available to play at the appointed time. Any player not ready to play 20 minutes after the appointed starting time shall concede the first set 6-0. Or if 30 minutes after the appointment starting time shall concede the first event 6-0, 6-0, or if after 60 minutes of the appointed starting time shall also concede the second event, 6-0, 6-0. The order of play in all matches shall be MIXED events first.
  21. The home team shall provide three new LTA approved tennis balls for each of the first two events.
  22. All league matches have precedence over cup matches except for the cup finals. If either team playing in a cup final has a league match scheduled for that night, the league match shall be re- arranged for the alternative night of the home team.
  23. Clubs are responsible for highlighting any irregularities in relation in the Rules and should notify them to the League Match Secretary in writing within 7 days of the match being played. The League Match Secretary will forward them to the LMRSC for consideration.
  24. All communication by clubs with the League Match Secretary must be made via CLUB match secretaries only.
  25. Any problems arising from the on-line system should be notified to the League Match Secretary and/or the League Planner Manager immediately by the Club Match Secretary.
  26. The League Match Secretary shall report any irregularity in relation to the Rules to the LMRSC. Failure to comply with these Rules shall be subject to an LMRSC enquiry. The LMRSC shall have the power to impose any penalty or fine.