NLTL Men’s Winter League
RULES 2011 –12
1. Fixtures
1.1 The number of teams
entering the competition and the structure of the League will be decided by the
Winter League Secretary (‘the Secretary’).
1.2 The competition will
be played between 1 September and 31 March each year, on dates to be determined
by the Secretary.
1.3 Each year, the
Secretary will arrange the fixtures to be played, and will determine a period
of time (usually two weeks) within which each match is to be played. This fixture
list will then be distributed to each Club Secretary in July or August each
year, or sooner if possible.
1.4 Each Club Secretary
will then be responsible for arranging the date and time of each home match of
each team entered in the competition and providing a list of those dates to the
Secretary by the date requested. Matches are to be played evenings or weekends
by the home team’s arrangements, but each fixture must be arranged within the
period of time (usually a two week period) determined by the Secretary. Away
teams must fit in with home team court availability.
1.5 At the same time as submitting their
fixtures, each Club Secretary should also ensure the following is also done:
(a) The appropriate fee for
each team entry is submitted as requested by the Secretary;
(b) The name and a telephone
number is submitted for a captain for each team entered in the competition.
1.6 When all Clubs have
submitted the dates for their home matches, the Secretary will finalise the
fixture list, and distribute it to all Club Secretaries, who will then be
responsible for
(a) ensuring it is
distributed as necessary within their Clubs;
(b) ensuring courts are
reserved for their home matches;
(c) ensuring team captains
have balls and score cards for their home matches.
1.7 The Secretary will
also arrange for the finalised fixture list to be published on the NLTL website
1.8 Once a date has been
confirmed and published as above, it should not be changed without the
Secretary’s permission, unless it falls within the paragraphs below concerning
re-arranged fixtures.
1.9 All matches must be
played by 31 March 2012.
2. Matches
2.1 A team will consist
of two pairs.
2.2 Player eligibility to
play for a team is governed by the rules governing the Mens Summer Leagues in
the summer immediately before the Winter League starts.
2.3The home team is
responsible for providing four new tennis balls per court (LTA approved), and
for submitting the results card within 48 hours of each completed home match.
2.4 Each pair will play
two sets against each opposing pair with a tie-break at 6 games all, in the
following order:
·
Round 1: 1 v 2 and 2 v 1
·
Round 2: 1 v 1 and 2 v 2.
2.5 Home team changes
courts at the end of Round 1.
2.6 Matches should start
at the arranged start time. In the case of one or more players not arriving on
time, the pair for whom a player is late will forfeit the first set after ten
minutes, and two sets after twenty minutes.
If one or more players fail to arrive at all, the team will forfeit the
appropriate points for sets not played. (See Penalty Points below)
2.7 Matches may not be
postponed for any reason other than bad weather. Postponed or abandoned matches
must be re-arranged at a mutuallly convenient date by the captains concerned as
soon as possible and in any event by 31 March each year.
2.8 In the case of
difficulty in finding a mutually convenient date, then the home captain should
offer three dates (and times) on which the match can be played, the first of
which must be at least two weeks ahead. The away captain must then select one
of those dates within one week of the offer being made. The match should then
be played at that time and date.
2.9 Abandoned matches must be played in their
entirety.
3. Scoring
3.1 Results are based on
a points system: 1 point is awarded for every set won.
3.2 League positions, and
therefore, promotion, relegation, and play- off positions are decided upon
points.
3.3 If two or more teams
finish level on points then league position will be determined on the following
(and in this order):
(a) Matches Won
(b) Matches Drawn
(c) Head-to-Head result(s)
(d) Games Won
3.4
If all these are equal, and a promotion, relegation, or play-off issue
still remains undetermined as a result, then the teams concerned shall
“play-off." to determine their final position.
4. Penalty Points
4.1 Whenever points are
conceded to an opposing team, for any reason, the same number of points shall
also be deducted from the season's total of the offending team.
4.2 In the event of a
team conceding 10 points or more during one season, the offending team's
results (all points won / lost / conceded) are null and void and that team is
automatically placed bottom of its division and relegated. The accumulated
total will include those points conceded for late arrivals.
5. Promotion and Relegation
5.1 No Club shall have more than two teams in
each Division (except when circumstances dictate, the lowest Division). This
means that a team eligible for promotion may not be promoted if there are
already two teams from the same Club in the higher Division.
5.2 Each Division will
consist of six teams who will play each other home and away in each season’s
competition(to be implemented from Winter 2012-2013), with the exception of the
lowest Division, for which special arrangements may be required each season
depending upon the number of teams entered in that Division.
5.3 In the 2011-2102 season, and with the aim of regularising the
number of teams in each Division except the lowest Division the following
promotion and relegation rules will apply:
·
Division 1: Relegated - bottom team
·
Division 2:Promoted - top teamRelegated - bottom two teams
·
Division 3: Promoted - top teamRelegated - bottom two teams
·
Division 4: Promoted - top teamRelegated - bottom two teams
·
Division 5: Promoted - top teamRelegated - bottom two teams
·
Division 6: Promoted - top team Relegated - none
6.
Division 6: 2011-2012
6.1There
are nine teams in Division 6 for 2011-2012.
6.2
Each team will play each other once, thus meaning that each team has eight
matches to play.
6.3
To then ensure that each team has ten matches (as in the other Divisions),
Division 6 will end the season with a series of play-off matches to determine
final league positions. Hence, once each team has played each other once, their
league position will be determined in the usual way. They will then play off
for final league positions as follows:
·
First will play second- home and away
·
Third will play fourth - home and away
·
Fifth will play sixth - home and away
·
Seventh will play eighth- home and away
·
Ninth - not be eligible for the play-offs.
6.4 Each play-off will be determined in
accordance with the scoring system set out at Paragraphs 3.1 and 3.3 above.
7. Disputes
7.1 Every attempt should
be made to come to an amicable decision. If this is not possible then contact
should be made with the Secretary, who will consult with those involved in the
dispute and any other relevant or appropriate person(s) before making a
decision on the issue in dispute.
7.2 When called upon to
make such a decision, the Secretary’s decision will be final.
Colin M Chapman
Secretary
07540 142420