Interacademic League

INTERACADEMIC LEAGUE TENNIS RULES FOR MATCH PLAY (approved March of 2001)

These rules are intended to foster the Inter-Ac League’s spirit of team competition and sportsmanship.

1. A team shall consist of ten players, and a team match shall consist of seven separate contests, four in singles and three in doubles. No player shall play in more than one contest in any one match.

2. Each contest shall be decided by the best two out of three sets, using normal USTA A tied set shall be decided by a twelve (12) point tie-breaker.

3. Members of the tennis team must be ranked and played in the order of their playing ability. In every match, the four singles players shall play in the order of their relative playing ability, and the doubles teams shall play in the order of their team strength. A ladder for singles, and a separate ladder for doubles, shall be maintained to establish these orders. The ladders will remain active throughout the season.

4a. If one or more singles players are absent, other players shall be moved up to fill the missing position. If no player is available to be moved up, matches shall be forfeited in the following manner: The No. 4 singles must be forfeited before the No. 3, the No. 3 before the No. 2 before the No. 1. (This rule and the language thereof is taken from the USTA 1999 League regulations)

b. If a doubles player be absent, other doubles teams may be moved up in position, or the vacancy may be filled by a player from another doubles team or from the singles ladder, bearing in mind that the first doubles combination must be stronger than the second doubles, and the second than the third. If no doubles team is available to be moved up or player to be substituted, matches shall be forfeited. The No. 3 doubles must be forfeited before the No. 2, and the No. 2 before the No. 1

c. It ought to be permissible, should the nature of the matchup be unequal, to forfeit at the spot where the missing player would ordinarily play so as to keep from making the matchup ever more unequal. If coaches do not agree, see rule 4a)

5. Coaching should not interrupt the flow of play, and coaches should not formally coach players during the course of a set. However, players may leave the court between sets, during which time they may confer with their coach. The break between the first and second sets shall not be longer than three minutes, and the break between split sets shall not be longer than five minutes.

6. All matches shall be played on clay or all-weather courts.

7. Three approved new championship balls shall be furnished by the home team for each individual match.

8. Afternoon matches shall be started at 3:45 p.m. unless this time is changed by mutual consent of the Athletic Directors of the opposing schools.

9. In case any team defaults half of its scheduled matches, none of the matches shall be counted.