UNIFIED TEAM TENNIS Coaches’ Resource Guide Table of Contents COMPETITION Official Rules and Overview of Unified Team Tennis ........................ 2-6 Match Play Rules Summary ............................................................. 7-8 Points of Emphasis ........................................................................ 9-12 Match Play Scoresheet ..................................................................... 13 Individual Tennis Skills Competition ............................................ 14-16 Court Diagram ................................................................................. 17 Coaches Education Resources ........................................................... 18 Uniform Requirements ................................................................ 19-20 Player Assessments .................................................................... 21-22 ADMINISTRATION Season Timeline .............................................................................. 23 Application for Participation ........................................................... 24 Coaches Forms ........................................................................... 25-27 Contact Information – SOMD Staff & Coordinators .......................... 28 District Map ..................................................................................... 29 1 Official Rules and Overview of Unified Team Tennis Program Special Olympics Maryland Unified Team Tennis matches are governed by the rules summarized in this document and by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) rules. 1. Unified Team Tennis Format: In Unified Team Tennis, doubles teams composed of players with and without disabilities play together in matches against doubles teams of similar ability levels. The outcome of each doubles match helps to determine the Unified Tennis Team’s final score. 2. Team Scoring: One point is awarded to a team for each victorious doubles or (when necessary) singles match. This follows interscholastic high school tennis scoring rules. For individual skills competition, the participant who scores the highest score will earn one (1) point for his/her team. 3. Each doubles team will compete in at least one (1) scoring doubles match or (when necessary) singles match. Teams may compete in matches in which one or both of the teams will not score points for their team. This designation will be determined prior to competition. If both teams are not eligible to score points for their team, the match will be considered exhibition. These matches are important to allow for participation opportunities. Additionally, if only one team is eligible to score points for their team, the opposing team can block them from scoring. For example, Team A is competing against Team B. The match is not a scoring match for team A, Team B is eligible for scoring. Team A wins, thus no points are awarded to either team, because the match was non- scoring for Team A. If Team B wins, they score one (1) point for their team. 4. Roster Sizes: Team rosters consist of a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 players. A high school may have two or more Unified Tennis teams, provided each one meets the roster size specifications and proportionality guidelines below. 5. Students with all types of disabilities should be recruited to participate. Following are guidelines when assembling a Unified Tennis team. The best Unified Sports® experience is achieved when there is a proportionate number of students with and without disabilities on the roster. Ideally, 50% of the team members should have a disability such as an intellectual or related developmental disability (i.e. autism, traumatic brain injury, severe learning disability, or an identified cognitive delay) or a physical disability. 2 . If possible, 50% of the roster should be comprised of students without disabilities to create a fulfilling inclusion experience. Again, these are guidelines for team formation. Each school will have different challenges and student population sizes so there is some flexibility in the proportionality on the roster. However, it is important to work as hard as possible to ensure 50% of the roster has students with disabilities to fulfill the spirit and intent of the Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Law. 6. Unified Tennis is a fully inclusive program. All doubles teams should be composed of one player with a disability and one player without a disability who have similar skills as defined by their rating score. Only in situations when it is impossible to find matching players with and without disabilities can a doubles team have two players with a disability or two players without a disability. 7. Utilizing the Unified Tennis Rating System (derived from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Tennis Rating Program), all players will have their ability level assessed and receive a rating score. This is essential in determining appropriately divisioned doubles and singles matches for competition. 8. When assembling a doubles team, the players need to be as closely aligned in ability as possible. Players either should have the same rating (Player A and Player B have a 4 rating) or vary by no more than 5.0 points (Player A has a 11 rating and Player B has a 15 rating). 9. Scheduling Doubles Matches: When scheduling matches for a competition, doubles teams with similar rating scores need to play each other and (if necessary) singles players with similar rating scores need to play each other. A doubles team rating score is the combined score of the two players (i.e. Player A is a 4 and Player B is a 5 giving their doubles team a score of 9). 10. Competition Lineups: A coach may activate no fewer than 6 and no more than 10 players to compete in a Unified Team Tennis competition. Schools with rosters 12 or larger may have two Unified Tennis teams participate. 11. There are no substitutions allowed for a doubles team during a match. If a player is unable to complete the match, his/her team will forfeit. 3 12. Use of Designated Tennis Balls for Competition: The ratings of doubles teams determine what type of ball must be used in competition. Following are the requirements: . Short Court Matches: Doubles teams with a combined score of between 12 and 20 play Short Court tennis and use a 75% lower compression ball (red and yellow striped ball). Doubles teams with a combined rating of 21-30 will play full court (78’) using a 50% lower compression ball (orange and yellow striped ball). Doubles teams with a combined rating of 31-40 will play full court (78’) using a 25% lower compression ball (green and yellow striped ball). Doubles teams with a combined rating of 41-50 will play full court (78’) using a regulation ball (yellow ball). 13. Short Court Tennis . In Short Court play, all of the rules are the same with one major exception: The service boxes are used as boundary lines for a match – the alleys are out of bounds. 4 Competition Formats: Following are the competition formats to be used which are based on the number of players on both teams. Each team has 6 players: At least three scoring doubles matches are played . Each team has 7 players: At least three scoring doubles matches and one singles match are played . Each team has 8 players: At least four scoring doubles matches are played or three doubles matches and two singles matches are played . Each team has 9 players: At least four scoring doubles matches and one singles match are played . Each team has 10 players: At least five scoring doubles matches are played When one team has more players than the opposing team, these additional players compete in an exhibition singles match. Example: Team A has 6 players and Team B has 8 players. Team B’s two additional players play a singles exhibition match. Match Play Rules 1. The USTA short set format will be used. A match consists of the best 2 out of 3 sets. In a short set, the team that wins 4 games wins that set, provided there is a winning margin of 2 games. o If a set is at 4-3, another game is played and the set is finished if the team leading wins the game, making it 5-3. o If the set reaches 4-4, a 7 point tie-break game is played. The first team to win 7 points wins the tie-breaker, provided the winning margin is 2 points. If the match score is 1-1, a 7 point tie-break game is used as the format for the third set to decide the match. The team that first wins 7 points wins this tie-breaker and the match, provided the winning margin is 2 points. 2. Game Scoring: The No-Ad scoring system will be used. The first team to reach 4 points wins the game. If the game is tied at 3-3, the seventh point becomes the “game point” for each team. 5 Wheelchair Tennis Rules and Other Modifications Following is a summary of the USTA wheelchair tennis rules: . Players using a wheelchair are allowed two bounces of the ball. The second bounce can be in or out of the court boundaries. The wheelchair is considered to be part of the body and all applicable rules which apply to a player’s body apply to the wheelchair. The server shall, throughout the delivery of a service, not touch with any wheel any area other than that behind the baseline. When a wheelchair tennis player is playing with or against a player who does not use a wheelchair in singles or doubles, the rules for wheelchair tennis only apply for the wheelchair player. For example, during play a wheelchair player is allowed two bounces and the player not using a wheelchair is allowed one bounce. Visual Impairments or Other Disabilities: Additional modifications for players with visual impairments or other physical disabilities will be implemented when necessary. 6 Match Play Rules Summary Competition will be governed by the Rules of Tennis from the official Code of the United States Tennis Association. The USTA publishes these rules in the publication FRIEND at COURT. Please note items of particular interest below. Service: The service motion may be underhand or overhand. The ball shall not bounce before being struck. The player must stand behind the service line (i.e. baseline in full court play; service box in short court play).