Set: 29-11-2023
| Objects |
| 1 |
| To organise Leagues in the Birmingham Area, to formulate and enforce the League rules and to run other tennis competitions as required. |
| Management |
| 2 |
| The League shall be managed by a committee consisting of a Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, the Divisional Secretaries, one member appointed by the Warwickshire L.T.A. and up to two co-opted members. The Committee shall have the power to appoint a President and Vice-Presidents from time to time, as appropriate. |
| Meetings |
| 3 |
| A General Meeting shall be held annually in October. A Special General Meeting shall be held if requested in writing by at least six League clubs. Each League club may send two voting representatives to any General Meeting. A quorum for any General Meeting shall be ten members. Written notice of General Meetings shall be given by the General Secretary to all League clubs not less than fourteen days prior to the meeting, together with a copy of any proposed amendments to the rules. |
| Amendment to rules |
| 4 |
| The rules of the League may be amended only by a General Meeting. Written notice of any proposed amendment must be received by the General Secretary not less than twenty-eight days before such meeting. |
| Voting |
| 5 |
| On general matters voting shall be by a simple majority. Where a tie results, the Chairman shall have a casting vote. Where a resolution calls for alteration to the League rules, a two-thirds majority is required for adoption. |
| Elections |
| 6 |
| All members of the Committee, with the exception of the W.L.T.A. representative, shall be elected each year by the Annual General Meeting. Nominations for election, other than re-election, must be received in writing by the General Secretary not less than fourteen days prior to the meeting. |
| Accounts |
| 7 |
| The Treasurer shall keep records of the subscriptions paid and due and of all payments made on behalf of the League and shall prepare an Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 30th September and a Balance Sheet as at that date for submission to the next Annual General Meeting. This meeting shall decide the annual subscription to be paid for each team entered in the League for the forthcoming season. |
| Membership |
| 8 |
| Membership of the League is open to all clubs in Birmingham and District who are affiliated to the appropriate County Association and have been accepted by the League Committee. |
| Structure |
| 9 |
| The Leagues shall consist of a number of divisions, each consisting of up to nine teams (except for the bottom division in each League). Each division shall be represented by a secretary, who shall arrange the fixtures, record the results and be a member of the League Committee. |
| Player Eligibility |
| 10 . a |
| Subject to the approval of the Committee, clubs may enter a maximum of five teams in both the Men’s and Ladies’ Leagues. Where more than one team is entered they shall be distinguished from one another by calling the highest team “1”, the next “2”, the next “3”, the next “4” and the last “5”. A maximum of two teams from any one club shall be allowed in any division. |
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| 10 . b |
| The four players who play the highest (or equal highest) number of matches for a team during the season are the four “REGULAR” players for that team. |
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| 10 . b . (i) |
| | The four REGULAR players may NEVER play for a lower team. A regular player may play as a reserve for the team immediately above (subject to (iii) and (iv) below) but not for any other team. |
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| 10 . b . (ii) |
| | A player who is not a regular player may also play either for the team immediately above or the team immediately below the one for which he made his first appearance BUT NOT BOTH (subject to (iii) and (iv) below). |
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| 10 . b . (iii) |
| | If a player plays more than twice in the higher team, the player is then disqualified from playing in the lower team for the remainder of the season. |
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| 10 . b . (iv) |
| | Any one player may play a maximum of ten matches per season (an adjustment to this rule may be made from time to time in the bottom division only in each League). |
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Should a player contravene this rule, points scored by the offending player shall be awarded to the opposition. |
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| 10 . c |
| No player may play for more than one club in any one season. The following players, after not less than fourteen days’ bona fide membership of a club immediately prior to a match, shall alone be qualified to represent that club in matches : |
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| 10 . c . (i) |
| | Members elected in accordance with the rules of the club at an annual subscription entitling them to the usual playing privileges; |
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| 10 . c . (ii) |
| | Members elected on payment of a recognised commutation of such subscription or for some valuable service to the club; |
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| 10 . c . (iii) |
| | Permanent officials of the club, if members of the same. |
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It is the responsibility of each club to ensure that they adhere to this rule. Should a player contravene this rule, points scored by the offending player shall be awarded to the opposition and the player shall be suspended from playing in League matches for the rest of the season.
If a player’s club membership eligibility is questioned by a designated Team Contact, the appropriate Divisional Secretary may require the Team Contact of the player in question to instruct their Club Chairman to submit to the Divisional Secretary, within 14 days, written evidence that the player is a bona fide club member. If evidence to the satisfaction of the League Chairman or Divisional Secretary is not submitted, it shall be taken that this rule has been contravened. |
| Fixtures |
| 11 |
The season runs from 1st April to 15th September (see also Rule 22). Only fixtures between teams from the same club may be arranged before 1st April.
Each team will play the other teams in the division once during the season. Where two teams from the same club are placed in the same division, their first fixture must be against each other. If this fixture is unfinished or postponed it must be completed within 21 days; if not, the part score (if any) will stand and any rubbers not started will be void.
Equal numbers of ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ matches are to be played unless the clubs, by mutual agreement, decide otherwise and the Divisional Secretary approves the alteration. |
| Format |
| 12 |
| All divisions shall play two-pair matches, the best of three sets, with a tie-break to ten points if the score reaches one set all (i.e. four rubbers in total). A standard (seven point) tie-break will operate if the score reaches six games all in the first two sets. |
| Playing Conditions |
| 13 |
The ‘Home’ club shall provide two outdoor courts of the same surface for a match, the choice of surface being at the ‘Home’ team’s discretion. (Where a club only has covered courts, these may be used). In the event of the courts becoming unfit for play for any reason during the course of the match, it may be completed on alternative courts or using floodlights, providing both captains agree. The ‘Away’ team has the option of returning to finish the match under the original conditions.
Questions of light, weather and the consequent safety of the playing surface should be mutually settled by the captains. If they are unable to agree, either captain may deem the conditions to be unplayable.
If there is an official Meteorological Office amber or red heat warning in place covering the venue, the match may be re-arranged at the request of either team. |
| Balls |
| 14 |
| The ‘Home’ club shall provide four new, authorised balls of the current year per court for the match. |
| Late Arrival |
| 15 |
| Play shall commence not later than 6.30 p.m. unless otherwise agreed when the fixtures were made. In the event of a pair not being ready to play within 30 minutes of the agreed starting time, their opponents may claim one 6-0 set; in the event of a pair not being ready to play within 45 minutes of the agreed starting time, their opponents may claim the rubber 6-0, 6-0.
If neither pair of a rubber is ready to play within 30 minutes of the agreed starting time, then that rubber shall be reduced to one set only; if neither pair of a rubber is ready to play within 45 minutes of the agreed starting time, then that rubber shall be void (0-0, 0-0).
In the event of neither pair of a team being ready to play within 45 minutes of the agreed starting time, that team shall be deemed to be in Default and Rule 16 (2) will apply. |
| Default |
| 16 . a |
| In the event of a pair not arriving to play, on the first occurrence, their opponents shall record two rubbers, four sets and twenty-four games to nil. Should the offence be repeated by the same team in the same season, in addition to the above penalty the team shall have 3 points deducted for the second occurrence and a third occurrence will be treated as a default by the team (see 16 (2) below). |
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| 16 . b |
| Should a team fail to play a match, the defaulting team shall have all its fixtures for that season discounted and be RELEGATED at the end of the season.
(In exceptional circumstances some discretion may be exercised if there is a justifiable, unavoidable and verifiable cause for the team’s failure to arrive in time to play – (e.g. an accident or other incident en route causing road closures or a medical emergency). Such cases must be referred in writing to the Chairman, who, in conjunction with the relevant Divisional Secretary and General Secretary, will make a decision within 10 days; their decision shall be final). |
| Retirement |
| 17 |
| In the event of a pair retiring before the completion of a match, completed sets and games shall stand as scored and their opponents shall record the games and sets required to give them the match (e.g. should a pair retire when leading 6-0, 5-0, their score shall be recorded as 6-0, 5-7, 0-1). |
| Postponement |
| 18 . a |
| In the event of a match being postponed owing to weather conditions, the two clubs concerned must notify the Divisional Secretary within forty-eight hours and provide the agreed date for the re-arranged match within 7 days. CLUBS SHALL NOT RE-ARRANGE FIXTURES FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN WEATHER. |
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| 18 . b |
| In the exceptional event of both captains agreeing not to play a match on the scheduled date (other than under rule 18 (1)) the score will be recorded as 0-0. |
| Unfinished Matches |
| * 19 Amended October 2023 |
If a match is left unfinished owing to weather or light, it must be completed at a later date on the same courts. The ‘Home’ club must notify the Divisional Secretary of the unfinished match within forty-eight hours and provide the agreed date(s) for completion of the match within 10 days. It is important to note that the unfinished rubbers may be completed on different dates.
If, at the 10-day period, no date has been agreed, both captains must contact the Divisional Secretary, who will mandate a course of action (which may include nominating a date(s) for the completion of the match). If a player becomes unavailable (for any reason) after a date has been arranged, their rubbers will be awarded to the opposition. If no date has been arranged and the match remains unfinished at the end of the season, no additional points will be awarded, unless the Divisional Secretary deems one team to be at fault.
Completed rubbers MUST stand; unfinished rubbers shall be continued from the exact point where they were abandoned, unless the two captains have previously agreed otherwise. If no rubbers have been completed when weather stops play for the day, the match may be re-started from scratch on a new date, using different players, provided both captains agree. |
| Results |
| 20 |
| Both teams must record the result of the match on the website within 3 days. |
| League Positions |
| 21 |
One point to be scored for each rubber won. Final League positions to be decided on points total.
(a) Where equal on points, on sets difference.
(b) Where equal on the above, on games difference.
(c) Where equal on the above, on the result in the match between the teams.
(d) If still equal, on the result between the teams’ first pairs.
(Difference = Totals ‘For’ minus Totals ‘Against’) |
| End Of Season |
| 22 |
All fixtures must be completed and the results recorded on the website by September 15th. Any result not received by this date will be recorded as 0-0.
(Rule 22 takes precedence over Rule 20). |
| Promotion & Relegation |
| 23 |
| At the end of the season the two top clubs in each division will be promoted and the two bottom clubs relegated. |
| Withdrawals |
| 24 |
| In the event of a team withdrawing from the League after the fixtures have been made, no additional team shall be placed in the vacancy for that season. The necessary adjustments will be made at the end of the season to bring all divisions back to normal again (teams will be moved strictly in the same order as they finished the season). All resignations, withdrawals, etc. must be received by the General Secretary at least fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. |
| Additions |
| 25 |
| Any club joining the League for the first time or re-joining or entering an additional team shall commence in the lowest division unless the Committee determines otherwise. |
| Disputes |
| 26 |
| Any disputes which may arise should be referred to an officer of the League (Chairman or Secretary) whose decision shall be final and binding on all parties concerned. |
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