Waverley By-Laws

The type, condition and surroundings of the courts of each competing Club shall be subject to the approval of the Committee of Management.

The Match Committee shall be responsible for grading of players, emergencies and teams and to do all things which it shall consider necessary or desirable to conduct the pennant matches with the exception of disputes which shall be adjudicated by the Committee of Management.

By-Laws may be revoked, altered or amended by Council. Notice of alteration to By-Laws must be lodged in writing with the Association Secretary at least thirty-five (35) clear days prior to the meeting and shall appear on the notice paper. Any By-Law passed by Council may not be altered by the Committee of Management.

Each Club must have at least one delegate at each Council and Match Convenor’s Meeting. Failure to attend will result in a fine.

No player shall transfer from one Club to another during the currency of a Competition Season without the consent of the Committee of Management, and then only if he/she shall have obtained a clearance from the Club by whom he/she has been registered; seven (7) days clear notice of such application to be given to the Association Secretary.

For the purposes of this By-Law, 'the currency of a competition' includes the period from the official closing date of team entries for that particular Competition Season up until the opening match date of the Competition.

A clearance letter, with reasons for the clearance, must be lodged with the Association Secretary for approval by the Association. Such a letter shall be signed by the Secretary of the Club with whom the player is currently registered and also by the Secretary of the Club to which the player wishes to transfer.

Automatic fines shall be operative for breaches of the By-Laws as listed on website.

The Committee of Management, as provided for in the Rules, shall be empowered with the setting of the actual fines applicable for breaches of the Association's By-Laws. Whenever possible, the ruling fines will be published in the Official Handbook and Fixture issued at the commencement of each Pennant Season, although the Committee of Management does have the right at any time to introduce fines for additional breaches, as required to effectively conduct the Pennant Competition. Any additional fines so introduced will be announced to all Clubs at the first available opportunity.

The Rules of Tennis issued with the Approval of Tennis Australia shall apply to all matches except as hereinafter modified.

All sets shall be first to six games, excepting that in all Senior play and Junior Singles/Doubles Sections a 12 point tiebreaker shall be played at six all.

Note variations in paragraphs (a) Open Rubbers formats, and in paragraph (d) below for the Junior President’s Cup.

During all Senior and Junior matches, players should not leave the court except for a toilet break.

Team Composition:

Four players, any combination of Men and Ladies

Match Format:

Matches shall consist of four rubbers. Each player plays 2 rubbers.

All rubbers shall be "Best of Two" sets where if these rubbers are tied at one set all then the rubber is decided by playing a match tiebreaker, first to 10 by a margin of 2. This tiebreaker (which replaces the third set), is recorded as 7-6 to the winning team on the scoresheet, even when the rubber is at one set all due to a forfeit.

Determining Winner:

The majority of rubbers shall decide the match. If rubbers are equal, sets to decide. If rubbers and sets are equal, games to decide.

For all Junior Matches players MUST play in order of merit, as nominated by their club.
A Senior Supervisor is to be in attendance at all times during the match.
For away matches, a responsible adult/parent is required to be in attendance at the venue for the entire match.
For all Junior Rubbers matches, players may only leave the court with the permission of the Venue Supervisor.
No communication with, or coaching by, parents is permitted during a match or between sets in a Rubbers match.

(Summer & Winter)
Each Team can be any combination of men and/or ladies.
(Saturday PM, Preferably Two Courts)

Team Composition:

Teams may consist of up to four players for each match with different players being used in the doubles rubber to those who played the singles rubbers if desired, such players to be nominated prior to the commencement of the Match.

For both Singles Matches players MUST play in order of merit, as nominated by their club.

Match Format:

Matches shall consist of two mens/ladies singles rubbers and one mens/ladies doubles rubber.

1st Man/Lady Singles Rubber
2nd Man/Lady Singles Rubber
Mens/Ladies Doubles Rubber

Method of Play:

Each rubber shall comprise 3 sets with a tie-breaker played at 6 games all in each set.

Determining Winner:

Matches to be decided by the team with the most rubbers.

Order of Play in home and away matches:

The home club may choose whether the 2 singles or the doubles rubber is played first. All players should therefore be present at the official starting time.

Finals only:

The Singles Rubbers are to be played first. Where the Match Committee has agreed to play finals without 2 courts per match being available, exemptions to this order of play may be permitted. In this instance, the home club determines the order of play for each match.

For all Junior Matches players MUST play in order of merit, as nominated by their club.
A Senior Supervisor is to be in attendance at all times during the match.
For away matches, a responsible adult/parent is required to be in attendance at the venue for the entire match.
For all Junior Rubbers matches, players may only leave the court with the permission of the Venue Supervisor.
No communication with, or coaching by, parents is permitted during a match or between sets in a Rubbers match.

2-4 Players (A, A Reserve, B Special and B Grades only)

Team Composition:

Matches shall consist of two boys/girls singles rubbers and one boys/girls doubles rubber.
Teams may consist of up to four players for each match with different players being used in the doubles rubber to those who played in the singles if desired, such players to be nominated prior to the commencement of the match.

Match Format:

Order of play:

1st Boy/Girl Singles Rubber
2nd Boy/Girl Singles Rubber
Boys/Girls Doubles Rubber

Method of Play:

All rubbers are "Best of Two" format. This format is played with two regular sets, tie-break at 6 all, (12 point tiebreakers).
If a match is tied at one set all then the rubber is decided by playing a match tiebreaker, first to 10 by a margin of 2.
This tiebreaker (which replaces the usual 3rd set of a rubber) is recorded as 7-6 to the winning team on the scoresheets.

Determining Winner:

Matches to be decided by the team with the most rubbers.

Order of Play in home and away matches:

The home club may choose whether 2 singles or the doubles rubber is played first. All players should therefore be present at the official starting time.

Finals only:

The Singles Rubbers are to be played first. Where the Match Committee has agreed to play finals without 2 courts per match being available, exemptions to this order of play may be permitted. In this instance, the home club determines the order of play for each match.

For all Junior Matches players MUST play in order of merit, as nominated by their club.
A Senior Supervisor is to be in attendance at all times during the match.
For away matches, a responsible adult/parent is required to be in attendance at the venue for the entire match.
For all Junior Rubbers matches, players may only leave the court with the permission of the Venue Supervisor.
No communication with, or coaching by, parents is permitted during a match or between sets in a Rubbers match.

Team Composition:

Open format, 2-4 Players

Match Format:

Matches in both Summer and Winter shall consist of:
Two Singles Rubbers and One Doubles Rubber.

Method of Play:

All Rubbers are the "Best of Two" format. See By-Law 8(d) for method of play.

Determining Winner:

Match to be decided by the Team with the most Rubbers.

Order of Play in home and away matches:

The home club may choose whether 2 singles or the doubles rubber is played first. All players should therefore be present at the official starting time.

Finals only:

The Singles Rubbers are to be played first. Where the Match Committee has agreed to play finals without 2 courts per match being available, exemptions to this order of play may be permitted. In this instance, the home club determines the order of play for each match.

For all Junior Matches players MUST play in order of merit, as nominated by their club.
A Senior Supervisor is to be in attendance at all times during the match.
For away matches, a responsible adult/parent is required to be in attendance at the venue for the entire match.
For all Junior Rubbers matches, players may only leave the court with the permission of the Venue Supervisor.
No communication with, or coaching by, parents is permitted during a match or between sets in a Rubbers match.

Boys/Girls/Open - Three Players (any combination)
(C Special, C Grade, D Special and D Grades only)

Match Format:

Order of Play for each team home and away matches, also finals series:

2nd Boy/Girl/Player & 3rd Boy/Girl/Player Doubles, played concurrently with 1st Boy/Girl/Player Singles

1st Boy/Girl/Player & 3rd Boy/Girl/Player Doubles, played concurrently with 2nd Boy/Girl/Player Singles

1st Boy/Girl/Player & 2nd Boy/Girl/Player Doubles, played concurrently with 3rd Boy/Girl/Player Singles

Method of Play:

Home and away matches and FINALS MATCHES shall consist of six "six game" sets comprising three doubles sets and three singles sets as per the order of play detailed below.

Tie breakers at six games all will apply to C Special, C and D Special Grades.
In D grade only, set decided by first to 6 games.

Determining Winner:

Matches shall be decided by the team with the most sets. If sets are equal then games to decide.

Notwithstanding By-Law 8 (a and g ) in an emergency a team with only 3 players available shall play the match instead of giving a walkover. Under these circumstances, games won or lost will be scored by both teams, the sets for which a player is not available being forfeited 6 games to love.

Likewise, in Saturday & Sunday Triples matches, the team shall play two players instead of giving a walkover.

In all Senior formats except Singles/Doubles, a team with only 3 players available shall play the match instead of giving a walkover in which case By-Law 12 as it relates to complete team in attendance will not apply. Under these circumstances, games won or lost will be scored by both teams, the sets for which the player is not available being forfeited to love.

For all Junior Triples matches where a team is one player short, the opposition team should, where possible, exclude the equivalent player in the Order of Merit within their team.

In all Junior and Senior singles/doubles rubbers atches, one player does not form a "team". The result shall be recorded as a forfeit.

Type of Competition: FOUR A SIDE - Autumn & Spring

Format of Competition: Matches shall consist of six "eight game" doubles sets, tiebreaker at seven all, in which each man shall play one set with each other team member.
The majority of sets shall decide the match, if sets are equal, games to decide.

Time of Competition: Wednesday mornings, commencing at 9:30 a.m.

Finals: Refer to By-Law 24(b) and 24(c)

No. of Courts: Each team to provide 2 courts for its home match.

General:

1. To play in the competition a player must be a member of a club affiliated with Tennis Victoria.
2. Guidelines as published from time to time and available on the Waverley Tennis Mid Week Men's web page, allow some departures from Waverley Tennis rules.
3. All other matters not specifically highlighted for the running of the MidWeek Men's Competition are governed by the existing Association By-Laws.
4. The Home Clubs are responsible for ensuring that the Match Results are entered on time.

Each section shall consist of 8 teams in summer and winter pennant with two complete rounds of matches. If appropriate, the Match Committee may approve 6 team sections.

If appropriate, the Match Committee may approve 4 team sections, 6 team sections (both 15 matches per season), or 10 team sections (14 matches) for any class of play.

For final series, the 4 team section is restricted to the final and the 6 team section is restricted to knockout semi-finals and finals.

1. All players will receive an individual grading as a player of either A, A Reserve, B Special, B, C Special, C, D Special or D.
2. Once a player's grading as above is approved, this grading is retained from season to season unless a change is approved or made by the Association.
3. At the start of each season, team lists and emergencies with the required grading information must be submitted on the prescribed form.
4. Teams as submitted will be graded by the Match Committee in grades as mentioned above (or as advised from time to time by the Match Committee). More than one section may be required in certain grades in which case teams will be graded into sections within these grades.
5. All players listed in the teams as submitted by clubs must play in the grade and section as graded by the Match Committee. No listed player will be permitted to play in a lower grade, or section within grade, without prior permission from the Match Committee.
6. Emergencies cannot play below the grade (or section within grade) assigned to them by the Association which will be that nominated by the Club unless otherwise advised by the Association.
7. New registrations may be submitted for approval by either letter or email to the appropriate Record Secretary. In an emergency, a player is deemed to be submitted for approval once entered correctly on the scoresheet (i.e. scoresheet shows Club Selectors' grading and indicates Emergency "E") and always provided the scoresheet shows all particulars, for example, Date of Birth and Club personal grading, as is required on Emergency Entry form. (Grading is to be Selectors' not team Captain's). This emergency registration does not mean that the player is automatically accepted in that grade. If unacceptable, player will be regarded as an unregistered player for that grade. No phone emergency registration will be accepted. Emergency players must not strengthen a team, in the opinion of the Match Committee.
8. In the event of a player being nominated for registration by more than one club, the player concerned shall have the right to say which nomination shall stand.
9. The Committee of Management shall have the right to reject any registration.

1. No players may play below their approved personal grade unless such players have been approved as permanent players or emergencies in that grade, or section within grade.
2. Once a player plays more than 3 matches in any higher grade, or section within grade, or plays more than 3 matches in different higher level teams, that player cannot play for another team in a lower grade or lower section within grade, without prior permission of the Match Committee. This applies irrespective of whether the player was nominated as a regular player in a lower graded team at the start of the current season.
3. Emergency players may interchange between Open Doubles and Open Singles/Doubles sections and may play any number of matches in a higher grade, or higher section within grade, until tied as in 11(b) above.
4. In the event of a Club being represented by more than one team in the one section, no player having participated in more than three matches with one team shall be eligible to play thereafter in the other team.
5. No player may play in the final series unless they shall have played three home and away matches. These matches can have been played in a lower graded team for the same club in the same competition. For Juniors, date of birth must also have been provided.
   
   Should an ineligible player play in a home and away, or finals match, any rubber(s)/sets in which such player competes shall automatically be awarded to the opposition. However, a match can still be won by a team with an ineligible player should the majority of remaining rubbers/sets be won by that team.
6. All players registered must be financial members of the Clubs registering them.
7. Except with Match Committee approval, no players may play in matches if they have already played in another Association whose matches are played concurrently on Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings (for Juniors) and Saturday afternoons (for Seniors).
8. No player shall compete in more than one Association Senior or Junior fixture listed in the same round for simultaneous play.
9. To be eligible for Juniors, players must in any season they play be 18 years of age or under as at midnight on the date of the scheduled Saturday/Sunday Grand Final for that season.
10. No player may represent more than one Club during the currency of the same Competition Season, unless formally cleared in accordance with By-Law 5.
11. The Match Committee shall have sole discretion on making decisions on the eligibility of players not specifically provided for within the By-Laws.
12. Junior or Senior players who compete in Saturday or Sunday competitions DO NOT qualify for the finals on the alternative day to their regular competition.
13. As Saturday and Sunday Junior competitions are separate competitions, players may play for a different club in these competitions.
14. Heatouts and/or Washed-out matches do not qualify as a match towards Finals eligibility.

All Saturday junior matches shall commence at 8:15 a.m. and Sunday junior matches shall commence at 8:30 a.m.. (First set hit-ups should be prior to these times.)

All Senior matches shall commence at 1:00 p.m.. (First set hit-ups should be prior to these times.)

A 5 minute hit-up must be permitted prior to the 1st set for each player in a match, even if a player arrives late. No other hit-ups are allowed. This applies to both Junior and Senior matches.

All Home and Away matches MUST be played at the designated times as stated above.

If either team is unable to put on any set (listed on the scorebook} within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the offending team shall forfeit the first set / first set of rubber to nil.

Upon completion of the first and/or each subsequent set, if opposition is not available to commence play within 10 minutes, the next set shall be forfeited.

In applying this By-Law, matches are to be considered to be played on ONE COURT ONLY, regardless of the availability of a 2nd court.

Except where a team is playing with one player short (By-Law 8f) a complete team must be in attendance by 8:45 a.m. for Saturday Juniors, 9:00 a.m. for Sunday Juniors and 1:30 p.m. for Seniors, otherwise the match shall be lost by the defaulting team as a forfeit - see also By-Law 6 re Club Fines and By-Law 8(f) - Playing With One Player Short.

All Junior matches will conclude at 12:15 p.m. Saturdays (12:30 p.m. Sundays) If in the middle of a set, the GAME that is in progress will be completed, but not the set.

Before the commencement of any match the opposing captains MUST enter team members' names in order of play on the scoresheet. Once scoresheets have been filled in no changes to order of play are permitted.

Before the commencement of any Finals match, the opposing captains must pass their separate lists showing names of players in order of play to the home club supervisor who shall fill out the scoresheets on behalf of both captains. scoresheets should then be readily available throughout match for reference, as required. Once scoresheets are filled out, the playing order cannot be altered.

The only exception permitted to this latter requirement shall be in the case of a resumed match involving a substitute player and then only in the event of the match not having been commenced on the total washout date.

In the event of a query of a match result on a scoresheet, the club who is querying the supplied information, MUST supply a copy of the scoresheet to confirm the recorded information is incorrect. Failure to do so, will mean the registered result shall stand.

Waverley Tennis has adopted the Tennis Australia Extreme Weather Policy. Full guidelines of the policy may be found on the Tennis Australia website. A copy can also be downloaded from our website.

Extreme Weather, as defined by this policy, includes Extreme Heat, Wet Weather, Lightning, High Winds and Smoke.

For the purposes of this section, Waverley Tennis has taken a more conservative approach than is given in the Tennis Australia policy and we require that:

All play must be suspended (on completion of the current game) and no further matches are to commence if the temperature is 35° C or greater.

1. In the event of extreme weather, individual matches may be cancelled without teams attending the courts, providing that it is mutually agreed to by both captains, otherwise players must attend courts.

   Mutual agreement is only when the captains communicate with each other, and agree to cancel the match.

   Cancellation of matches in advance by text, phone or voicemail message is not acceptable; two-way communication is essential.

   Should a visiting team wish to contact a venue club to clarify if a match will proceed, it is recommended to ring either the club phone or the Junior/Senior Convenor's mobile number.

   For Junior and Senior matches, in the event of lightning and thunderstorm play must be stopped immediately.

   For Junior matches, upon agreement by both club's Junior Convenors, a match may be cancelled without both teams attending the courts.

   Where there is no attendance both teams must enter their player lists using the "By Ph" feature on the Club Zone website.

   Junior matches:

   When play is stopped due to weather or court conditions the home club Venue Supervisor is responsible for making the decision to abandon any match, taking into account current court conditions, the likelihood of further play interruptions and time needed to restore courts to a safe playable state in time for matches to be completed in the normal time frame.

   Senior matches:

   If play is stopped due to weather or court conditions, both captains must agree before the match is abandoned. However, if play has not resumed within one and a half (1 ½) hours after the cessation of play, then either captain shall have the option to abandon the match.

2. (b) On days of extreme heat when the temperature reaches 35 degrees as provided by the Bureau of Meteorology (1900 926 121), individual matches may be cancelled without teams attending courts providing it is mutually agreed to by both captains otherwise players must attend courts. Where there is no attendance both teams must enter players names using the "By Ph" feature on the Club Zone website.

   Notwithstanding the foregoing, play may be cancelled below this temperature with consent of both captains.

   For the purposes of this By-Law, the temperature used is as provided by the Bureau of Meteorology, either on their app or on their website, and according to the BOM weather station closest to the venue courts.

3. The home Club has the right to decide as to whether courts are unfit for play, however, either captain shall have the option to stop play during rain, even it the court surface is deemed fit for play.

   In all junior matches, only the club supervisor or junior convenor may cancel a match due to inclement weather by initialling the scorebook.

4. If the home Club deems, in the preceding days to scheduled matches, that its courts have been rendered unplayable by wind damage, or by flooding, and a reasonable effort has been made by the home Club to restore the court/s in time for scheduled matches, each match unable to be played will be declared a 'wash-out'. In such circumstances, the home Club, in the case of Junior matches, must notify the Secretary of the opposing Club/s and the Association Secretary before 8:00 p.m. on the day preceding the match/es. For Senior matches, the home Club must notify the Secretary of the opposing Club/s and the Association Secretary before 10:00 a.m. on the actual match day.

   The requirements pertaining to the non-attendance of teams (ref. By-Law 14c) shall apply.

5. If Junior matches have not commenced by 9:45 a.m., play will be called off. If Senior matches have not commenced by 2:30 p.m., and unless otherwise mutually agreed to by both team captains, play will be called off.
6. Players from both Senior and Junior competing teams are required to bag and water courts after each set. In the event of inclement weather it is expected that players from both competing teams will assist with preparing the courts ready for play.

1. A substitute shall be allowed to take the place of any player who is prevented, through illness, injury or any good and sufficient reason from continuing the match, however, all remaining games of the incomplete set shall be forfeited. In both Junior and Senior Rubbers Matches, where a player is injured or ill the remaining unplayed games/sets of the rubber shall be forfeited. A replacement player may commence from the start of the next rubber.

   If a player advises their opposition of an illness or injury prior to commencement of their 2nd rubber, the first set of this rubber shall be forfeited 6-0. In sets matches, a replacement player may replace an ill or injured player in a new set without penalty.

2. Matches completed using a substitute player are designated as played 'under protest' unless the opposing captain signs the match scoresheets after confirming the substitution as being fair. A 'fair' substitution is where the substitute player has the same personal grading, or lower, when compared to the Competition grade in which that player is being used as a substitute.
3. A team requiring a substitute player shall be allowed thirty minutes, from the time of the occurrence of the event which led to the need for a substitute, to arrange such a player to be in attendance and on court ready to play.
4. The By-Law covers both home and away matches and final series matches, except that, in the case of an unfinished final, a substitute player is allowed to take the place of a player unavailable on the next scheduled match date without penalty, with play resuming from where it left off. Unless special permission is granted in writing by the Waverley Tennis Match Committee, such substitute must be eligible as per By-Law 11.

   NOTE: Clubs wishing to substitute players in resumed final series matches should seek the approval of the Tennis Association, preferably in writing, before making substitutions on the day of the resumed matches.

5. In Junior finals where clubs have rotating teams, the option to use up to 5 players in a match is permitted.

   Providing the order of merit of singles players is maintained, the substitute player can play in any position.

   1. For each final the team must be nominated as usual however teams are allowed to add any other rotating team members into position 4, or positions 4 & 5.
   2. All such substitutions must be declared on the scoresheets prior to the start of the match and no changes may be made once the match has commenced (except as provided for in By-Law 15(a) - Injury or 15(d) - Unfinished Finals).
   3. To be eligible the rotated substitute players must have played at least 3 matches for the team during the season.
6. With 1 substitute player, the #1 player will play 3 sets, and players 2-4 will all play 2 sets.

   With 2 substitute players, players 1-4 will all play 2 sets, and the #5 player will play 1 set.

   The order of play and doubles pairings are detailed on the scoresheet.

   The number of players used determines which column the team uses, either Three, Four, or Five.

   If the home team has 3 players and the away team has 5, then the home team uses the Three column pairings, and the away teams uses the Five column pairings.

   Singles players play against their nominated opponent in all 3 variations.

In Summer Senior Competition, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by both team captains, no set or sets shall commence after 6:30 p.m.

In Winter Senior Competition, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by both team captains, no set or sets shall be commenced after Official Light-Up Time or after local street lights are activated should that be earlier. If a GAME has commenced prior to either of these times, it shall be completed, then play shall cease. Official Light-Up Times are as published in the Winter Handbook. Except for finals, Clubs are not permitted to use lights in order to complete matches even if it is dark before Official Light-Up time, with the exception of Indoor Venues which may use lights throughout match play if required.

In both Summer and Winter Competition, points for any sets which have not commenced by the designated time shall be shared, as is the case for an uncompleted set (refer By-Law 20. POINT SCORE).

In Junior Competition, no set or sets shall be commenced beyond 12:15 p.m., (12:30 p.m. for Sunday Matches), except that any GAME that is in progress will be permitted to be completed, but not the set or sets (ref. By-Law 12). Points for any sets which have not commenced by the designated time shall be shared, as is the case for an uncompleted set (refer By-Law 20. POINT SCORE).

The above provisions for Senior and Junior Competition do NOT apply during the Final Series, when all Finals matches must be played out until a result is achieved.

1. Home & Away Matches Senior & Junior Competition: Umpires may be arranged by either team or by the Junior Supervisor. If the entire match is being umpired, the home team has the right to appoint an umpire for the first set/rubber and thereafter the right shall alternate. Individual sets/rubbers may be umpired by either team or by the Junior Supervisor or his/her appointee.

   For Junior matches - the home club shall provide a senior member to act as a Junior Supervisor and referee in the case of a dispute. A Junior Supervisor must be in attendance at each venue used by the home club (includes 'outside' venue/s). For 'D' Grade junior matches, the home club should provide an additional supervisor/s for all home and away matches, who may be positioned on court.

2. For all junior matches, home and away and finals, a responsible adult/parent from the visiting team must be in attendance for the duration of the match. Failure to observe this By-Law will result in a Club fine.

The home team shall provide balls of a brand approved by Tennis Victoria (refer Tennis Australia website) as follows:

• For all Senior matches 4 new balls.
• For all Junior matches, 2 new and 2 good used balls.
• In Final series the home team shall provide four new balls.
• Extra new or good used balls may be used at the commencement of any set providing they are supplied by the team requesting them and with the agreement of the opposing team captain.
• For all D Grade Junior matches, it is mandatory for all clubs to use low-compression "green" balls.

Regulation tennis attire shall be worn in all competition matches and shall comply with the ruling TENNIS AUSTRALIA DRESS AND EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS. (Refer to Dress and Regulations).

However, for local Waverley Tennis matchplay, the following local modifications shall apply: -

• Shirts without collars may be worn providing they are neat and constitute tennis sportswear.
• Tracksuits may be worn during the warm-up period and only during match play in inclement weather.
• No ripple soled shoes and no black or coloured marking soled shoes (on acrylic courts) shall be worn at any time. Home clubs shall have the right to refuse the wearing of footwear that they consider could cause damage to their court surfaces.

Clubs shall monitor compliance to these CORRECT TENNIS ATTIRE DRESS REGULATIONS and shall report any flagrant breaches in respect to incorrect clothing or footwear to the Waverley Tennis Match Committee Convenor.

Points will be awarded to each team as follows:

2 points for a winning match

or, 1 point for a draw or wash-out or where result has not been reached, or, 2 points for a forfeit (to non-defaulting team only)

plus

1 point for each winning set (no points allocated for winning rubbers),

half a point for each uncompleted set (rubber to be taken to 2 sets unless it is the third set that is uncompleted).

If a set or rubber is forfeited during the match, the non offending team shall receive one point for each forfeited set. (rubber to be taken as 2 sets). Where the complete team is not in attendance and this is deemed a forfeit as per By-Law 12 the non offending team shall receive one point per set (each rubber to be taken as 2 sets).

Note: Forfeiting teams do not receive any points for unplayed sets. See separate By-Law re club fines. In the event of a complete washout, a team can only gain a maximum of half the match points but a team can lose points if it plays an ineligible player.

If a set or rubber is forfeited during the match, the non-offending team shall receive one point per forfeited set or rubber. Where the complete team is not in attendance and this is deemed a forfeit as per By-Law 12 the non-offending team shall receive one point per set or rubber.

Emergency players must also be written on scoresheets as an emergency.

For a Junior match, full name, date of birth, previous playing experience and personal grade must be provided.

For a Senior match, full name, previous playing experience and personal grade must be provided.

Failure to include this information on the date of the match, or when requested by Record Secretary to supply, shall result in automatic loss of points for all results involving that player.

Match Results are to be entered on line through the Waverley Tennis Club Zone website. Where non-attendance at a match is agreed to due to inclement weather (see By-Law 14) both teams must enter their players names using the "By Ph" facility on the Club Zone website.

In the event of a total washout in the Finals Series, or an unfinished Finals match, the names of all participating players shall be filled out on the scoresheets and the home club supervisor shall retain the scoresheets and bring them to the continuation of the match.

For home team forfeits, the away team may use the “By Ph” feature to enter forfeit, and must include all player names. A forfeit is a qualifying game only for non-forfeiting team.

One or more late match results from a Club for matches on the day may result in a fine and/or loss of points.

Failure to have a duplicate advice in the hands of the Record Secretary within 24 hours of receiving phone or email advice for non-receipt of result/s will incur loss of all point scores for such match/es by the home Club.

In home and away matches, where a match is not completed on the scheduled date there shall be no further play. In the final series, matches will continue at the same venue until a result has been reached at the next available Saturday, excepting Grand Final matches which may continue at the same venue until a result has been reached on the first available date within the next week as agreed upon by opposing teams, umpires and the Club at which the match is being played. Should there be no unanimous agreement, the match will continue at the same venue until a result has been reached at the next available Saturday.

Advice of delayed Grand Final matches, and the alternate playing arrangements agreed to, shall be provided to the Association Secretary not later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of the match. The eventual results of all Grand Final matches must be entered on line by either team by 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Any variation to the above arrangements for continuation of final series matches shall be at the discretion of the Committee of Management.

1. At the completion of the home and away matches the four leading teams in an 8 team draw, the top three teams in an 6 team draw, and the top two teams in a 4 team draw, shall play off in a final series. All finals are to be played on the venues of the finalists as announced by the Waverley Tennis Match Committee. (Refer this By-Law paragraphs (f) & (g).)

   Grand finals of highest sections will be convened at a single venue.

2. For 8 team sections (& 10 team sections)

   Semis: 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd

   Grand Final: Winner of 1st semi-final plays winner of second semi-final.

   Grand Final to be played at venue of higher placed team.

3. For 6 team sections

   Preliminary: 2nd plays 3rd, 1st team has Bye.

   Grand Final: 1st placed team plays winner of preliminary final.

4. For 4 team sections
   
   Grand Final: 1st placed team plays 2nd placed team. No semi final.

5. The team first mentioned is regarded as the "home" team.
6. In all final series matches, in the event of a draw, the players from the last doubles set to finish shall play a 12 point tie breaker to decide the winning team. In Open Doubles when the doubles matches finish together then the last doubles as listed on the scoresheet shall play the tie-breaker.
7. Finals Series Matches Senior Competition: In final series matches, the Match Committee shall convene all matches on the courts of the finalists, with the team finishing in the higher position being declared the home team. The Match Committee has the right to vary the finals venues as required. The home club shall provide a supervisor for each home match and who is not a member of any participating team on the day. Failure to provide a supervisor/s shall result in a club fine. Umpires may be arranged as in (a) above.
8. Finals Series Matches Junior Competition: In finals series matches, the Match Committee shall convene all matches on the courts of the finalists, with the team finishing in the higher position being declared the home team. The Match Committee has the right to vary the finals venues as required. The designated Club Junior Convenor of the host venue club shall arrange for an appropriate level of supervision to be present at all matches played at the venue or at an 'outside' venue used by the host venue club. Failure to provide appropriate supervision shall result in a club fine. Umpires may be arranged as in (a) above.

   The level of supervision for all 'D' Grade junior finals should be adequately provided and may involve the placement of an additional supervisor on court to assist the proper conduct of a match.

   Should a visiting club wish to have a supervisor on court, prior approval must first be obtained from the home club supervisor.

9. At Match Committee discretion, in either, or both, the Junior Challenge Cup and Senior Ron Horne Challenge Cup, the semi final in each format may be the top two teams in each section as follows:

   The first team in Section A versus the second team in Section B, and the second team in Section A versus the first team in Section B. Both winners shall play off in the grand final.

10. The Committee of Management has the right to vary the finals format and the scheduled date, time and venue for any matches, in order to ensure a satisfactory completion of the season. Should the home courts, and their outside venue, be unavailable for any reason, the Match Committee, where possible, will move the match to the venue of the opposition team.
11. For late finishing senior finals lights may be used to enable the final to be completed on schedule.
12. A designated finishing time for both Junior and Senior matches does not apply for Finals. Where possible it is essential that an effort is made to keep playing a match until a result is achieved, even if it means continuing after the normal finishing time.

A Club unable to arrange a team for any match must notify the Junior Convenor of the opposing Club before 8:00 p.m. on the day preceding the match. Similarly, for the forfeit of a Senior match, the club must notify the Senior Convenor before 8:00 p.m. on the day preceding the match. The forfeiting Club is subject to a fine unless an acceptable explanation is provided to the Match Committee.

The non-forfeiting team must enter their players names using the "By Ph" feature in the Club Zone website.

In the event of a fourth forfeit by the same team, that team shall be automatically eliminated from the Competition and all points will be withdrawn from the teams who have played against the defaulting team up to that stage of the Season. In other words, the defaulting team's place in the Section will be regarded as a Bye.

If any team plays an ineligible player that team shall forfeit each set in which that player participates to nil and the non-offending club will receive one point for each set/rubber in which the ineligible player participated.

The Committee of Management shall have the power to inquire into all disputes arising out of or in connection with the result of all pennant matches, and the final allocation of points for such matches, and its decision shall be final.

Any Club referring a dispute to the Committee of Management shall, within three days after the completion of the match in dispute, forward a statement in writing of the matter in dispute to the Association Secretary. In the event of the dispute being deemed frivolous, a $15 fine shall be imposed on the club lodging the protest. It shall also, within the same time, forward a copy of such statement to the Secretary of the other affected Club. The Committee of Management shall have the power to decide all questions arising out of Association matches and tournaments not provided for in these By-Laws.

All complaints must be lodged with the Association Secretary

• By a club official in writing
• Within three (3) days of the incident leading to the complaint (fax/email acceptable)
• Complaints should not be copied to the club to whom the complaint is being directed against.

Complaints will only be deemed valid and be progressed by the Complaints Sub-committee if they clearly identify, that is, name the individual/s (player/parent/spectator/coach and the like) against whom the complaint is being made.

1. Sub-committee Appointment/Composition

   The Committee of Management shall appoint a complaints subcommittee to deal with misconduct and misbehaviour complaints received against clubs, players, parents, spectators and the like. The complaints sub-committee shall comprise a Complaints Convenor as chairperson and other co-opted members as required.

2. Sub-committee Scope

   The complaints sub-committee shall consider and deal with all complaints reporting to the Committee of Management. Such reporting to include:-

   • Results of investigations into complaints received.
   • Advising of actions taken (including penalties imposed if any).
   • Consideration of issues referred to it by the Committee of Management.
   • Recommendations to the Committee of Management on any changes to the Association By-Laws, Rules and Guidelines.

The winning team and the runners-up team in each section of each grade shall be awarded a trophy as determined by the Committee of Management.