Founded in 1974, the Lake Shore Women’s Tennis League (the “League”) is a summer outdoor women’s tennis league which provides its members the opportunity to play matches with teams of other communities on a friendly, yet competitive basis.

 

I.            Structure

A.   Participating teams shall be within the boundaries of Route 176 on the  North, Lake Michigan to the East, Milwaukee Avenue to the West and the Chicago city limits to the South (with the exception of the Saddle and Cycle Club and Lake Shore Racquet Club).  Exceptions may be made with a majority vote of the participating teams.

B.   There shall be four divisions (A, B, C, D) with two flights (Yellow and Green) in each division.  There shall be eight teams in each flight for a maximum of 64 teams.

C.   No club or association may have more than two teams in each division or five teams in the League.

D.   New admittance to the League shall be at the judgment of the Board.

 

II.        Executive Committee

A.   The Executive Committee shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The immediate past president shall serve as the sixth member of the Executive Committee.

B.    Each member of the Executive Committee shall serve a term of two years.  The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to govern, interpret and arbitrate the activities of the League in accordance with the by-laws.     

C.   Each member of the Executive Committee shall be a rostered player in the League.

 

III.    Board of Directors

A.   The voting members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Committee (as stated above), the Nominating Committee (as defined below), the Flight Chairpersons (as defined below), and Members-at-Large (as defined below).

B.   The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Flight Chairpersons from each division and the immediate past president, if available.

C.   Flight Chairpersons (one from each flight) shall be appointed by the President and shall serve a two year term, with four such appointments being made each year.  The President shall designate the club responsible for providing this chairperson on a rotating basis, when necessary.  Any club or organization that does not fulfill its responsibility may be deemed ineligible to participate.

D.   Members-at-Large shall be appointed by the President at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

IV.       Meetings

A.   A Spring board meeting shall be held at least one month prior to the start of the season and shall be attended by the Executive Committee and the Flight Chairpersons.

B.   A post-season board meeting shall be held at the conclusion of the season and shall be attended by the Executive Committee.

C.   The President may call a special meeting as she deems necessary.

 

V.           Schedule of Play

A.   The League is an outdoor league and all matches, weather permitting, shall be played outdoors.

B.   League matches shall be played on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. for eight consecutive weeks (with the exception of the week of Fourth of July, if so determined by the Board).

C.   The schedule for match play will be provided at the Captain’s Meeting at the beginning of each season.  Any changes to the schedule will be finalized by the Friday before the first scheduled match.

D.   Three doubles pairs shall be fielded for each match.

E.    Each team shall play each other team in its own flight and one team from the other flight in the division.

 

VI.       Eligible Teams

A.   Each club or organization shall reside within the geographical boundaries described in Section Ia. above.

B.   Any club or organization with three teams must be able to provide six courts for play, if the need arises.  Clubs or organizations with four or five teams must be able to provide nine courts.

C.   Membership dues shall be $50.00 per team and shall be due and payable by April 1 of each year to retain team membership for play in the upcoming season.

D.   All team information (with the exception of rosters) shall be received by the Board by April 15 prior to the start of play for the current season.

E.   If a team drops out of the League, the board may move up another team to fill the spot at its discretion.

 

VII.    Eligible Players

A.    Each player must be a bona fide member of her club or organization.

B.    No ranked or professional players may play in the League.

C.    Players must be at least 21 years old.

D.    A player may only play for one team in the League.

E.    Team captains shall submit a roster of at least seven, but not more than twelve team members, to the League website (lakeshoretennis.com) by the deadline date. ALL D TEAMS WILL BE ALLOWED TO ROSTER 14 PLAYERS. Any other team that has no lower team or equal team may also roster 14 players. Only those persons listed on the submitted roster or those determined to be eligible substitutes (see Article V111, Section f) may play for that team.  Changes to the submitted roster may be made up to the Friday before the first match.  After that time, captains will be unable to make changes on the League website.

F.   Exceptions to the rules regarding the size of a team can be made at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

VIII.      Matches

A.         Host Responsibilities

1.     The Host team captain shall call the Visiting team captain by 9:00 PM on the Wednesday prior to the match to discuss and make any necessary arrangements regarding location of rain/inclement weather dates.  An email is not considered sufficient unless you have a response from the recipient captain.

2.    The Host club shall provide courts suitable for match caliber play.

3.    The Host team shall be responsible for all provisions of the match, including water, balls, towels, restrooms on premises and post-match refreshments.

4.     The Host captain shall sign the score sheet in the presence of the Visiting captain immediately following the match and shall report the scores to her Flight Chairperson by telephone or fax by 3:00 p.m. the day of the match.  Original score sheets may be sent by mail or fax, as requested by the Flight Chairperson.

5.    The Host team has the sole responsibility for making arrangements for indoor courts in the event of rain or a heat advisory.

 

B.          Line-ups

1.     Written line-ups must be exchanged by the captains prior to warm-up and play and shall include only those players listed on the team roster.  There shall be an asterisk (*) on the score sheet next to the name of any player who has played on Court 1 during the current season.

2.     Line-ups for the final match of the season must be submitted to the flight chair by the Sunday before at noon and cannot be changed thereafter.  If it rains on the final Monday, the line-ups may be altered.

3.     Once a player has played on Court 1, she may not subsequently play on Court 3 in a regular season match.  This rule does not apply in the event a player substitutes for her club on a higher League team, (“subbing up”) or plays on Court 1 as a result of a default (as in Section VIII e(ii) herein) however, it does apply if a player substitutes for her club on a team in the same division (“cross subbing”).

4.     Any team using an illegal line-up shall be penalized, and any point(s) won by that court shall be awarded to the opposing team. In addition, the team with the illegal player will lose any points won on courts below the illegal player and they will be awarded to the opposing team.   Any player misrepresentation a second time will result in forfeiture of the entire match and team probation for one year.  A third offense will result in removal from the League.   

 

C.         Warm-ups

1.    The warm-up period shall begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 10:15 a.m.  Any player arriving during that time forfeits that part of her warm-up period.

2.    Any player arriving after 10:15 a.m., but before 10:30 a.m., forfeits her warm-up and the first set, and second set play begins immediately.

3.    Any player arriving after 10:30 a.m. forfeits the entire match.

4.    All serves must be practiced before the first game of the match. (No “first in” serves to begin match.)

5.     If a player is injured during warm-up and before the match has started, another player may take her spot, provided she is an eligible player, as defined in VII above.  The court 1 rule applies.

 

D.         Play

1.     Play begins promptly at 10:15 a.m.

2.     Play shall consist of the best two out of three sets.  If the first two sets are won by the same team, the third set is not to be played.

3.     One point shall be awarded for each set won. In addition, one point will be awarded to the team that won the court making a maximum of three points that a team may win on each court. (I.e. the team that wins 2 sets gets an additional point -making a total of three points for the winning team.)   (See Section IX.B.5 for point allocation on rain courts.)

4.     The USTA Tie-break game (7 point.) format shall be used in any set where the game score is tied at 6-6.  During a tie-break game, points are scored “Zero”, “1”, “2”, “3”, etc.  The first team to win seven points wins the “Game” and “Set”, provided there is a margin of two points over the opponents.  If necessary, the tie-break game shall continue until this margin is achieved.

5.     A “let” ball may be called by anyone on the court, but must be called while the ball is in play.  No points shall be taken over unless a “let” has been called.

6.     Coaches and/or club pros may observe matches from a reasonable distance, but are prohibited from coaching during matches.  Complaints of coaching or pro interference shall be dealt with by the Executive Board.

7.     In the case of illness or injury during a match, play may be suspended on that court for a maximum of ten minutes.  If play has not resumed within ten minutes, then that set shall be defaulted by the injured team.  In the event the injury occurs in the first set and play does not resume, then the opponents will receive two points for the match and an additional point for winning the court (i.e. 3 points total). If an injury occurs in the second or third set, then previously earned points will remain as scored, but the non-injured team will receive points for any sets not completed and an additional point for winning the court.

8.     Current USTA Rules govern all play.  It is the responsibility of each team captain to have USTA rules present at all matches.

9.     There is no set time limit for matches played outdoors.  Players must be available in the event matches go beyond 12:00 noon.

10.   A captain, co-captain or acting captain from each team must be present during the entire match, but does not necessarily have to play.

11.   All players are expected to be courteous and demonstrate good sportsmanship and court etiquette at all times.  Offensive behavior shall be penalized by the Executive Board on the facts brought forward.

12.   Cellular telephones must be turned off during a match and positively no calls may be made or received during a match. 

13.   If a dispute arises on a court and cannot be resolved by these By-laws, the USTA Rules, the team captains or a club pro, then the score sheet shall not be signed and the incident reported to the appropriate Flight Chairperson.  Captains should make every effort to resolve the dispute themselves.

 

E.          Defaults

1.    Pre-Play

(i)    If a team defaults a court, then three points will be awarded to the opposing team.

(ii)   If Court 1 defaults, then Courts 2 and 3 move up.

(iii)   If both teams default a court, then no points will be awarded.

(iv)   If a team forfeits more than six courts during the season, the board has the discretion to decide what action will be taken.

 

2.    During Play

(i)    If a team earns a point prior to default, that team retains the point. If a default occurs in first set, then non-defaulting team earns three points. If a default occurs in second or third set, then previously earned points will remain as scored, but the non-defaulting team will receive points for any sets not completed and the point for winning the court.

(ii)    If both teams default a court, then no points will be awarded.

 

F.          Substitutes

Teams may not substitute players from within their club or organization except as follows:

1.     When a club or organization has two or more teams in the League, the higher ranked team may use a player from any lower ranked team only as a substitute (“subbing up”). 

2.     Players may not play as a substitute for a team ranked below them (“playing down”).

3.     If a team has two teams in the same division, but different flights, a player may play for the team in the other flight (“cross-subbing”).

4.     A player shall not sub “up” or “across” more than twice or she will be considered a member of that team, and no longer eligible to play for her rostered team.

5.     Each team in the league may add 2 non-rostered substitutes at any time during the season. Each non-rostered substitute must be an eligible player according to the by-laws, can only play a maximum of 2 times, and must play the lowest available court. If the spirit of the game is jeopardized by the use of the non-rostered sub, the Executive Board has the right to deny their use.

 

G.         Interrupted Play

1.     In the event play is disrupted by rain or inclement weather, players shall stop and take a vote as to how to proceed.  If indoor courts are readily available, play shall move inside and continue.  If indoor courts are not readily available, or if players believe the weather will clear, then players may wait and then resume play.   In either case, a warm-up period equal to the original warm-up period shall be allowed, if so desired, and the score will resume at the point where play stopped. 

2.     If players are unable to complete the match as noted above, a later time shall be scheduled for that same day (see Section IX (b) below).

3.     If play resumes indoors and all four players are the same, then play shall resume where it was interrupted, with points earned as earlier.

4.     If all four players are not the same*, then the set must be completely replayed.  Points awarded for previously completed sets will remain as earned.

5.     In the event none of the above options are possible and the set remains unfinished, then no points shall be awarded for that set.

  

* This is the only time a change of roster is allowed during a match, and does not include any cross-subbing or subbing up.

 

IX.        Rain/Inclement Weather

A.         Prior to Match:

1.     At the start of the season, all captains shall make arrangements for back-up indoor courts on Mondays in the event of rain or inclement weather.

2.     Players shall make every effort to reserve the entire day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. 

3.     Days when a heat advisory is forecast will be considered as rain/inclement weather days. Indoor courts will be used in these cases of extreme heat. It will be up to the captains to agree, keeping in mind the health and safety of the players.

4.     INDOOR COURTS ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOST TEAM.

5.     The Host captain shall call the Visiting captain by 9:00 PM on the Wednesday before the scheduled match to notify her of the rain/inclement weather arrangements.

6.     If indoor courts are not secured and communicated by 9:00 PM on the Wednesday before the scheduled match, and rain courts are needed on match day, the host team will default the entire match and the visiting team will be awarded 9 points.

7.     The decision to play indoors should be a shared decision by both captains.

 

B.          Indoor Play

1.     Courts must be reserved for 1.5 hours.  All teams must only play for 1.5 hours, even if courts are available for longer.

2.     Indoor matches must be played on Monday, or the team that can not field a team shall default.

3.     All three courts do not have to play at the same time; however, captains or designated players shall be present at all matches.

4.     Fees shall be shared equally by all twelve players.

5.     Rules for indoor play shall be the same as outdoor play with the following exceptions:

(i)     A time limit of 1.5 hours shall apply to indoor play. A 10 minute warm-up is allowed.

(ii)    To speed play and at the discretion of the captains, to be decided before match play begins; there is no requirement for teams to switch sides during a set.  Switching sides is only required between sets and before the Indoor Match Tie-break.  Care should be taken with scoring if no switching of sides occurs.

(iii)   If time runs out and the second set is not complete, then the team that is ahead by two games shall be awarded the point for that set.  If neither team is ahead by two games, then each team shall be awarded ½ point.

(iv)   If, at the end of two sets, the score is 1-1, an Indoor Match Tie-break (10 point) will be played instead of a third set.  The Indoor Match Tie-break will follow the format outlined in Section VIII, D-4, except the team who first wins ten points shall win this match tie-break and the match provided there is a margin of two points over the opponents.  If time runs out and neither team is ahead by two points, then each team will be awarded ½ a point for the Indoor Match Tie-break.

(v)   A determination as to whether nets will remain open or closed shall be determined by the host captain.

 

X.          Final Standings

A.     Each team that is in first place in their division at the end of the season will be deemed the winner.

B.     If two or more teams are tied for first place, then the team with the greater number of games won during the entire season will be the winner.

C.     Winners of their flights will automatically move to the higher division for the next season. If a team cannot move up because it has 2 other teams in the higher flight, then the second place team will move up.

D.    The lowest team in each division will automatically move to a lower division for next season. If a team has 2 teams in the lower flight, one of those lower teams will also have to move down.

E.     If 2 or more teams are tied for last place, then the team with the fewest number of games won will move down.

 

XI.      New Teams

A.     New teams shall apply and be approved by the Executive Committee by June 15 of the prior season. 

B.     If there are not a full 16 teams in the D Division, then new teams shall be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, or at the Board’s discretion.

C.     When a full 16 teams are present in the D Division, the #8 (last place) teams of the D Divisions shall be replaced by teams waiting to be in the league.

D.     If there are more than 2 teams waiting to be in the league, teams must play a tournament prior to the seasons end to determine the two teams that will be the D Division.

E.     Challenging teams must be able to field all three doubles courts throughout the challenge process.

F.     All players on a new team must play for that team the following season if they win their challenge.

 

XII.   Amendments

A.     The Board shall have the power to amend the By-laws at any time during the year as it deems necessary.

 

Revision Date 4/1/09