Rules

 

TUSTIN TENNIS CLUB

PLAYING RULES AND ETIQUETTE

All members will be required to follow the Rules of Play and Tennis Etiquette. Continued disregard of the rules and/or courteous play could result in a member’s removal from the club.  Club members should report violations to a Board Member the same day it occurs.  These rules apply to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning play.  Courteous play is always required.

PLAYING RULES

  1. RULES: The Tustin Tennis Club will follow the latest edition of USTA rules.  The pertinent document is found on-line in USTA Officiating Rules and Regulations Book.  The following rules are adjustments and clarifications to the USTA rules that are specific to the Tustin Tennis Club mixed doubles play format on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
  2. PLAYING FORMAT:
    1. Each serve is worth one point. If the score reaches 3 points to 3 points, the receiving team chooses to whom the ball is served, man or woman.  The first team to 4 points wins the game.  Each game is worth one point, the first to 4 games wins the set.
    2. A short tiebreak is played if the set score reaches 3 to 3. The player whose turn it is to serve at the commencement of the tiebreak (Player A) will serve two points.  The opposing player (Player B) will then serve two points.  The teammate of Player A will then serve two points. The teammate of Player B will then serve the following two points.  If the score reaches 4 to 4, teammate of Player B will serve the final point of the tiebreak with Player A choosing which side the ball will be served.  Players will change ends only after the first four points have been played.  The first to five points wins the match.
    3. All matches will be played using no-advantage scoring.
    4. Let balls on a serve are not acceptable. Anyone on the court playing can call a let.  If the ball lands in the correct service box, the server is allowed to serve again.  If the ball lands out of the service box, the serve is considered a fault.  Two faults is the receiving team’s point.
    5. When the players change ends at the end of an odd game and during a tiebreak game, play shall be continuous. and players must be ready to play within 2 to 3 minutes of the previous game’s completion. Players are not permitted to sit down during the change of ends during a set, unless agreed upon by players on court and waiting players.
    6. Players are permitted to sit down at the end of a set for a maximum of 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. PLAY PRIORITY SYSTEM:
    1. Members may wait to play on one occupied court by sitting or standing on the desired court waiting area (left side of court from the street’s gate).
    2. As a courtesy and fair play, the person waiting on the court is eligible to play next.
    3. When the set ends, the two losing players are to come off the court and the two waiting players play next.
    4. When your set is done and no one is waiting on your court, please look at the other courts and offer the next set to players waiting at other courts, if any. This is to correct situations when someone may be waiting at other courts, not knowing that your court has become available.  So please ask them, however if they would rather wait—you may continue to play with your existing foursome.
  4. TRANSITION AFTER A SET:
    1. The winning team:
      1. May stay on the court after a set is completed, taking on the next two waiting players.
      2. Which had two consecutive wins, must split up. They will either play with waiting players or if no players are waiting, they will each play with one of the losing players.
    2. A team may have one or two winners vacate the court.
  5. WAITING RULE:
    1. High Attendance Rule: When there are at least 2 people waiting on all courts, the waiting rule comes into effect on the first court that has more than 2 people waiting.  As succeeding courts have more than 2 people waiting, the waiting rule becomes effective on those courts.  On the courts where the waiting rule is in effect, all 4 people must come off that court only at the end of the set.  If only 3 people are waiting, one member of the winning team will rejoin the new players.  This rule remains in effect on those courts as long as 3 or more players area waiting.  No more than 4 people are allowed to be waiting in the designated waiting area at one time.
    2. Low Attendance Rule: If there are only 7 players in total at the courts, and 3 players are waiting, one of the winning team members shall join the waiting players to play the next set.

ETIQUETTE

These etiquette rules are collections of common courtesy and rules of respect to one another on the courts, so that we may enjoy playing tennis. These are just as important as the playing rules themselves. Violators of these etiquette rules are subject to warning, discipline and even withdrawal of membership from TTC, in accordance with the Tustin Tennis Club Bylaws.

  1. COURT ACCESS:
    1. If a game is being played, wait outside the court for the point to finish.  Announce your presence, close the gate then quickly go to the bench.  Do not interrupt a game while entering and/or waiting to play.  Please do not volunteer to be an umpire, unless all players on the court request your help.  Players are expected to self-umpire.
    2. If a game is being played, wait until a point has been played before you quickly exit the court through the outside court gate.  Use of the center gate is only allowed if both courts have no games being played on them.
  2. BALL RETRIEVAL:
    1. After first serve. If your opponent’s serve is out, pick up the ball near your side if it could be tripped on.  Pocket it.  Do this quickly.  Leave it if the ball does not pose a hazard.  Do not throw it back to your opponent.
    2. After second serve. Quickly pick up all the balls on your side before the next point is played.  Gently hit the ball to the serving side while making certain the opponents are ready to receive the balls from you.  Get the balls as close as you can to the server.
  3. BALLS: Bring a can of new balls and a can of warm-up balls to all tennis matches.
  4. SERVICE CALLS:
    1. The receiving team should make best judgement calls of OUT immediately after the serve. The serving team should not protest the calls, either by speech or by manner.
    2. If the receiving team cannot agree or did not see the bounce of the served ball, the serve is considered good.
  5. SERVING:
    1. The server must be certain the receiver is ready before serving.
    2. Prior to serving the server announces the game score loudly enough to be heard by the receiving team.
  6. BEHAVIOR:
    1. Do not coach or criticize on the court.
    2. Do not shout across courts or speak loudly while games are being played.
    3. Avoid getting angry with your teammate or opponent and exhibit good sportsmanship throughout the set.
    4. Do not display your own disappointment in any manner.
    5. Social interactions can lead to wanted or unwanted advances. Bluntly rebuke undesired persistent advances and get a club officer involved immediately.
    6. Spectators must keep their conversations quiet while a game on the court is in progress.
    7. Any player leaving the court during a game will be replaced by a waiting player.
    8. When a waiting player comes in to replace an outgoing player for any reason the match in progress will continue until the end. However, the substituting player will keep their position at the head of the waiting line.
  7. CELL PHONES:
    1. Turn off your cell phone while on a court. If you answer your phone, get off the court immediately.
    2. The next person waiting to play will take your place, following the substitution rule.
    3. The person answering the phone will go to the end of the waiting line.
    4. Loud phone rings are not allowed.
  8. TIMELINESS:
    1. If there is one or more players waiting to play, then courtesy demands the playing teams complete their sets in a timely manner.
    2. Two Minute Rule. Any acts such as extended warm up time, disagreement or argument between players, social chatter between game rest periods, restroom breaks, equipment repair, not ready to play when it is one’s turn to play, etc. shall be less than 2 minutes, unless there is a medical emergency.  If the act takes longer than 2 minutes the player or players waiting to play shall immediately replace the person(s) creating the delay when demanded by a playing team member or club officer.  If the 2-minute rule is violated, the player violating the rule goes to the end of the waiting line.
    3. Relinquish the court promptly after completing a set.
  9. BENCH SEATING: Bench or chair sitting, when provided on a court, is to be vacated promptly so members of the playing teams on that court can rest between games (if needed).
  10. NON-MEMBERS of TTC:
    1. If you see a new face on the court, politely ask if they are a member of TTC. If they are not, ask if they would like to stay and watch our play format or if they want to fill out a membership form. If they do not want to apply for membership or watch then politely inform them of the times the courts are reserved for TTC. 
    2. If you need the court, politely ask them to leave.
    3. If you do not need the court, politely tell them to stay.
    4. A non-member can be invited to play by a TTC member and is welcome to play tennis with the members 3 days without fees.