Universal Tennis Ladder Rules
Spring 2006 Ladder
Ladder starts February 21, but players can join the ladder even after the starting date. The ladder season ends June 6. There will be both a men's ladder and a women's ladder. If a ladder has less than 10 players, matches will not be designated until there are 10 players on each ladder. This is to prevent uneven match-ups.
Registration
Registration must be done at www.universaltennisladder.com
Cost
Entire Spring or Fall Ladder is $17, plus a processing fee of $3. Payments must be made by credit or debit card. Players will not be eligible to play until payment is made.
Junior Players
No players under the age of 12 may play on the ladder. Juniors age 16 and over may play on the ladder as adults. Juniors from age 12 to 15 may play with the permission of their tennis coach. If there is more than one complaint filed regarding a junior's behavior, he/she will be immediately removed from the ladder for the rest of the season, without refund. He/she may register for the next ladder season.
Initial Ladder Placement
Players are placed on the ladder, based on their approximate NTRP rating, according to a formula.
UTL Rating
A Universal Tennis Ladder (UTL) rating is a percentile rating of where you stand on your local ladder. This ranges from 100 (the top player on your ladder) to a single digit number (the bottom player on the ladder). The single digit number will depend on the size of the ladder. The reason for this rating is so that players can compare themselves to players on UTL ladders in other areas, based on the premise that the (percentage-wise) breakdown of player abilities is the same in all geographical areas.
Match-Ups
Each player will be designated an opponent of similar ability every 2 weeks (there will be 7 rounds of designated matches). Matches can be played at the convenience of the 2 players, and must be completed before the end of the ladder season. It is to the benefit of both players to play their match before the next round of designated matches. Unplayed matches will not count as wins or losses. Additional challenge matches can be played (see Challenge Matches).
Court & Balls
Normal court and guest fees must be paid at all facilities, unless there are exceptions listed under “Local Rules.” The player who is lower on the ladder has preference regarding the tennis facility where the match will be played. The lower player on the ladder is also responsible for reserving the court, unless the players agree otherwise. Both players must bring a new can of balls and the winner keeps the remaining new can of balls at the end of the match.
Match Rules
Matches will be best 2 out of 3 sets, with a match tiebreak (first to 10 points) instead of a third set, unless both players agree on playing a 3rd set. USTA rules will apply. If a match is unfinished, because of time or weather, and neither player can continue, the player who is leading in sets (or in games, if sets are even) will be designated as the winner, unless both players agree to complete the match at another time. If one of the players cannot continue the match for any reason, even though continued play would be possible, his/her opponent has the choice of claiming the win, or of completing the match at another time.
Moving Up the Ladder
The ladder will operate as a traditional, simple tennis ladder. If a higher ranked player beats a lower ranked player, there will be no change in their relative position on the ladder. If a lower ranked player beats a higher ranked player, the lower player will take the place of the higher player, and all other players (including the higher player) who were between them will move down one position, relatively.
Next Match-Up
If a player wins, he/she will usually, but not always, be designated an opponent who is higher on the ladder in the next round, and vice versa.
Reporting Results
Results must be reported by logging in to the web site, and clicking on "Report Match Result" for designated matches. Then, click on your own name, and enter the match result. Click "Report Challenge Match Result" for challenge matches.
Unavailable for Play
If a player is out of town, injured or sick for an extended time, he/she can play any designated matches when he/she returns to town, or health. However, players should check their e-mail, while they are unavailable, and notify their opponent that they are unable to play until they return. If a player knows that an injury will not allow him/her to play for the rest of the ladder season, he/she should notify the ladder administration by clicking on “Contact Us.”
Players Not Responding
If the match was not played due to one of the players not returning another's calls or e-mails within one week, the former player can claim the match as a default, which must be reported as such on the web site.
Challenge Matches
Players can play additional matches by challenging a player not more than 5 places above him/her. A player is NOT obligated to accept the challenge; however sportsmanship is encouraged in this regard. To see how to play challenge matches, see FAQ.
Prizes
Each player can only win a maximum of 1 prize.
(1) # 1 Player: the player who was at the top of the ladder for the longest time during the season. Player must have played at least 2 matches.
(2) Most matches won: all official ladder matches count. If there is a tie, the player with the least losses will win the prize. If there is still a tie, the prize will be divided.
(3) Most matches played: all official ladder matches count. If there is a tie, the player with the most wins will win the prize. If there is still a tie, the prize will be divided.
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