The following rules are intended to avoid any disputes which may arise during the course of the club championships. All disputes will be resolved by the Tennis Committee.

1.     The draw

All of the championships will be drawn on the 1st February and 1st July each year. Grading will be based on player’s handicaps as of the 1st of February and 1^st July. All BTC club members will be entered into their respective grades unless otherwise stated. A $10 entry fee will be charged per event to go towards trophy costs. The grades will be filled as follows:

Club Championship

Open to All members                                                                             5 sets

A Grade Club Championship

Handicaps less than or equal to 30                                                   3 sets

B Grade Club Championship

Handicaps less than or equal to 40                                                   3 sets

C Grade Club Championship

Handicaps less than or equal to 50                                                   3 sets

D Grade Club Championship

Handicaps less than or equal to 60                                                   3 sets

E Grade Club Championship

Handicaps greater than 60                                                                  3 sets

Ladies Club Championship

Ladies with handicaps less than or equal to 50                           3 sets

Ladies B Grade Club Championship

Ladies with handicaps greater than 50                                            3 sets

Masters Club Championship

Players aged 45 or older as of the 1st of February                      3 sets

Junior Club Championship

Players aged 21 or younger as of the 1st of February                   3 sets

Men’s Doubles Club Championship

Handicaps less than or equal to 40                                                       5 sets

Ladies Doubles Club Championship

All ladies                                                                                                          3 sets

Mixed Doubles Club Championship

All players                                                                                                        3 sets

Handicap Club Championships

As above                                                                                                            3 sets

In all doubles championships, players may choose their own partners prior to the draw, at which point the pros may choose the remaining pairs. For seeding purposes, pair’s handicaps will be calculated as usual.

In all non-handicap championships, players/pairs will be seeded based on handicaps with qualifiers for the first round being played as necessary. In handicap championships, all positions in the first round will be drawn at random, with qualifiers for the first round being played as necessary.

2.     Scheduling

Each player is to make every reasonable effort to have each match arranged. The pros will make at least two attempts to confirm each match with the players concerned. Once a match is confirmed, a player may cancel once without penalty, provided this is done at least 24 hours before the match. On the second such occasion, the player will forfeit the match.

3.     Matches

All three set matches – excluding semi finals and finals, will begin at three games all in the third set if it is required and time permits. Should time not permit and players are required to re-schedule, a full third set shall be played.  Five full sets will be played in all five set matches. Two hours will be allocated for all best of three set matches from semi-final stage, and all best of five set matches – with players accounts being billed for two hours regardless of the duration of the match.

Matches running into the next court booking may be completed with the consent of the players with the booking. If a match cannot be completed in these circumstances, then it will be continued at a later date. For the purposes of scheduling, the continuation will be treated as a new match, with the scores starting from where the original match left off.

The following penalties will be applied:

Late arrivals

• A late arrival is where a player is not on court ten minutes after the scheduled start of the match, based on the clubhouse clock. After this ten-minute period, one game will be awarded to the player’s opponent(s) every three minutes until the player is on court.

Forfeits

• A player who is not on court for a confirmed match will forfeit the match.
• A player who cannot complete a match which has started will forfeit the match. The only exception is where the match has not completed before the next booking (see above).

4. Matches played off incorrect handicaps

It is the individual player’s responsibility to ensure that handicaps are correct for any match they play, regardless of what is called by the marker.

If a player considers the handicap to be incorrect, they should confirm the handicap themselves. It is permissible to leave the court once for this purpose after the match has commenced.

Where a match has commenced with the incorrect handicap, the score for any completed games and sets will stand, with the correct handicap being applied for any remaining games and sets. The score for an incomplete game may be adjusted based on the correct handicap, if the marker can remember the result of each point played in the game.

5.     Finals Forfeits

Matches forfeited prior to the final will result in a walk-over being awarded to the opposition. In the event of a forfeit in the final, the losing semi-finalist(s) that lost to the player being forfeited will replace them in the final. Should this player not be available, the position shall be awarded to the next best performing player in the draw.

Further queries regarding Club Championship matches will be directed to the BTC Tennis Committee.