2016Junior Team Tennis Championship Year

USTA South Carolina Additions to National & Southern Regulations

USTA South Carolina adheres to all USTA National and Southern Section regulations. In addition, programs in South Carolina must follow the mandatory regulations below.

Mandatory Regulations:

** Teams participating in fall and winter seasons will have an early registration period. Registration will begin on March 1 to March 31 of the championship year. Team Managers will have the option of allowing fall and winter teams to register during that time. Once the March registration period has ended, fall and winter teams will register for championships during the normal registration time – to be determined by USTA South Carolina.

** Each local league shall have a Local League Coordinator to implement and administer the USTA Junior Team Tennis league. USTA South Carolina local league coordinators will be approved and/or retained on a yearly basis by the state JTT coordinator.

Programs with a season beginning August 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 are in the 2016 Championship Year of TennisLink.

Regardless of skill level, programs must set up a minimum 6-week schedule in TennisLink and enter scores for all team matches in compliance with National Regulations. Scores may not be altered after 1 week following the last listed match date.

*Exception: Effective January 2013, local programs may organize an Advanced Play Invitational over a minimum of 3 days, per the National Regulation 2.02(3)a, to qualify Advanced level teams for State Championships. This is only applicable to the Advanced level and no other level of JTT may qualify over a 3 day season in South Carolina.

Local league rules and regulations must be approved by USTA South Carolina prior to program activation in TennisLink.

Local leagues must use USTA Junior Team Tennis South Carolina approved marketing materials for all advertising purposes.

Local leagues shall have a Leadership Committee with no less than 3 members, including the Local League Coordinator, to oversee the implementation of league rules, best practices, and promotion of the league. Members may include Flight/Division Coordinators, Treasurer, Marketing Coordinator, or other similar positions. One member should be a liaison to the local CTA. Leadership Committee members are to be submitted to USTA SC for approval, along with Grievance Committee & Grievance Appeals Committee member names.

Leadership Committee Duties:

Meets regularly to best serve the league, with a minimum of three meetings per year
Collaborates with LLC to develop and implement league rules and best practices
Helps to promote the league and support league seasons and events
Submit their Leadership Committee’s meeting minutes to USTA SC
If possible, attend the JTT Local League Coordinator’s Workshop along with the LLC

League programs will hold a mandatory coach meeting/training. Trainings should includerules and regulations, team practice plans/activities, introductory coaching skills, TennisLink, risk management & championship information at least 2 weeks in advance of the season’s first scheduled match. USTA South Carolina staff can provide support upon request.

To uphold National regulations with Safe Play, a coach/captain listed for more than two teams within the same season dates in TennisLink must have a co-captain listed in TennisLink for all teams. All teams must be compliant with an eligible coach, and co-captain when required, ten days before a season’s first match or USTA SC may impose sanctions, including removing a noncompliant team from the published schedule.

Programs will enforce no-cut policies, thereby providing opportunities for meaningful play for all participants.

Programs will communicate guidelines for both players and spectators regarding conduct and sportsmanship.

Leagues will make scholarship provisions so that players are able to apply for assistance and participate regardless of their ability to pay.

In addition to the methods outlined in National & Section guidelines for acceptable placement of Advanced players, USTA South Carolina will also make this determination through Adult League ratings for 17 or 18 year olds who participate in USTA Adult League play. If a player has an Adult League rating (computer rating or self-rating) of 3.5 and above they must play in the Advanced division of Junior Team Tennis.

Ranking and Standings Points: South Carolina Junior Team Tennis State Championships will include points toward State and Southern ranking and standings. Advanced divisions will be awarded State Level 3 points and Intermediate divisions will be awarded State Level 4 points. State Championship winners also will be awarded Southern points, with Advanceddivisions considered Southern Level 4 and Intermediate divisions considered Southern Level 5.

State Championships are held for the following divisions:

10U Intermediate, 10U Advanced
12U Intermediate, 12U Advanced
14U Intermediate, 14U Advanced
18U Intermediate, 18U Advanced

Section Championships are held for the following divisions:

10U Intermediate, 10U Advanced
12U Intermediate, 12U Advanced
14U Intermediate, 14U Advanced
18U Intermediate, 18U Advanced

National Championships are held for the following divisions:

14U Intermediate, 14U Advanced
18U Intermediate, 18U Advanced

**Denotes new regulations for 2016