GATA Jr. Team Tennis
Spring 2016
Parent/Coach Handbook
Saturday, April 16th ……………………………………………………………………………Tennis in the Park/JTT Kickoff
Friday, April 22nd …………………………………………………………………… Free Clinics – Learn to rally & play
Saturday, April 23rd ………………………………………………………………………………………….… Team Matches
Friday, April 29th …………………………………………………………………… Free Clinics – Learn to rally & play
Saturday, April 30th ……………………………………………………………………………………….… Team Matches
Friday, May 6th ………………………………………………………………..…. Free Clinics – Learn to rally & play
Saturday, May 7th …………………………………………………………………………………….……….Team Matches
Friday, May 13th ……………………………………………………………..……. Free Clinics – Learn to rally & play
Saturday, May 14th …………………………………………………………………………………………..Team Matches
Friday, May 20th ……………………………………………………………….… Free Clinics – Learn to rally & play
Saturday, May 21st …………………………………………………………… Team Matches/End of Season Party
Friday Clinics: 5:45-6:45
Saturday Matches: 10:00
CAPTAINS/COACHES DUTIES
PRE-SEASON
All captains/coaches must submit to a background check and complete an online safety course. Information will be given to the captains/coaches by the Junior Team Tennis coordinator regarding this procedure.
Promote team spirit.
Give each player a copy of the schedule. Have them look in advance and let you know if there are any matches when they will not be present. Avoid defaults if possible.
Assist with the team clinic each week.
Friday Clinics
Be available to assist with drills and keeping players organized
Assist with safety and monitoring players
Saturday MATCHES
It is imperative that you communicate with your team about the dates and times of play! Be sure each player has a schedule, knows when he/she plays or if the match has been cancelled due to weather or rescheduling.
If you are unable to be present at each match event, it is vital that you have an acting Asst. Coach/Captain to represent you. This person must be listed in TennisLink and submit to the same background check and safety course as the coach.
Encourage good sportsmanship and appreciation for teammates and coaches.
Require your players to shake hands with each other after the match.
Build their confidence. Have your players look and act like tennis players.
Consider a “buddy” system on the day of matches (using a player that is not playing that day to watch and cheer the “buddy” on). Be sure you encourage the etiquette of tennis to spectators and players.
POST MATCH
• Team captains must exchange and sign off on scores prior to leaving the match, and then enter scores on TennisLink. (Winner or Loser)
• Both teams must confirm scores entered on TennisLink by opposing captain
PLAYER/SPECTATOR CONDUCT
Spectators are not permitted to sit on the court.
If the players have a disagreement on the court, the players must settle the dispute without interference from anyone else. If they cannot agree on that particular point, they must go back to a point at which they can agree, even if it is the first point of the game.
Court Monitors should be recruited and used for Beginners.
REGISTRATION
BECOMING A COACH/CAPTAIN ON TENNISLINK
You must register on TennisLink to become a team tennis captain. If you have a USTA number, you may use it. If you do not have a number, you can submit your personal information and TennisLink will give you a USTA Team Coach/Captain ID#.
Go to and click on Register To Play.
Go to bottom of page under Options, click on Become a Coach or Manager.
If you have a USTA number, enter the number and all your info will appear.
If you do not have a USTA number, fill in the info and you will be assigned a number.
Keep this number and your password in a safe place as you will need these numbers in the future to access score entry, player and team information and to print scorecards.
TEAM REGISTRATION
•GATA will issue each team an ID number to use for player registration in TennisLink.
•Initial rosters containing a minimum of 4 boys or 4 girls must be registered on TennisLink April 16th, 2016(Additional players may be added to each team up to 3 weeks after the season begins.)
•Match schedules will be at 10:00 am on Saturday mornings.
PLAYER REGISTRATION
•Each player must have a current USTA junior membership. New membership and/or renewals may be obtained at or 1-800-990-USTA. The Junior membership costs $20.00 and benefits include a monthly “Tennis” magazine and eligibility to play in USTA sanctioned tournaments and other Team Tennis leagues for one year.
•USTA is offering all new players ages 10 and under a FREE one-year membership through December 31st, 2016. This FREE membership may be obtained at or 1-800-990-8782. The source code must be used to obtain this offer.
•Player(s) will be unable to register for a team without a current USTA membership number.
•Each player will pay an online registration fee of $32.00. This fee will cover the Team Tennis entry fee, the TennisLink user fee, balls, awards, scholarships, and court fees for matches, if applicable. If there are any students wishing to play but unable to afford these fees, please contact GATA JTT to arrange for scholarship funding for that student.
•Player(s) must be registered in TennisLink prior to participating in a match.
FORMAT OF PLAY
TEAM
•Teams are co-ed.
•Each team must have a minimum of 4 boys and 4 girls.
•The number of players needed for a match is 3 boys and 3 girls. However, if you only have 5, you can play one girl or one boy twice. You should only play someone twice if you have no other players available.
•Ideally, a team should have more than 4 boys and 4 girls to compensate for player absences.
•A team should have no more than 12 players.
TEAM MATCH
•A team match consists of five individual singles matches.
AGE ELIGIBILITY
8 and Under – No player shall reach his/her 9th birthday prior to Aug. 31, 2016
10 and Under – No player shall reach his/her 11th birthday prior to Aug. 31, 2016
12 and Under – No player shall reach his/her 13th birthday prior to Aug. 31, 2016
14 and Under – No player shall reach his/her 15th birthday prior to Aug. 31, 2016
LEVELS/DIVISIONS
There will be two divisions of play:
(Beginner) 2.0 NTRP and below
(Intermediate) 3.0 NTRP and below
SCORING
8 and Under – Each individual match will be 1 game, 7 points, Best 2 of 3
10 and Under – Each individual match will be 2 of 3, 4 game sets, 7 point Tiebreaker (No-Ad)
12 and Under – Each individual match will be 2 of 3, 4 game sets, 7 point Tiebreaker (No-Ad)
14 and under – Each match will be 2 of 3 sets, 10 point tiebreaker (no-ad)
18 and under - Each match will be 2 of 3 sets, 10 point tiebreaker (no-ad)
RACQUETS
For 8 and under, the racquet should be 19, 21 or 23 inches. For 9-10, the racquet should be 23 or 25 inches.
WARM-UP
•Warm ups should be limited to five minutes
SUBSTITUTION
•No substitution may be made in an individual match after the warm up has begun, except for illness or injury of a player prior to the start of the match.
•If no substitution can be made within 15 minutes, the affected position will be forfeited.
PLAYING TWICE RULE
●If only 3 boys or 3 girls are available, one boy/girl may be played at two positions.
●You must play through your entire roster before you play a player twice.
MATCHES
Match Schedules
•Matches will be scheduled using TennisLink Scheduler computer program.
•Matches will be played on Saturday mornings or early afternoons at the Greenwood Civic Center.
•Matches will begin promptly at the scheduled time.
•A match, which includes a 5-minute warm up, must begin at the scheduled time.
•A default occurs when a player fails to appear within 20 minutes of the scheduled match time.
•Forfeits. If your team must forfeit a position, please contact your opponent prior to the scheduled match. You may never default a whole match. If you do, your team will be suspended for the following season.
Inclement Weather
•Weather conditions that shall authorize the cancellation of a scheduled match are lightning, rain or severe temperatures (a temperature of 45º or colder, or a temperature of 100º or more).
•If there is any question about weather, please call GATA JTT Coordinator Abby Cantrell at 864-344-1180.
•Inclement Weather During Play: In the event inclement weather occurs after play has begun, completed individual matches will stand as played and incomplete matches must be resumed by the same players at the exact game and point that existed when play was halted. Suggestion: write match details (score, server’s name) down as players leave the court.
Spectators/Parents/Coaches
•No excessive cheering or clapping is permitted.
•No clapping for errors.
•It is the responsibility of the coaches and captains to work together as a team to control spectator and parent conduct during match play
•No one should be on the court or in the players’ seating area unless involved in actual match play. Parents or coaches may never sit on the court.
SCORING/STANDINGS
SCORE ENTRY
•Either team may enter the match scores in TennisLink.
•Both teams should verify the entered scores and confirm the results.
LOCAL LEAGUE CHAMPION
•The total number of games won will determine the points awarded during a match event. The winner is determined by the most games won.
•In the event of a tie at the end of the season, the tie shall be broken by the first of the following procedures that does so:
- Team Win/Loss record
- Head to Head
•Stats and Standings are available for Coach/Captain review on TennisLink.
JTT State Championships
●2015 JTT State Championships are in Florence on July 15-17 at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Tennis Center.
●All local league winners who meet all eligibility requirements outlined in National, Southern, and State Regulations will be invited to represent the GATA JTT Program at the 2015 USTA SC JTT State Championships.
●More information may be found at
TENNISLINK
USTA MEMBERSHIP - TO JOIN OR RENEW ($20)
You will need:
•Credit card information (name on card, expiration date, billing zip code)
•(Renewals only) USTA Number of player
Step 1: Go to or call 1-800-990-8782
Step 2: On right side of the page, select Join or Renew
Step 3: Follow instructions from there.
Visit
Call 1-800-990-8782
Must use source code:
PLAYER REGISTRATION ($32)
You will need:
•Credit card information (name on card, expiration date, billing zip code)
•Team number
•USTA Number of player
Step 1: Go to and click on Jr. Team Tennis
Step 2: Next page click Register To Play
Step 3: Enter team number
*If a player does not have a team number, they may register
for a particular division by going to “Find a Program”,
locating the appropriate program/season of play and clicking on the registration button.
Step 4: Enter USTA number
Step 6: Click Proceed To Check Out
Step 7: Verify registration is for correct team if you have a team number
Step 8: Enter payment information and select Submit
TO ENTER OR CONFIRM SCORES
TO ENTER SCORES:
You will need:
●Match number (Hint: Print a “Match Summary” report which lists your match ID numbers. Save this for reference throughout the season.)
●Scores from the match
Step 1: Go to
Step 2: On the lower left side of the page, select TennisLink
Step 3: Click on Jr. Team Tennis in the middle of page.
Step 4: Sign in above the JTT logo emblem – Coach/Coordinator Sign
In link (you will need your USTA or Team Tennis Number and password).
Step 5: On the right side of the page, under “My Options”, select Score Entry
Step 6: Enter the match number, select Next
Step 7: Verify the match number, date, and location, then select Next
Step 8: Scorecard: Enter the date the match was played.
Step 9: Select players in each position from the drop-down list and enter scores.
Put the winning score first then click on winner. Click Next.
Step 10: Verify information entered is correct. If correct, click Finish.
TO CONFIRM SCORES (Opposing Team usually confirms the scores to ensure entry accuracy.)
You will need:
•Match number (Hint: Print a “Match Summary” report, which lists your match ID numbers. Save this for reference throughout the season.)
•Scores from the match
Step 1: Go to
Step 2: On the lower left side of the page, select TennisLink
Step 3: Click on Jr. Team Tennis in the middle of page.
Step 4: Sign in above the JTT logo emblem – Coach/Coordinator Sign In link (you will need your USTA or Team Tennis Number and password).
Step 5: On the right side of the page, under “My Options”, select Score Entry
Step 6: Enter the match number, select Next
Step 7: Verify information entered is correct.
Step 8: Select Confirm, if accurate. Click Dispute if not accurate and contact the
league coordinator for correction of scores.
Step 9: Click Finish to complete the process.
INSTRUCTIONS ON SCORING FORMATS
No-ad scoring. The first player to win 4 points wins the game. If the score reaches 3 points all, the 7th point becomes the game point. In singles, the receiver may choose to receive either in the ad or the deuce court. In calling the score of a no-ad game, players may either use 1, 2, 3 and game: or 15, 30, 40, and game.
Tie-Break. Be sure they know how to play a tie-break. If a set reaches 3 points/games all, players must play a tie-break. The order of serving is the same as that of the start of the match.
When the score reaches three (3) games all during the set, first to seven by two. When one team wins a minimum of seven points in the tiebreak by a margin of two points, the set is won. The person whose turn it is to serve after the 3-3 score is established shall serve one point from the “deuce” court. His or her opponent shall then serve two points beginning on the “ad” court. Points shall alternate with the players changing ends of the court after every six points.
BASIC RULES OF TENNIS AND TENNIS ETIQUETTE
FIRST RULE OF TENNIS:
ALWAYS TREAT YOUR OPPONENTS WITH COURTESY AND RESPECT
1. Server/Receiver—Players stand on opposite sides of court. The person who delivers/hits the ball is the server and the other the receiver.
2. Spin of racket—The player that wins the racket spin may choose or require the opponents to choose the right to serve or receive. The other side shall choose which side he/she wants to start on.
3. Beginning—Server waits on receiver to be ready and stands behind the baseline to put ball in play. Receiver must allow ball to bounce in the service box before returning. In delivering the serve, server stands alternately behind right and left courts beginning every game from the right side. Ball served shall go over the net and land in service court, which is diagonally opposite the server.
4. Faults—Service of a fault if server misses ball in attempting to serve, if ball does not land in proper court, or if ball touches anything before hitting ground.
5. Service after Fault—After a fault (if it is first serve), server serves again from the same side/place. If the second serve is also a fault, server loses the point.
6. Service Let—During service, a ball that touches the top of the net but lands in proper court is termed a let and counts for nothing. Serve is replayed. There is no limit to the number of lets.
7. Receiver becomes Server—At the end of the first game, the receiver becomes the server. Players change ends at the end of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and subsequent alternate games.
8. Players lose point—Players lose the point if ball hits ground twice, if ball hits any object such as net post before landing inside lines, if player or racket touches the net, if ball touches anything other than player’s racket.
9. Ball landing on the line is good. (Repeat…BALL LANDING ON ANY PART OF THE LINE IS GOOD.)
10. Scoring—If player wins 1st point, score is called 15 for that player and love [zero] for the other player. The server’s score is always given first. On winning the 2nd point, the score is called 30. On winning the 3rd point the score is called 40. On winning the 4th point, the score is called game. If both players have won 3 points, the score is called Deuce (same as 40-40). The player that wins the next point in no-ad scoring wins the point.
11. Set—A player who wins 4 games wins the set. A 12-point set tiebreaker is played at 3 games all.
12. THERE IS TO BE NO COACHING OR CALLING OF LINES BY PARENTS OR SPECTATORS DURING MATCHES (except during regular season by agreement of both coaches.)
PLAYER, SPECTATOR AND TEAM ETIQUETTE
Besides the rules of tennis there are also some important unwritten laws, which come under the title of tennis etiquette. Tennis is a social game, a game involving simple politeness and consideration. Everyone will enjoy the game so much more if those standards are maintained. Here are some of the rules, which are most important:
Talk quietly when standing near tennis courts that are in use.
Never walk behind a court when a point is still in play. Wait until the point is over and then cross as fast as possible.