Rules

GDMTA Rules           

THE SCHEDULE

GDMTA strictly follows the schedule published for every session.  Schedule 

Note: On the last day of a session, match results must be posted or called in by 10 PM.

GENERAL RULES

1. A time and place for the match should be agreeable to all players/teams. If an agreement can’t be reached, the challenged player/team may choose the place to play. Any court costs must be mutually agreed to and should be shared equally.

2. The challenger will provide new balls.

3. A match suspended due to weather or darkness should be completed as soon as possible. It should resume at exactly the same point where it was suspended. Scheduling of the interrupted match, to the extent practical, should take precedence over the scheduling of any new matches. The suspended match is reported as being played on the date it is completed.

4. Before the match begins, scoring and format must be agreed upon. The best of three sets using regular scoring is the default norm, but no-ad scoring may be used.  A 10 point tie break may be played as the third set.  Comen or regular tie break formats are acceptable. A single first-to-10 games (win by 2) Pro-Set* is also acceptable.  Remember, if both cannot agree, then regular scoring is used.   

Fast Four format*: This format has been dropped since 2021.

5. Defaults and Withdrawals:

a. If any player/team is late by more than 15 minutes or cancels a scheduled match less than 24 hours prior, the player/team will be deemed in default. This counts as a match and a win for the non-defaulting player/team. It will not count as a match for the player/team who defaulted.

b. Withdrawal: Once a match has begun, if a player/team cannot continue, for any reason, the player/team must default. This is a win for their opponents and a loss for them. It counts as a match for both players/teams.

c. ALL DEFAULT OR WITHDRAWAL SCORES MUST BE REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE APPROPRIATE LADDER COORDINATOR (see the Contact Us page for the appropriate name and contact info).  Default or withdrawal scores cannot be reported at the web site or on the ladder voice mail - doing so will result in the match not being counted as a match played for either player/team.

6. Ladder Inversion: After the first session ends all ladders will be inverted to encourage play and require the upper-end players to re-establish their position.

7. Playoff winners: Individuals who are winners of a singles skill division, or on a team that wins a doubles skill division, will be moved up to the next higher skill division (if applicable). They may elect to remain in the same division, by contacting the ladder secretary, but will be ineligible to compete in the playoffs in the division that they won for the next two sessions. Any subsequent doubles team having any player who elected not to be moved up to the higher ladder will also be disqualified from the playoffs for two sessions following that election.

8. The GDMTA Board reserves the right to review ladders and, if they feel that a player or team is more skilled than the ladder they are playing on, may ask them to move to a higher ladder or prohibit them from playing in the playoffs.

CHALLENGES

1. You move up the ladder by challenging and winning over someone higher up the ladder. You may also challenge players below you in your division (in case you want more matches). If you play someone in a higher skill division and win, you will be moved up to that higher division once the match is reported.

2. You may challenge up in any skill ladder, but you cannot challenge outside an age division. If both players/teams are members of more than one ladder/division, before the match begins, the challenger will choose the division in which the match will be reported.

3. If you play a ladder opponent in any other venue, such as the Hawkeye Tournament, USTA matches, or regular season leagues, you may count the match as a ladder match as long as both players/teams agree to do so before the match begins.

4. Challenges may be issued by telephone or email, but emails to multiple opponents are invitations, not challenges. The Board recommends that all challenges be acknowledged and responded to the challenger; however, it is not a requirement to accept all challenges.  Do not wait until near the end of the session to challenge, because by then many players’ schedules will be full.

5. No more than 3 singles or 2 doubles matches may be counted towards qualifying for the playoffs if played against the same player or team unless there are fewer than 14 singles or 10 doubles entries in the given division.

REPORTING LADDER MATCHES

1. Scores of matches must be reported by the winner within 24 hours via the internet at www.gdmta.com. Only if computer access is impossible, may scores be reported to the ladder voice mail at 327–0245. If using voice mail please speak clearly and include your name and phone number. If reported late, the match will be counted as a match played, but the winner (who is responsible for reporting) will not move up. Note: On the last day of the session, match results must be posted or called in by 10 PM.

Note: On the last day of the session, match results must be posted or called in by 10 PM.

2. When reporting by voice mail, the winner should report the match date, time, division, winner, loser, score, and a contact phone number in case of a question.

3. As noted earlier, ALL DEFAULT OR WITHDRAWAL SCORES MUST BE REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE APPROPRIATE LADDER COORDINATOR (see the GDMTA home page for the proper name and telephone number), who will confirm with both players/teams. Default or withdrawal scores cannot be reported via the web site or on the ladder voice mail.

4. It is your responsibility to keep a personal record of your matches, as sometimes mistakes are made and computer glitches occur.

LADDER UPDATES

The database which controls the website ladder postings at www.gdmta.com (Go to Ladders) are updated at least once a week. Access to the ladder listings is via the web. If you have limited access to the web and would like hard-copy mailings, contact the Ladder Secretary and we will try to set up periodic mailings for you.

PLAYOFFS

The playoff schedule for the number of rounds in a ladder playoff will depend on the number of qualifiers in that ladder.

1. All playoffs will commence with round 1 and continue with consecutive rounds until done.

2. Playoffs will be scheduled immediately following the end of each session, and the qualifications for each session will be:

a. Singles: record at least 6 matches and finish in the top 16 positions.

b. Doubles: record at least 4 matches and finish in the top 16 positions.

3. First-session playoff matches do not count toward the second-session match count. All playoff matches count toward the Rita Evans Award. Playoff deadlines are definite. Controversies will be settled by the ladder coordinator.

4. Playoff participants will be notified by phone or email as soon as brackets are established. If a likely playoff qualifier knows they will be unable to play in the first round of a playoff, the player/team is expected to notify the ladder coordinator before the last day of the session, so that proper adjustments can be made before brackets are established.

5. If a playoff match is not completed within the announced time frame (see above), the ladder coordinator must declare one player/team in default, typically the player/team who was least available.

6. First session playoff participants may begin second session play even before they are finished in the first session playoffs, but playoff matches must be given precedence.

7. Playoff scores must be reported to the Ladder Coordinator, not the ladder voice mail or via the internet.

AWARDS