NSJ Tennis Ladder Rules

 

Rules of the Ladder

• Play best two out of three six-game sets.
• At 6-all, play a 12-point tie-break ("first to 7 points by 2"). If player A served first in the set, they also serve the first point in the tie-break game. In the next set, the server for the first game is player B
• "No-Ad" scoring may be used if both players agree.
• A "Pro set" (1 set, 1^st player to 10 games, a tiebreak is played at 9-all) may be played if both players agree.
• Each player/team brings a new can of balls; open one for play. The winner gets the unopened one, the loser gets the used one.
• US Tennis Association rules apply to all matches and are available from the USTA. (the rules are also available on the web under "The Rules of Tennis" at http://www.usta.com/rules/).
• Self-officiating according to The Code (also published by the USTA and available on the web under "The Code" at http://www.usta.com/rules/) provides a way for honest players to employ the same approach to various situations so that neither takes advantage of the other. Surprisingly few players are familiar with The Code, so a condensed version is included below.
• If a player does not play in 2 consecutive sessions, their ladder position will drop by 1.
• Prime Directive: Play hard, play fair, have fun!

Condensed version of The Code, governing self-officiated play

• The oldest tradition in tennis is to give your opponent the benefit of the doubt; this means that any ball that cannot be called out with surety is presumed to be good and continues in play. Therefore, no point should ever be replayed because a player is not sure whether a ball was in or out -- if you're not sure, then it was in! (ie. If you’re 99% sure that the ball was out, then it was in!)
• All players should cooperate to attain accuracy in making line calls. You are obligated to call all balls on your side, to help your opponent make calls when the opponent requests (!), and to call against yourself (with the exception of a first service) any ball that you clearly see out on your opponent's side of the net.
• Any call of out or let must be made instantaneously (that is, before either an opponent has hit the return, or before the ball has gone out of play); otherwise, the ball continues in play.
• Don't practice the "two chance" option. (Example: As player B is about to hit an easy put-away, he sees a ball from an adjoining court rolling toward him. B goes ahead and smashes the put-away--but hits the net, losing the point. Then B makes a claim for a let, which is obviously not valid. B could have had a let had he stopped when he first saw the ball rolling towards him, but when he saw it and continued on to hit the easy shot, he forfeited his right to a let. He took his chance, and he is not entitled to a second one.)
• Don't enlist the aid of a spectator in making a call.
• Foot-faulting, whether intentional or careless, is just as unfair as is making a bad line call.
• Don't stall, sulk, complain, or practice unethical gamesmanship.  Instead, conduct yourself in such a fashion as to make the match fun for all participants.
• No system of rules will cover every specific situation, but following the principles of The Code should, by extrapolation, provide a solution for any problem.