Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1310)

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1310)

UIL Team Tennis Webpage

Section 1310: TEAM TENNIS PLAN

(a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLICABLE.

Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Team Tennis Plan.

(b) DIVISIONS.

There shall be the following divisions: Conference 6A, 5A and 4A. Conference 3A may compete for full honors in Conference 4A.

(c) REPRESENTATION AND TEAM COMPOSITION.

(1) Composition. At the district level each school may enter one team consisting of a minimum of six boys and six girls.

(2) Boys’, Girls’ Team Restrictions. Girls may not qualify for boys’ positions on the team and vice versa.

(3) Matches. Each team match will consist of 19 matches:

(A) six boys’ singles;
(B) six girls’ singles;
(C) three boys’ doubles;
(D) three girls’ doubles; and
(E) mixed doubles.

(4) Singles, Doubles. Players may, but are not required to, play both singles and doubles or mixed doubles.

(5) Singles Ladder Positions. In singles, each player is to play according to ladder position, meaning the best player at #1, the next best at #2, and so on down the lineup to #6.

(6) Doubles Ladder Positions. In doubles, players shall be placed on doubles teams according to a ladder position, meaning the best two doubles players at #1 doubles, the next two doubles players at #2 doubles and so on for #3 doubles.

(7) Mixed Doubles. Mixed doubles can consist of any boy or girl who is not participating in the doubles competition.

(d) TEAM SCORING AND TIES.

(1) Scoring. The scoring system will be No Advantage-Scoring, best 2-out-of-3 set matches with a 7-point tie breaker at six games all in the first two sets. If a third set is necessary, it will be played as a ten-point match tiebreak.

(2) Point Count. Each match won will count one point for the team.

(e) FORFEITS AND DEFAULTS.

(1) Forfeiture. If after an individual match begins, a forfeit occurs due to illness, injury or penalty for misconduct, the games and set won by the forfeiting team shall stand and count.

(2) Default. In all other matches, if a default occurs before the individual match begins, then the tournament director shall record the score as 6-0, 6-0.

(f) NUMBER OF MATCHES AND TOURNAMENTS.

(1) Number of Tournaments. No student or team representing a member school shall participate in more than eight tournaments (total for tennis and team tennis combined) during the school year, excluding one district tennis tournament, the regional tournaments and the state tournament. (Note: The team tennis district tournament counts as one of the eight allowable tournaments if school time is lost.) Each tournament a school team enters counts as one tournament for the team and one tournament for each participating individual. Students are considered to be representing their school if they are wearing and/or using school equipment or being directed or transported by a school employee.

(2) Exceptions.

(A) Tournaments, which are limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a tournament for teams or participants, provided there is no loss of school time.

(B) If no more than four teams meet to play predetermined opponent(s), it shall not be counted as one of the eight tournaments allowed the team or the individual if no school time is lost and if no tournament draw is set to determine a champion.

(3) Exception for Rescheduled Matches. District varsity team tennis matches postponed by weather or public disaster (not including illness) shall be rescheduled on the next date, other than Sunday, on which another district match is not scheduled. In the event weather or public disaster forces the makeup match to be rescheduled, it shall be rescheduled on the next date as described earlier. These makeup matches may be played as exceptions to the school week and calendar week limitations. District varsity matches that are postponed by weather or public disaster, and not played on the next available date, shall be rescheduled and played on a date determined by the District Executive Committee. 

(4) School Week Limitation. No student or team representing a member school shall participate in more than one invitational meet/tournament, dual or triangular meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the last school day). Exceptions: The regional and state tournaments, and district varsity tournaments postponed by weather or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week.

(5) Match Limitation. Each player shall play in no more than three dual matches per day.

(g) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE.

(1) District Tournaments.

(A) Format. The District Executive Committee will make arrangements and set format to determine the district representatives.

(B) Entries. Each school shall enter the district meet by certifying entries to the district director by the entry deadline set by the District Executive Committee. If a round-robin format is utilized in lieu of a district tournament, the District Executive Committee shall specify entry and team roster regulations prior to the entry deadline.

(2) Regional Tournaments.

(A) Regional qualifiers. Regional quarterfinal winners will advance to a regional tournament. Regional tournament entries shall be certified by regional quarterfinal winners to the regional director.

(B) State tournament entries shall be certified by the regional meet director.

(3) State Tournament.

(A) The first-place team from each region will advance to the state tournament.

(B) Pairings will be made based on season records.

(h) SUBSTITUTIONS IN REGIONAL AND STATE TOURNAMENTS.

(1) Lineup Changes. Between district and regional, or regional and state, the coach may change the lineup to reflect proper ladder position prior to the start of the tournament, following the guidelines below.

(2) Singles Movement on Ladder. After the previous qualifying tournament, the coach may move each player no more than one position up or down in the singles lineup.

(3) Doubles Movement on Ladder. After the previous qualifying tournament, the coach may move each player no more than one position up or down in the doubles lineup.

(4) Doubles Moves. After the previous qualifying tournament, the coach may change a player from one doubles partner to another partner, but no player may move more than one position in the doubles lineup.

(i) TAUNTING PENALTY.

Refer to taunting penalty, exception to USTA rules in the Team Tennis Manual.

(j) PRACTICE REGULATIONS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR.

Any team tennis practice conducted by a school outside the school year shall be in accordance with the following regulations:

(1) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted. 

(2) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than five hours of practice activities on those days during which more than one practice is conducted.

(3) The maximum length of any single practice session shall be three hours.

(4) On days when more than one practice is conducted, there shall be, at a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice and the beginning of the next practice.

(5) Schools shall not schedule more than one practice on consecutive days and student-athletes shall not participate in multiple practices on consecutive days.