Membership and General SPG Guidelines for Weekend Play

Draft for comment and approval

• When rain is possible, the “opener” (member responsible for court opening) must NOT open the courts for play, and must not provide new balls, until two doubles courts can be filled.  (If a partial or complete rain-out occurs, or play is otherwise canceled before it actually begins, SPG will pay a pro-rated court fee.) 
• If the opener anticipates a small turnout for some reason other than rain (e.g., very cold weather), new balls should not be provided until the two-court minimum is reached. 
• On days when play is canceled or shortened due to weather conditions, and when the Treasurer is not present, the opener (or closer) should let the Treasurer know the amount of court time used. 
• Use of SPG tennis balls is prohibited at any location or on any date not approved in advance by the Board of Trustees. 

1)   Members should be familiar with, and follow, ITF Rules and “the Code” as published by the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) in Friend at Court, USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and the Code.  (See links at  www.usta.com/Improve-Your-Game/Rules/).     

2)   SPG generally follows ITF Rules, except for the length of matches and sets.   

3)   SPG play generally consists of doubles matches.  Singles practice hitting and/or matches are allowed until there is an opportunity to set up a doubles match.       

4)   An SPG doubles match consists of a shortened set, best of seven games, which ends as soon as one side wins a total of four games.          

5)   As soon as a match is completed, one or more player should immediately call out "Court Open."  The call should be loud enough for waiting players to hear.  If no one is waiting, players may rest or continue play until another court opens.  Then they should stop play immediately and set up new matches as described below.    

6)   Unless someone is waiting, or unless otherwise agreed upon, winners will play the winners and losers will play losers.       

7)   When one or more players are waiting and a “court open” is announced:          

    a)   If one person is waiting - if one person chooses to leave, the waiting player will replace that person.  Otherwise, losers will spin a racquet to see who stays and the person waiting will replace the player who lost the spin           

    b)   If two people are waiting, they will replace the two losers.  If one winner chooses to leave, losers will spin a racquet to see which of them stays.   

    c)   If three people are waiting, the winners will spin a racquet to determine who stays.  The people waiting will then replace the two losers and the departing winner.          

    d)   If four people are waiting, generally they should start a new match on an open court.  Exception: if a match is close to conclusion (e.g., at deuce, three all) those waiting may opt to wait and start two new matches when “court open” is called.            

    e)   If four people are waiting and if there is no available court, the waiting players should replace the first four players to announce “court open.”     

    f)   If more than eight players are waiting and all courts are occupied, they should take the court on a “first come, first served” basis unless otherwise mutually agreed.            

    g)   Exception - in any of the above cases, a player has the option of giving up a spot in a match if that player needs to leave or rest.

h)   If two courts call "Court Open" at the same time, waiting players replace losers.    

    8)   Late arriving players have priority in taking places in a newly opened court.  When two-to-three newly arrived players are waiting and a court is available, they should warm up together with old balls while waiting for a “court open” call. 

9)   A member of SPG’s Board of Trustees present at the courts can be asked to resolve any disputes that pertain to these Guidelines.  If necessary, the Board may issue additional Guidelines when issues arise that need to be addressed formally.         

Advanced Level Play

SPG follows a modified Peer Play format that allows advanced level members to play a more dynamic game against other advanced level peers. There are three courts set aside for Competitive Play and the remaining courts for Social Play. 

• Competitive Play level players are individuals with advanced skills who are interested in playing a strong match against other skilled players.
• Social Play level players are individuals who choose not to play on a competitive level, their skills are intermediate or below, are rusty or temporarily injured or just want to have a slower paced game.

Advanced Player Selection Process

The selection committee included various Board members and the input from a USTA level coach who observed some of our members play during the 2010 season.
The Board has selected several members as "skill evaluators" who will help to classify new members or reclassify current members into the proper play level groups.

 Selection of Advanced level players are made based on the following skill levels:

    a.       your arsenal of strokes
    b.      the consistency of your strokes
    c.       your ability to handle pace
    d.      your ability to move well and cover the court
    e.       your level of stamina during hot, humid weather
    f.       your knowledge of tennis doubles strategy
    g.      your ability to apply a - f  to win points against other SPG players

Our instructor is Bob Laudati of TENNIS WORKOUT. Bob is a certified instructor with the Professional Tennis Registry, PTR. Bob is also a long-time member of SPG and a patient instructor.

Depending on your needs there are two programs available:

Structured program – consists of 4 consecutive sessions. This series covers the mechanics of all the strokes, striving for ball control, and practicing directional hitting. This is excellent for players who need major improvement to their game or coming back from an injury or not playing for a long time. The cost is $10 per session, up to 4 players per court.

Instructional program – consists of individual one hour sessions, as needed, to work on a particular stroke or strategy issues. This is excellent for players who want to shake off the winter rust or just want to improve a particular segment of their overall game. The cost is $10 per session, up to 4 players per court.