Farmington Area Tennis League's Rules of Attendance

Leagues such as this thrive and struggle at the whim of each and every individual in them. Therefore, it is critical that as a member of this league you read these rules, contemplate their purposes and implications, and follow them resolutely. It is advisable that you see your participation in the league as a part-time job: for better or worse, it is an act of community service. Lack of commitment may result in punitive action(s), from heightened scrutiny to banishment from the league. Any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions are welcomed by the League Coordinator.

PRIMARY GUIDELINES

BUT FIRST, THE UNWRITTEN RULE:

These rules will never exceed 1500 words, so read up!

As a strict guideline, not an official rule, you should plan to play your matches during scheduled times at Boeckman Middle School. Only if you cannot play during an official match time due to another obligation should you decide to change the meeting with your opponent. Email results of matches played outside league times to the League Coordinator.

Benefits to following this guideline:

• It simplifies matters for those with whom you play.

• The League Coordinator or another official is on hand to record results and, upon request,

resolve questions or disputes, allowing the league to function quickly and smoothly.

• Other advantages abound...

RESCHEDULING

The option to reschedule should be treated as a last resort when one's conflicting plans cannot themselves be readily deferred or managed by others. Should the need arise, one must contact their opponent immediately, no matter how distant the date in question is, and comprehensively outline their availability for playing. Emailing is acceptable, but one must place a phone call—leave a voice message if prompted—within 48 hours of the following, whichever comes first:

• The official start time.

• An available time for playing.

• A time by which one needs a response.

If your opponent has not responded by 24 hours before said time, try calling them at least once more and email the League Coordinator to effect awareness. In any case, all participants need to be vigilant at all times, meaning:

• Check your email and voicemail often to avoid wasting time for yourself and others.

• For emergencies, keep your opponents' contact information in your wallet or cell phone.

• Do not assume that any text message you send will ever be received.

• When rescheduling, outline your availability, but if you are unsure, at least tell your opponent when to expect your next contact.

• The future is uncertain: dismiss tempting fate and opt for sooner instead of later. If you happen upon unexpected free time, consider calling your opponent.

• Do not overlook night tennis on illuminated courts or morning tennis from about 5:40AM.

• Playing one match ahead of time to streamline rescheduling for another is wise.

If two opponents disagree about rescheduling, they must fall back on using the league's courts and/or the official time. As a rule, precedence will be given to those who want to use the official times and/or place, but reasonable requests to reschedule should always be met with approval.

GRACE PERIOD

Matches are to be played and reported within the grace period, spanning anytime before to 14 days after their official times. Extension may be granted for inevitable, extenuating circumstances (e.g. persistent or inopportune bad weather, injury, life-changing events, perfectly unmatched availabilities...), of which the League Coordinator should be notified as they develop. Expired grace periods will deduct from attendance records, and retroactive requests for extension won't suffice. Post-grace-period disinterest in match completion, as sensed by the League Coordinator, may result in ties (counted as half-losses) and further attendance record penalization. Regular season matches may not be played or reported after August 25th.

PUNCTUALITY AND PREPAREDNESS

If you are running late and cannot reach your opponent, call the League Coordinator. Players

arriving 21 minutes late without advance notice of scheduling conflicts automatically forfeit, pending their

opponents' preferences. Such forfeits are at punctual players' discretion, and the league will stand firmly

behind the decisions made, with only true emergencies warranting official exception. Repeat instances of

the following will also mar one's attendance record:

• Arriving five to 20 minutes late without advance notice.

• Forgetting athletic wear, racquet(s), or new balls.

• Neglecting tennis's code of conduct and common etiquette.

• Playing an incorrect format.

All are entitled to opponents abiding herewith and should report lapses to the League Coordinator.

RULE ABUSE

If you suspect being forced, even passively, into losing, tying, or breaching a deadline, address the League Coordinator immediately. The League Coordinator has the responsibility to err against those who demonstrate lacking commitment to these rules, tennis's code of conduct, or match completion.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Besides scheduling swaps, substitutions are prohibited.

FORFEITING

Forfeits are inherently unsportsmanlike and contrary to the league's mission. Without necessity recognized by the League Coordinator, they will result in penalization.

WEATHER

Participants must stay updated on current and forecast weather, and they must pursue active dialogue with their opponents when unplayable weather seems imminent. What weather warrants RESCHEDULING is at each pair of opponents' discretion, assuming agreement can be reached. Only due to disagreement or uncertainty should they seek official recommendation. That is, matches seeing unfavorable weather will be given an official three-day allowance, or 17-day GRACE PERIOD, as indicated by an asterisk (*) on FATLeague.com's Schedule page. Such allowances will usually be determined mornings before matches, but considering weather's unpredictability, they may be as late as matches themselves. To reiterate:

• Observe a three-day allowance only as a fallback: decide with your opponent first.

When lightning occurs, play shall be considered deferred to 15 minutes following a visible strike, and the interim will see league officials' absence from the courts.

PLAYOFFS

Playoffs will officially be scheduled Sundays through Thursdays in August.

Participation is not required, but one must email their plans to attend or forego, with availability outlined, to the League Coordinator by Friday, July 31st. To qualify, one must have achieved credit for attending 80% or more of their regular season matches. For playoff seeding purposes only, regular season matches pending as of Friday, July 31st will count as ties; they are still expected to be played.

Rescheduling is especially sensitive during the Playoffs, so it must be approved by the League Coordinator, which also applies to already-rescheduled matches. The League Coordinator will directly email participants whenever Playoffs may be affected by weather.

DISCLAIMER

To the end that this league is free of charge, it is not an accessory of Independent School District 192 and does not technically have any reserved court times. Should our scheduling hinder other public usage of District 192 tennis courts, some will be asked to relocate and/or reschedule their matches. Though improbable, awareness and tolerance of the possibility is expected.