Rules Changes For Senior Leagues
By Seth Appelbaum, Senior Leagues Vice President
At 45 years old, you cannot join AARP or get a senior discount at the grocery store, but you CAN play in the ALTA summer Senior Leagues! Come join the fun!
You may not think a senior tennis league should start at 45 years old, but ALTA members playing against 20-somethings in the regular adult leagues may find this a nice break. Be aware: A crafty older player can take you and your partner down!
ALTA has made two rule changes to help avoid some of those senior moments — as they are sometimes called — and to make sure everything is consistent from regular season to playoffs. Please remind everyone to be aware of the rule changes to avoid issues on the courts.
- The default option in all Senior leagues for the regular season, playoffs and City Finals will be a third set 10-point tiebreak unless all four players agree to play a full third set. If there are weather issues, the league VP has the authority to make adjustments at City Finals.
- Playoffs and City Finals will no longer be played in reverse order. If necessary, with the score tied 2-2, the last pair on the court will play a 10-point tiebreak to determine the outcome of the match during playoffs and City Finals.
Other things to remember to avoid conflicts:
- Court lights should remain on until 11 p.m. If they go off at 11 p.m. and the match is not completed, the remaining matches are played as a rain out. You are welcome to find other courts that night to continue. If they turn off before 11 p.m. and you cannot continue or find alternative courts, the home team will retire the matches that remain.
- If the courts are wet and you are trying to play, everyone should jump in and help. Nothing causes issues like one team drying and the other team watching. It is more fun to sit and watch, but it is not nice.
- When putting together your roster, please make sure to get all the players on the roster the first time. It is getting harder and harder to add players at a higher level to your rosters. Please check and double-check in the regular roster period.
- Last but not least, we are playing for fun, hanging out with friends, and exercising. Yes, we all want the big plate and the coveted bag tag! Winning is fun, but let’s keep everything in perspective — good sportsmanship should be the goal!
