7th TOURNAMENT RULES - 2016
1. Embassy Tennis Turkey Tournament matches will take place at
Ankara Tennis Club courts on two weekends. (15th-16th and 22nd -
23rd October 2016.)
2. The matches will be played on clay courts. If necessary, the
matches may be played on other grounds with the decision of the
chief referee.
3. Players are obliged to learn their own match schedule from the
Chief Referee: No responsibility accepted by the Chief Referee in
any inconvenience..
4. Main draw will be played as 3 sets and tie break rule will be
applied for each set. Consolation matches will be played as short
sets (4 games) and super tie break rule will be applied for the
final set.
5. 15-Minutes delays constitute a reason for W.O. The W.O may only
be done by the chief referee. Players are not allowed to do W.O.
6. Tournament fixture drawn will be open to the players and realized
by the Chief Referee in October 2016 at the Ankara
Tennis Club.
7. After the completion of the draw, no additions or changes can
be made to the player list.
8. In subsequent matches, the players are required to be ready for
the coming match before the prior match ends.
9. Referee will be provided only for the finals.
10. A player may participate to the Tournament in maximum three
categories. In case of participation for more than one category, the
player accepts in advance to play two or three matches in a day.
11. The whole tournament is under the control of the Chief
Referee. The Chief Referee is authorized to solve all problems
related to the tournament.
12. The balls and water will be provided by the organization.
CATEGORIES
Single Women
Single Men
-Single Men A (Advanced)
-Singe Men B (Intermediate)
-Single Men C (Beginners)
Double (men/women/mixed)
Juniors
13. Chief Referee has a right to change the categories, format of
the tournament and the schedule of the matches according to the
number of the participants.
14. Organization Committee has a right to invite any players to the
tournament with wild card.
ETHICAL RULES OF THE EMBASSY TENNIS TURKEY
We have fun taking our game seriously. Like all professional sports,
tennis is a game of honor - especially when you have to call your
own lines. The best-loved players at Ankara Tennis Club are the ones
who understand our code of ethics and do their best to maintain a
fun, easygoing and fair approach to the game. Because life's too
short to haggle line calls. Unless there's a tournament win on the
line of course.
Tennis Code of Ethics
Line Calls and Other Disagreements
When a match is played without officials, the players themselves
have the responsibility for making decisions, particularly line
calls; a player must be guided by the unwritten law that any doubt
must be resolved in favor of his opponent.
It is each player's responsibility to call all shots landing on or
aimed at his side of the net, and to call against himself (with the
exception of a first service) any ball that he clearly sees out on
his opponent's side of the net.
The prime objective in making line calls is accuracy. When a player
does not call an out ball (with the exception of a first serve)
against himself when he clearly sees it out -- whether he is
requested to do so by his opponents or not -- he is cheating.
In making a line call a player should not enlist the aid of a
spectator.
When you are looking across a line don't call a ball out unless you
can clearly see part of the court between where the ball hit and the
line. This means if you are half a court or so away and a ball lands
within two inches of a line it is almost impossible for you to call
it with accuracy. A player who stands on one base line and questions
a call concerning a ball that landed near the other base line is
probably being ridiculous.
In doubles, when one partner calls a ball out and the other one
good, the doubt that has been established means the ball must be
considered to have been good.
Any ball that cannot be called out is presumed to have been good,
and a player cannot claim a let on the basis that he did not see a
ball.
Normally, asking for a replay of a point is a sign of weakness and
of failure to exercise line-calling responsibilities, and should
occur only on rare occasions.
Any call of "out", "let", or "fault" must be made instantaneously;
otherwise, the ball is presumed good and still in play.
No matter how obvious it may be to you that your opponent's shot is
out, it may not be obvious to him. He is entitled to a prompt hand
signal or call; give it to him.
An ellipse tangent to a line (literally, touching the line at only
one point) still represents a good ball; this is tantamount to
saying that a ball 99% out is 100% good.
Once an out (meaning a ball has landed outside the court), fault, or
let call is made, play stops, regardless of what happens thereafter.
When to Call a Let
As a general guide, when it is realized during a point that a
mistake was made at the beginning, e.g., service from the wrong
court, the point will not be interrupted, nor will corrective action
be taken until the point is played out.
All points played in good faith stand. For example, if the third
point of a game is played in the ad court, there is no replay.
Each player is responsible for "housekeeping" on his own court. If
he fails to remove stray balls and other objects, he may expect to
pay for the consequences.
When you are hindered while attempting to return a shot that you
could not have returned even had there been no hindrance, a let is
not authorized. eg. a request for a let because you have tripped
over your own hat should be denied.
Warm-up and Practice
Some players confuse "warm-up" and "practice." While it is not
mandatory, normally a player should provide his opponent five
minutes (ten minutes if there are no ball persons) of warm-up,
making a special effort to hit his shots directly to his opponent.
Many players want to practice or to warm-up their serves just before
they serve the first time, even though the match is then one game or
more old. Once a match has started, there is no basis for further
practice or warm-up.
Adjoining Courts
A ball from your court going into an adjoining court or a ball from
an adjoining court coming into your court can provide the basis for
a let. When play is in progress don't go behind another court to
retrieve a ball or hit a loose ball to that court. Don't ask for one
of your balls until the point in play on the adjoining court has
stopped. In returning a loose ball to another court, pick up the
ball and hit it so that it goes directly to one of the players on
the other court, or roll it to the back of the court.
Some players have a post mortem in loud tones on each point, to the
dismay of the players on the adjoining courts.
Other Infractions
Don't place towels or clothing over the net or on the court.
Calls involving a ball touching a player, a player touching the net,
a player touching his opponent's court (invasion), hitting an
opponent's return before it has passed the net, and a double-bounce,
can be very difficult to make.
Done without deliberation and with one continuous forward swing of
the racket, a double-hit and a carry are legal shots. Any player who
becomes aware that he has committed a violation in one of these
areas should announce the violation immediately.
When you catch in the air a ball that is in play, you have lost the
point, regardless of whether you are inside or outside the court.
Disputes
The preferred, but not mandatory, method of settling a scoring
dispute is to count all points and games agreed on by the players,
with only the disputed points and games being replayed. Another
method is to go back to the last score on which there was agreement,
then resume play from that point.
To eliminate arguments about the score the server should announce,
in a voice audible to the players and spectators, the set score
(e.g., 5-4) prior to his first serve in each game, and the game
score (e.g., thirty-forty) prior to serving each point.
The Serve
In returning service the partner of the receiver should call the
service line for him, with the receiver calling the center line and
the side line, although either partner may make an out call on any
shot (service or other) that he clearly sees out.
Returning a service that is obviously out (accompanied by an out
call) is a form of rudeness. At the same time, it must be expected
that a fast service that just misses the line will frequently be
returned, with justification, as a matter of self-protection, even
though an out call is made.
Returning a first service that is obviously out without an out call
in an attempt to catch an opponent off guard is cheating. At the
same time, if the receiver in good faith gives the server the
benefit of the doubt and returns an out ball, the server is not
entitled to refuse the benefit of the doubt and ask for a let on the
basis that since he saw the serve out, the return caught him by
surprise.
When the server causes a delay between the first and second serves,
he has one serve to come. When there is a delay between serves that
interrupts the natural flow of the match and when the delay is
caused by the receiver or outside interference, the server has two
serves to come.
Neither the server nor the net man should make an out call on a
first service, even though he thinks it is out, because the
receiver, not being sure of the ball, may give the server the
benefit of the doubt and then hit a placement.
The receiver should make no effort to return a serve when he is not
ready, if he wishes to maintain valid his right to a let.
When the receiver has indicated that he is ready and the server
serves an ace, the receiver's partner cannot claim a let because he
(the partner of the receiver) was not ready. The receiver's
indication of being ready is tantamount to indicating that his team
is ready.
When a server requests three balls to be in his hand prior to each
point he is to serve, the receiver should comply with this wish when
the third ball is readily available.
An ethical interpretation authorizes the receiver or his partner to
call foot faults on the server. This call should be made only when
the caller is absolutely certain, with the foot faulting being so
flagrant as to be clearly perceptible from the receiver's side of
the net.
In general, conversation between partners while the ball is moving
toward their opponents' side of the net is taboo, even when a ball
is moving toward two partners conversation between them should be
minimized, with about the only words permitted being such
exhortations as "back", "up", "mine", "bounce".
Fair Play
Do not slow the pace unduly; play at a normal rate. Stalling is
unsportsmanlike and may harm you reputation.
Don't enter a tournament and then withdraw when you discover some
tough opponents have also entered.
Some players complain of the type of shots an opponent hits (e.g.,
too many lobs); what he hits is his business as long as they are
legal. Don't spoil the game by losing your temper and using vile
language or throwing your racquet. And don't sulk when you are
losing; instead, praise your opponent's good shots. Above all, try
to make tennis a fun game for all participants.
With respect to a player moving when a ball is in play or about to
be in play, in general, he is entitled to feint with his body as he
wishes. He may change position on the court at any time including
while the server is tossing the ball to serve. However, players must
not shout, talk, make noise, wave their racquet in the air or try to
distract their opponent.
When your time period is up, leave quickly and cross over adjoining
courts altogether.
When coming onto a court, wait for the end of the point before
stepping on the court, preferably altogether.
Don't enter a tournament unless you are free to play on the evenings
indicated for tournament play.
Use only three balls at a time. Using more than three increases the
chances of injuring yourself or the players an adjacent court.
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