How does the Tennis Partner Program work?

The Tennis Partner Program is a separate service from the Tennis League and has been operating in all the cities since 2008.  In this Partner Program, players meet up to play a match, but the scores do not contribute to any broader league or league standings. Players will be required to submit results; the results will be used to determine both players' ratings after several matches. This will ensure that players are partnered with players of their similiar skill level. Players must submit a match result at least every 45 days to keep the tennis partner program active. The TLN administration will monitor no-shows and late cancellations and remove players who constantly break these rules. Read here for more details.

How does the Tennis Tournament work?

The tournament will be a single elimination tournament where players are guaranteed at least 2 matches. Players will have a week to play each rounds match. So a participant needs to have a flexible schedule over at least first 2 weeks of the tournament. A quarter of the players will be ranked based upon their previous league experience. New players will not receive a ranking and will be put into the pool for semi-random draws. The league reserves the right to manipulate the first round draws to compensate for playing locations. We don't want players from opposite ends of each city playing each other in the first round. The players who lose the first round match will be placed in a consolation bracket. The tournament will have a prize pool determined at the beginning of every tournament.

Our Money Back Guarantee

We offer a no-questions-asked Money Back Guarantee for 1-week after the season starts.  We guarantee to get you 6 or more tennis playing partners in your general playing location (we average ~15+ players in most locations for each city). If we have the players and you have the time, we will connect you with as many contacts as we have at your skill level. The best part is that these players are just like you, passionate about tennis and eagerly willing to connect with you on the courts. 

Testimonials

Players continue to come back to the League season after season because of the quality service we provide them and the friendly players they are meeting up with. The dedicated community writes some very positive comments about the league. Click on the various cities for some of these testimonials: Boston, DC / No. VA, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago.

How do I Register?

In each city's website you have a " Join League / Join Page" button in the upper right hand corner. This page is used for all of the League's programs, including the seasonal League, Tennis Partner Program and Tournaments. It informs the players about the program.  The player provides information to allow proper matching of tennis partners.

I'm Registered.  What's Next?

The next step is to complete payment. The league works on committed responsible players so you'll need to provide payment to meet up with the league participants. On kickoff day you will get an; email on the START DATE of the league, tournament or partner program. You will not receive an email until the kickoff day.  Note: The League offers players various methods to obtain a free season (e.g., referrals, winning a previous season, accomplishing league growth initiatives). 

Playing Locations

We are well aware that every city in the network is quite large, and for some players it would be near impossible to make it to other parts of the city. So we break down most of the network cities with playing locations. The objective is to get you players close enough to keep commute times within reason. Here are some example playing location breakdowns; TennisDC: Montgomery County, Metro DC and Northern Virginia. TennisLosAngeles: Westside, Downtown, San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley. Players can play players from other playing location during the season; the only criteria we use is skill level, as we want the matches to be close (let's avoid blow-outs!).

How to Schedule Matches

The league provides this worded schedule:

Contact the 3 players numerically in succession of your player number (P). For example, P1 should first contact P2, P3 and P4 to schedule matches. Meanwhile, P2 contacts P3, P4 and P5, etc. If you are the highest number in the division, contact P1, P2 and P3, but because other high-numbered players may be more conveniently located, you may contact them instead.  Weekly you should be trying to reach the next group of players to schedule a time and place to play. Always be working with your next 3 contacts. The league will not designate a home court as players should be choosing a location that works for both players. If a player contacts you to play and it fits into your schedule go ahead and play that match indifferent of the contact schedule.

The basic premise is for players to communicate with several contacts and schedule a time and location that is convenient for both players. The league suggests a personal email or email to 3-4 players giving times you are available to play for the upcoming week. Scheduling matches a week in advance and confirming one day before seems to be the most efficient method. The league also provides phone numbers as it really is still the most efficient way to schedule a time convenient for both players.

Court and Guest Fees

All court fees and guest fees will be split between the two players. 95+% of the matches will be played at free outdoor courts, but in some cases it's worth it to get dedicated court time at a cost. Note: some clubs/courts may be willing to waive the guest fee, depending on the associated player's relationship to the club/court and his/her frequency of League matches.

Can't reach an opponent

The league keeps track of the average number of matches played a season per player. It is between 6.5 and 7.8 matches per season per player depending on the city. Every season we have a couple of players who don't play or play a limited number of matches for various reasons. The league doesn't give out default wins when you can't reach these players. We suggest you just move on to playing the other active players.

Canceling Matches

The only proper method to cancel a match is by leaving an email AND a PHONE MESSAGE. Matches need to be canceled 4 hours before the start or the offending players will receive 1 strike towards the league's 3-strike removal policy. To repeat: Players need to leave a phone message AND an email 4 hours before the start when canceling matches. Receiving word back from the other player is important to make sure the match was cancelled correctly and to avoid "no-show" penalties.

No-Show

This is one of the worst offenses a player could do to another player. The League wants responsible tennis players in the system and therefore monitors no-shows. The match will be recorded as 0-0 win for the player that was left stranded on the court. If a player no-shows twice in one season they will be removed from the season and will not be refunded their entry fee. If a player no-shows twice over 2 seasons they will be put on probation and will need to take the next season off. If a player gets 2 no-shows they will be banned from playing the League permanently.

Self-Rating

When a player first joins the league they self-rate their game. We use this self-rate page to help players judge their game. The league will adjust this rating after the player has played a couple of matches. The Tennis League Network is well aware that self-rating is not a perfect system; however, we are proactive to adjust players rating even mid-season.  Please be careful to not over-rate your game, as we would rather see close matches then ask you to move down a skill level mid-season. The more honest players are in self-rating, the more exciting the matches will be.

How Does the League Manage Ratings?

The league is a managed service, meaning we follow results from all the players. The true objective is to get divisions where players from the top of the division to the bottom of the division are involved in fun, close tennis matches. To do this properly we could move players mid-season and reevaluate all players at end of the season to different skill levels. The proof in our system is that as a city gets into its 3rd to 4th season the divisions tend to be very even and the matches usually go to 3 sets instead of 6-0, 6-0 scores. Some players do over-rate their ability, please don't get offended if the league asks/moves you down a skill level.

New Player Ratings

In the larger cities, new players' ratings will be adjusted down a rating.  This adjustment has proven essential to maintain the proper rating categories. The league will manage the rating after several matches and move players up or down based upon the results.

Scoring System

The league uses three different playing formats: 2 out of 3 sets, 2 sets with 3rd set 10 pt. tie-breaker and 12 game pro set. The players should choose which method to use at the beginning of the match.

2 out of 3 sets: Sets go to 6 games. A 7-point tie breaker should be played at 6-6 in each set.

2 sets w/3rd set tie-breaker: For players involved in a long match and tied at 1 set a piece, they can play a 10 point tie-breaker to determine the winner of the match.

12 game pro set: For players who know they have a limited time to play, a 12 game tie breaker should be played. When the court time runs out, the score of the match becomes the final score, even if it is 8-7. If the time is running short and the match is tied, the players should play a 7 or 10 pt tie-breaker to decide the match.

Incomplete Matches

Sometimes players don't come to a resolution during a match; in these cases, players can submit the score as a tie and schedule to meet up at a later time during the season. Players can avoid this situation by keeping track of the remaining court time they have and then play a 7 or 10 pt. tie-breaker for the match. In most cases, a season result that is submitted as a tie could be converted to a win for the leading player at the final day of the season if the two players weren't able to meet back up to complete the match.

Reporting Scores

Players use the Submit Score page to report scores for their specific league. Just use your league email address and select the appropriate league to enter the submit score app. Select which scoring format was used for the match; 2 out of 3 sets, 2 sets w/3rd set tie-breaker or the 12-game pro set. Fill-out the page making sure the player who won the match is in the first winner's box. If the opponent did not show up to the match, then check off the "no-show" box. The "no-show" box should NOT be used if an opponent cannot play you; no results will be inputted for that situation.

How do the Playoffs work?

The end of every regular season is followed by a single-elimination playoff tournament for players who won 'X' or more matches in a season. 'X' is set by league admin and can be visible on the division report page. This win criteria may differ depending on number of players in the league, the weather, or number of potential qualifiers. Players will be made aware of the correct win criteria throughout the season. The players are ranked from 1 to N depending upon their performance during the season. We use rule #11 to determine the rankings. Players from all the playing locations at one skill level will be put in the playoff pool. We do reserve the right to manipulate the first round of the playoffs so players from the furthest playing locations don't have to play each other (e.g., we don't want a Bethesda player playing an Alexandria player in DC in the first round, or a San Gabriel Valley player playing a Westside player). The playoffs are an exciting conclusion to every season. (See a completed Playoff Example)

Match Play

All matches are self-ref'd. Thus, players must be considerate, punctual, and display signs of good tennis etiquette (e.g., call out scores before every point, call balls that touch the line as in, and be courteous during court changes). If disagreements arise on the court, players should not get heated over the disagreement.  Find a resolution to continue the match.

Always bring a new can of balls

No matter if it is a tennis partner match-up, league match-up or tournament match-up, every player should bring a new can of balls. The winner of the match will take home the un-opened can and the opponent can take home the used balls. This rule is often disregarded: If you are found to be a constant offender, the League will have grounds to dismiss you from the season. If you are an active participant in the League, then we suggest you just buy a case of balls at the beginning of the season.

Inclement Weather

Players should contact each other by phone if rain, wind or some other weather condition might affect the ability to play the match. By being in communication it will help prevent "no-shows" when one player shows up on the courts and the other doesn't because they feel the conditions are not playable.

Spectators and Coaching

Spectators are welcomed to watch the tennis match. The spectator should not affect the play on the courts. They should remain on the side-lines and in a manner that doesn't affect either player. Coaching is not permitted during match play. The non-coached player is within their right to ask the player to stop speaking to a coach during the match.

Canceling play and Injuries

If you need to cancel during the season, you must send an email to the Tennis League Network administrator immediately.  Your account will then be marked as "retired for the season."  You'll be pulled from the roster and won't receive any more emails from the league for the remainder of the season.  Please note: the Tennis League Network is unable to refund your money after the one-week money back guarantee window has passed, even if the cancellation is due to physical injury.

On-Court Disputes

Matches between two players are self-refereed, and unfortunately, disputes do arise.  Both players are asked to keep a level head and come to agreement for resolution. The League administration does not want to be involved in on court disputes, as these matches should be fun and enjoyable without any unethical manipulation or cheating from players. Still, the League can be made aware of disputes upon resolution of the match, where we will listen to both sides of the story and determine a proper course of action.  Be aware that the League administration's resolution may be to apply poor sportsmanship strikes against both players.

Scoring Disputes

Most of the time an incorrect score is just a minor mistake from the player who inputted the score. Just send us an email at the league email and we'll get to the bottom of it: Boston (TennisNE@gmail.com), Los Angeles (TennisLosAngeles@gmail.com), DC / No. VA (TennisDC.Admin@gmail.com), Chicago (chitowntennis@gmail.com), Philadelphia (TennisPhilly@gmail.com), San Francisco (TennisSF@gmail.com), Orange County (TennisOC@gmail.com), Dallas (TennisDallas@gmail.com), Miami (TennisMiami.Admin@gmail.com), Raleigh (TennisRaleigh@gmail.com) and NYC (TennisNewYork@gmail.com).

Scheduling Disputes

If the two players are playing a league regular season match or tennis partner match and they can't determine a time or location to schedule, then the TLN suggests you just move on to other contacts that will fit into your schedule. We do not give out default wins for two players that can't meet up in these two programs. If the scheduling dispute arises in the playoffs or tennis tournament, then the League needs to be made aware of the scheduling dispute so that we can come up with a resolution to the scheduling conflict.

Code of Conduct

The league works off a 3-strike rule to determine a player's current and future eligibility.  Players can receive strikes for late cancellations, no-shows and on-court conduct. The League understands there are two sides to every story, so we tend to apply a strike to both players in situations that deem it necessary. The true offender tends to get themselves into future un-sportsmanlike behavior and often is removed from the League for additional offenses. The overall purpose of the code of conduct is that pleasant, responsible players keep coming back season after season to play you.