TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
2024 Combo Doubles 65 & Over and Mixed Doubles 55 & Over
Gulf Shores, AL – April 18-21, 2024
This tournament overview provides players with all relevant information pertaining to this championship. Players should become well-versed with the Tournament Overview and Championship Procedures prior to arrival to a championship. The tournament overview and championship procedures can be found at http://www.alabamachampionships.com by clicking on the appropriate championship link. Please note that either document may be amended at any time at the discretion of the Championship Committee and will be updated on website within a reasonable amount of time.
USTA Alabama would like to thank each and every captain for their volunteerism and dedication to our league program. We recognize the amount of work in captaining and your work and commitment is much appreciated. This championship event would not be possible without each of you. Thank you!
ALL PLAYERS MUST BE REGISTERED IN TENNISLINK BY MARCH 31, 2024, TO BE ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE AT THE TOURNAMENT.
Tournament Dates:
The tournament dates will be April 19-21st, 2024. All draws with 7 teams will begin play on Thursday April 18th.
Captain’s Registration:
All captains are expected to pick up and relay to their team members all relevant items prior to championship start. This includes but is not limited to captain packet as well as the player gift. The registration period will also allow captains the chance to ask any questions prior to the championship start.
Captain Registration Logistics: Bag Pick-up
Location: Gulf Shores City Courts located at 2049 W. 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL 36542
Date: Thursday, April 18th Time: 3:30-5:30
In order to give captains more time to arrive to the host city, there will be no captain’s meeting. However, captains are expected to read over and relay all information in this tournament overview. The code of conduct, Championship Procedures, Tournament Overview and scoring conversion can be found on the Championship Website alabamachampionships.com. It is encouraged that captain’s pick up their bags during bag pick up however if you cannot, he/she should pick up their items prior to the start of their first scheduled match at Gulf Shores City Courts (Johnnie Sims, host site).
Championship Tournament Staff:
- Meg Edwards, USTA Alabama Director of Adult Leagues, Championship Tournament Director
- Ruth Anne Bendall– Site Director, Birmingham Local League Coordinator
- Sean Merchant – Site Director, USTA Alabama Director of Marketing and Junior Team Tennis
- Dawn Brouillet– Site Director, Volunteer
- Jana Porter – Tournament Facilitator
Tournament Committee:
Ruth Anne Bendall, Sean Merchant, Dawn Brouillet, Hans Laub (Referee)
Championship Contacts
Meg Edwards, USTA AL Director of Adult Leagues: meg.al.tennis@gmail.com; 205-454-5533 *For any questions, captains only may reach out to championship contacts. Players should go to captains with all questions.
Championship Facilities:
Tournament Headquarters
Johnnie Sims Park/George Meyer, 12 hard courts, 6 soft courts
2049 W. 2nd Street
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-968-1431
Hard courts may be used in the event of court availability issues or inclement weather!
Additional Sites:
Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, 8 soft courts
30 Peninsula Blvd.
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-968-4164
The Beach Club, 8 soft courts
925 Beach Club Trail
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-224-3555
Practice Courts
The only practice courts available will be hard courts. Players may not warm up at any time on the soft courts. Players will be expected to vacate any warm up on hard courts at 7:30 am each day so matches can get started.
Relevant Rules and Information
- All teams should arrive to their site 30 minutes prior to match time ready to play.
- Lineups will be submitted through Match Tennis Team. Our staff will be inputting results into TennisLink after each round. Please make sure to hit update and then submit when you are ready to turn in your lineup. If you submit a wrong scorecard, we cannot give it back.
- Site desk workers will have the balls ready for the home team to pick up. When you are assigned your court, come to the desk and pickup the can of balls with your assigned court number on top of the can.
- Staying on schedule is contingent on getting players on and off the court as quickly as possible. Therefore, one person from each team is to report scores into Match Tennis Team immediately after each individual match. At the end of the team match, captains can review scores in Match Tennis Team and sign off on the scorecard
- Do not bring alcohol to the Johnnie Sims/George Meyer site as no alcoholic beverages are permitted by the City.
- Pay close attention to the parking directions at any facility as your car could be towed if parked in an area where parking is not allowed!
- Teams are expected to complete all individual courts/matches as scheduled.
Captains are required to submit a team deposit hold of $300.00 by the deadline set by the state league coordinator. Deposit will be made online via the Match Tennis Team app.
- The deposit will be held until the conclusion of the applicable 2024 USTA League Alabama Championship. If the team successfully completes the championship (e.g., no defaults), or if a team withdraws before the draw is published, the deposit hold will be removed (not forfeited). If a team withdraws after the draw is published, or if a team does not successfully complete the Alabama championship, the deposit will be forfeited, or partially-forfeited. The situations where the deposit hold will be forfeited, or partially forfeited, is as follows:
If a team withdraws after the draw is published, or if a team does not successfully complete the Alabama championship, the entire deposit will be forfeited.
If a team defaults an individual court/line during championship, an administrative fee of $100 per individual court will be charged up to the full amount of the deposit. (For example, a team defaults an individual line during its Saturday afternoon match. $100 of the deposit will be charged by USTA Alabama within 30 days.)
Team captains with deposit forfeiture and/or administrative fees for individual defaulted courts may submit a waiver to be exempted from paying fees. Waiver requests will be submitted to and reviewed by the Alabama Adult League Committee and must be submitted within 7 days of the completion of the championship. Only cases of “extreme” circumstances will be accepted and/or considered.
Note: Collected monies will be donated to the Alabama Tennis Foundation.
- All communication will be through Match Tennis Team App
- Award presentations will be at Gulf Shores Tennis Complex (George Meyer) for the winning team.
- USTA Alabama maybe taking photos during and/or in connection with this event, for promotion, commercial and/or any other purposes. If either I (or any of my players) do not consent to all such uses without any further compensation and/or other consideration becoming due, I (or player) will notify Meg Edwards (meg.al.tennis@gmail.com) prior to the event.
- The winning mixed doubles 55 & Over 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 teams will be eligible to advance to the Mixed Doubles Invitational Championships hosted by Owensboro, KY Dates can be found at the following link: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/southern/league-programs.html#tab=tournaments
- Lunch will be provided on Friday from 10:30-2:30 and will be served at Gulf Shores Tennis Complex.
Reminders from the Referee
- Cell Phone/Pager Warning: This is your official warning. Please make sure all players have their cell phone and pager off or on vibrate. If a cell phone or pager goes off in the middle of a point, the opponent may claim the point. Friend at Court states the following: While on court or during a match, a player may not receive information via electronic devices capable of receiving communications such as cell phones and smartwatches.
- Scoring Format: All matches will be the best 2 out of 3 sets with a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of a full 3rdset. The Coman Tiebreak Procedures will be used for all tiebreaks (including the 10-point match tiebreak).
- Changeovers: The rest time for all changeovers is 90 seconds, except between sets which is limited to 2 minutes.
- Warm-Ups: Players are limited to a 10-minute warm-up prior to match play. If players exceed the 10 minutes, the players may be told to play regardless of where they are in warm-up, so it’s important to stay within time on your warm-up.
- Medical Time-Outs: The player in need of the medical time-out should not leave the court. Immediately send someone not involved in the match to get a referee. All medical time-outs will be addressed in compliance with “Friend at Court.”
- Bathroom Breaks: A player can take a bathroom break at any time but players should try to take breaks during changeovers or between sets.
- Rain Procedures: If there is a rain delay, players are not permitted to leave the tennis center unless otherwise released by the Tournament Director and/or Tournament Referee. If pulled from the courts due to rain, players must report their match scores as they stand in Match Tennis Team.
- Point Penalty System (PPS): The PPS will be enforced. If a player is :01 to 5:00 minutes late, it is a loss of toss and 1 game for that player. If a player is 5:01 to 10:00 minutes late, it is a loss of toss and 2 games for that player. If a player is 10:01 to 15:00 minutes late, it is a loss of toss and 3 games for that player. If a player is 15:01 minutes late, it is a default. The Championship Referee is responsible for issuing defaults for failure to arrive on time.
- Note: Matches are un-officiated and all issues should be resolved on the court by the players involved. The Championship Referee should only be requested if all players on the court cannot resolve the problem on their own and if requested by the players on court. Spectators are not permitted to request a Referee unless the players on court request it.
Please be nice to the site coordinators and other volunteers. They are giving up their time to provide you with an outstanding championship experience. Players who display inappropriate behavior to any of the site coordinators, volunteers and/or tournament staff may be subject to a sportsmanship grievance.
USTA Southern and its affiliates will be taking photos during and/or in connection with this event, for promotion, commercial and/or any other purposes. If either I (or any of my players) do not consent to all such uses without any further compensation and/or other consideration becoming due, I (or player) will notify Meg Edwards (meg.al.tennis@gmail.com) prior to the event.