THE PINE LAKES TENNIS ASSOCIATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
DEFINITIONS......................................................................................... 2
BY‑LAWS .............................................................................................. 3
SIGN‑UP
PROCEDURES/RULES........................................................ 5
ETIQUETTE .......................................................................................... 7
THE CODE............................................................................................ 8
LEAGUE PLAY..................................................................................... 10
BALL MACHINE................................................................................... 11
SUGGESTION BOX............................................................................ 11
Guest: A visitor to Pine Lakes
who resides, during his or her visit, at the house of a resident or a house
provided by Pine Lakes management.
Member
of Pine Lakes Tennis Association: A resident or renter who has met the requirements
of membership in the association as provided by Article IV of the by-laws.
Men's
Tennis: In
prime time, the availability of courts for men only.
Mixed
Tennis: In
prime time, the availability of courts for both men and women to play together.
Open
Time: All
time in which a court sign-up is required rather than individual sign-up. That
is, any time after 10:30 am Monday through Sunday.
Owner/Lessor: A person who owns
property, either land or a house, at Pine lakes, but who does not fulfill the
requirement to qualify as a resident. Such a person cannot be a member of the
Pine Lakes Tennis Association. This entity may be a person or persons or even a
corporation.
Pine
Lakes Tennis Association: A formal, voluntary organization of tennis players at Pine Lakes
whose officers are President, who is the chief executive; Vice President; who
serves as chief executive when the President cannot serve because of absence or
illness; Secretary, who keeps the organization records; and Treasurer, who
safeguards organization funds.
Relaxation
Rule:
Exceptions to sign-up rules, which are permitted under certain conditions. See:
Sign‑up procedures, Section Ill.
Renter
(Lessee): A
person who rents a house at Pine Lakes.
Resident: A person who regularly
lives in his or her own house at Pine Lakes for some part of each year.
Resident,
Full‑Time: A person who regularly lives in his or her own house at Pine Lakes
for at least 9 months each year.
Resident,
Part‑Time: Any resident who is not a full‑time resident.
Summer
Season: The
period May 1 through October 31.
Winter
Rules: More
restrictive rules governing sign-up procedures during the winter season.
Winter
Season: The
period November 1 through April 30.
Women's
Tennis: In
prime time, the availability of courts for women only.
BY‑LAWS OF THE PINE LAKES TENNIS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I
Name
of the organization: Pine Lakes Tennis Association.
ARTICLE ll
The
objectives of the Pine Lakes Tennis Association are to supervise court usage,
to monitor league play, to provide periodic tournaments and other social
activities related to tennis, and to encourage the development of conditions ‑
physical or otherwise ‑ that enhance the enjoyment of tennis at Pine
Lakes.
ARTICLE III
The
authority of the association derives from its members, as expressed by their
votes and the election of officers.
ARTICLE IV
Membership
is open to any resident or renter/lessee provided the applicant resides or
expects to reside, at Pine Lakes Country Club for one month or more.
Membership
runs from January I through December 31 of each year.
The annual dues for the
following year will be assessed by the board and membership at the annual
meeting.
The
renewal dues are payable by February 1 each year. Members who are delinquent in
the payment of annual dues will give up the following privileges until such
payment is made: Voting at general meetings and elections, as well as
participation in tournaments and league play.
ARTICLE V
Quorum:
The presence, in person on or by proxy, of thirty percent (30%) of the voting
membership, will constitute a quorum. Decisions will be made by a simple
majority of the voting membership present.
ARTICLE VI
Proxies:
A member is entitled to vote by proxy or in person. If a proxy is used it must
be submitted, in writing, to the secretary prior to the intended meeting and
can be used only for that meeting, unless otherwise stated.
ARTICLE VII
Membership
meetings: General meetings will be held at the discretion of the association
officers. At least a week before a meeting a notice will be posted on the
bulletin board, giving the time, place, and date of the meeting.
Specialized
committee meetings: May be held at the discretion of the committee membership.
Meeting notes must be kept and given to the Association secretary within seven
(7) days of the meeting. The president will be responsible for appointing these
committees.
A
nomination committee of at least four members shall be appointed by the
President each January to prepare a list of willing candidates to replace board
member vacancies. The committee shall consist of at least one veteran
nominating committee member and representatives of a cross section of member
interests.
ARTICLE VIll
Membership
list: Will be furnished to members upon request after March I for the current
year. An, updated listing will be maintained on the bulletin board. Members may
update their own lists during the year from this posted list.
ARTICLE IX
Association
officers consist of the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer to
be elected in March of each year. Association officers shall be members of the
Pine Lakes Tennis Association who are owners of either lease or estate property
and may serve in any given office for a maximum of two consecutive years.
Normal succession of office will be from vice president to president. A secret
ballot must be used to elect all officers unless acclamation is used to elect a
single nominee.
President:
The
responsibilities of the president are to preside at all association meetings;
see that all rules and procedures are followed; work with both the
secretary and treasurer regarding records, expenditures, and financial
statements; to be ready to deal with questions of association membership; and
to appoint or designate committees and persons to carry out specific
assignments, such as tournaments, intra‑league play, physical facilities
evaluation, press coverage for Whispering Pines, etc.
Vice
President:
The vice president will act in place of the president when the president is
incapacitated, absent, or is called on by the president to act for him or her.
In addition, the vice president will also perform other duties, as assigned by
the president.
Secretary:
The
responsibilities of the secretary are to take minutes of meetings, maintain all
organization records, post the weekly court schedule, and provide copies of
minutes when requested.
Treasurer: The responsibilities of the treasurer are to receive and deposit payments made to the organization, disburse funds to satisfy obligations of the organization, keep all financial records and issue reports on the financial condition of the organization, and make these available to members upon request.
Officer-at-Large: The officer at large will act as a liaison between the memebrship and board and perform duties assigned by the president.
ARTICLE X
Amendments
to the By-Laws or Procedure: Any by-law or procedure can be changed by a simple
majority, when a quorum is present and voting, at any scheduled general
membership meeting.
ARTICLE XI
Rules
of Order: Robert's Rules of Order will not be followed precisely but will be
observed in spirit so as to give everyone a chance to speak on any question
coming before the meeting, especially prior to a vote.
The
secretary will post the court schedule for the coming week by 10 AM every Saturday morning.
It
is the secretary's responsibility to block out all prescheduled court
time
before the court schedule is posted. All requests for pre-scheduled
court time
must be given to the secretary at least forty-eight hours in advance of
the
court schedule posting. The priority for scheduling will be: PLTA/ELS
activities (tournaments and clinics), scheduled league matches,
scheduled league practices, intra-league play, lottery, make-up league
games and then open sign-up. This order is to be used in the event of
scheduling conflicts or a need to extend an unfinished activity.
NOTE:
You do not need to be a member of the Pine Lakes Tennis Association to use the
courts. However, see (e), under Prime Time, below.
1. PRIME TIME (7:30
am to 10:30 am ‑ Monday through Sunday)
(a) When signing up for prime time you must:
(i) Use a pencil.
(ii) Print your last name and first initial.
(b) Players may sign up for themselves and one other person only, for
prime time, Monday through Friday. Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for
men's tennis. Tuesdays are reserved for women's tennis. Thursdays and Fridays
are reserved for mixed tennis.
(c) Players may sign up for only one prime time session per day.
(d) Players may sign up on a per court basis only on Saturdays and
Sundays for prime time. However, during the winter season only,
players are not permitted to sign up for the same time on both Saturday
and Sunday, e.g., if you sign up to play at 7:30 am on Saturday, you cannot
sign up to play at 7:30 am on Sunday, but you can sign up for 9:00 am play.
However, the Relaxation Rule applies, see (g) (ii)‑(iii), below.
(e) During the winter season only, during prime time,
only Pine Lakes residents, house guests, and renter/lessees may sign up for
court time.
(f) Doubles play only is permitted during prime time, Monday
through Sunday. Exception: See Relaxation Rule in (g) (i) ‑ (iii),
below.
(g) Relaxation Rule
(i) If, twenty-four hours prior to play on Monday
through Friday, slots 9‑12 are not full during prime time,
court #3 may be reserved, on a per court basis, for doubles play. Since the
first sign-up under the Relaxation Rule is assigned to court #3, the second
sign-up, when there is room, is assigned to court #2.
(ii) If, twenty-four hours prior to play on Saturday
and Sunday, all courts have not been reserved during prime time, a
court may be reserved for singles as well as doubles play.
(iii) If,
twenty-four hours prior to play on Saturday and Sunday, during the winter
season, all courts have not been reserved, during prime time, a
player may reserve a court for doubles on both Saturday and Sunday.
NOTE 1: If there is an open court during prime time
on the day of play, it may be used on a
first come, first serve basis for either doubles for I and 1/2 hours or singles play for 1 hour. This
applies to the winter as well as the summer season.
NOTE 2: To prevent misunderstandings, when you sign
up for singles or doubles under the Relaxation Rule, draw a diagonal line
through the names‑or circle them with a continuous line. This indicates
that your group will not integrate with the other prime time players at that
time.
(h) Substitution Rule
Please refrain from signing
up when it is unlikely that you will be able to play. If, after you have signed up, you find you cannot play, you
must:
(i) Erase your name as soon
as possible.
(ii) Take the name of the
first substitute (if there is a substitute for that session) and write the name in your former space and erase it in the
substitute section.
(iii) Call the substitute
and inform him or her what you have done.
NOTE: If the first substitute is unavailable, take the name of the second
substitute (if there is one) and repeat steps ii and iii above.
2. OPEN
COURT TIME
(a) After 10:30 am Monday through Sunday, the courts are open for singles, doubles, lessons, practice, leagues, ball machine, etc.
(b) When signing up to play singles, during open court time,
you must:
(i) Use a pencil.
(ii) Mark off one hour under either court 1,2, or 3.
(iii) Print two names and first initials.
(c) When signing up to play doubles, during open court time, you
must:
(i) Use a pencil.
(ii) Mark off one and one-half hours under either court 1, 2, or 3.
(iii) Print four names and first initials.
3. PROCEDURES
FOR PAIRING AND ROTATION
(a) Prime Time ‑ Monday through Friday
(i) Doubles pairings will
initially be determined by a draw of playing cards. Players with the lowest
cards will play on the lowest numbered court and so on. Pairing and Rotation:
All players must be worked in (given an opportunity to participate) so that no
player sits out for more than one set. This applies to the situation when the
number of players signed up for regular prime time tennis is not a multiple of
four.
(ii) Winners will move to the next lower court. Winners in the lowest numbered court do not move. Losers in the highest numbered court do not move. All partners must split up upon each move.
(iii) The first team to win four games wins the right to move or stay put in accordance with the foregoing.
(b) Prime time ‑ Saturday and Sunday ‑
and Open Court Time
(i) Pairing and rotation rules do not apply. Scoring, games
per set, rotation of players, etc., are left to those who have reserved the
court time. *Includes court times reserved under the Relaxation Rule.
4. FORFEIT
RULE
(a) Please show up for play a few minutes ahead of time. When you
are late, you jeopardize your use of the court.
(b) If you are over 5 minutes late to a court reserved for doubles:
(i) If three players have shown up, the court can be used for
modified doubles play.
(ii) If only two of the other signed players have shown up, the
reservation is reduced to an hour for singles play.
(iii) If only one of the signed players has shown up, the court
becomes a free court.
(c) If a player is over five minutes late to a court reserved for
singles play, the court becomes a free court.
(d) If, by the time all signed players have shown up, no other player has claimed the court, the reservation may be reinstated from the original time.
5. BALL MACHINE
Ball machine must be
scheduled only after prime time, preferably on court #2. Sign‑up should include user's name and
the words "Ball Machine." The court may be reserved for up to 1 1/2 hours. See BALL MACHINE, page 11.
6. EQUIPMENT
Please take care of all
court equipment. Brooms and rollers should be stored in the shed provided for them. Carpets should be hung up off the ground
so that they dry out as rapidly as
possible.
The ball machine, blower,
extension cord and even the tennis balls should be used with care and stored away properly after use in the shelter provided
on court #2.
Introduction:
Observing
these precepts of good behavior will likely make the sport of tennis pleasant
and more enjoyable for everyone. The concept of competitiveness does not
encompass rudeness.
1. Loud,
abusive, or profane language, racquet throwing, or hitting balls
indiscriminately is prohibited.
2. Do not hit
stray balls aimlessly to another court. Instead, pick up the ball and hit it so
that it goes directly to one of the players on the other court. However, wait
until players on the other court have completed a point before returning the
stray ball.
3. Returning
a service that is obviously out (and called out) is a form of rudeness and,
when the receiver does this deliberately to bother the server, it is poor
gamesmanship.
4. Players
from other courts and spectators should not cross over from one side of the
court to the other while a match is in progress. They should take the long way
around which is outside the fence.
5. Do not
enter the court while the ball is in play, but wait for a break in the action.
Make your entrance as unobtrusive as possible.
6. Smoking or
spitting anywhere within the fenced court enclosure is not permitted at any
time.
7. The server
should have three balls on his side of the net at the start of a game. The
server's partner and the opponents should help in this regard. Similar good
manners apply to singles play.
8. Once you have signed up for a tournament, make every effort to
honor your commitment to play. Exceptions, such as illness, injury, or personal
emergency, will occur and tournament schedules will be changed accordingly.
9. After a match or a set, which marks the end of competition for two teams or opponents, all participants should approach the net and shake hands with each of the opponents.
Introduction: This code is concerned
with promoting and maintaining fairness and proper court facilities throughout
the sport of tennis at Pine Lakes in the absence of officials. Thus, the
code goes beyond mere enjoyment of the game, but is a strong attempt to ensure
that all players are committed to the principle of equal treatment for
all. Since everyone's own natural interest
is his or her chief interest, the code emphasizes that all doubt must be
resolved in favor of one's
opponents. All abusive, intimidating, or distractive behavior is strictly
prohibited.
General
1 . Do not stall, sulk, or complain. Such demonstrations are not part
of play and should not be used to gain an advantage over your opponent.
Intentional distractions, such as racquet waving, yelling at your opponent,
stamping your feet, etc., made to affect adversely the play of your opponent,
are against the rules.
2. Wear
proper tennis attire, including a shirt and tennis footwear. Bathing suits are
not acceptable tennis clothing.
3. Do not
place towels, clothing, accessories, or equipment over the net posts, net, or
on the court. At the request of an opponent, such items should be removed
immediately.
Ball Calls
4. In returning service, the receiver or his partner may make an out
call on any ball that he or she sees as clearly out.
5. When you are looking across a line, don't call the 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 away and the ball lands within two inches of
the line it is almost impossible for you to call it with accuracy.
6. It is your obligation to call all balls on your side, to help your opponent(s) make calls when it is requested, and to call against yourself any ball that you clearly see out on your opponent's side of the net.
7. No player should question an opponent's call unless asked. Players
are human and mistakes will be made. When an opponent's opinion has been
requested and given, it must be accepted. The opinion of a player
looking down a line is much more likely to be accurate than that of a
player looking across a line.
8. Regardless of how far out a
ball is going, do not catch it or stop it with your racquet until it has hit
the ground. If you do, the rules state that you have lost the point.
9. Calls
involving a ball's touching a player, a player's touching the net, a player's
touching his opponent's court, i.e., invasion, hitting an opponent's return
before it has passed the net, or a double bounce can be very difficult to make
accurately. Any player who becomes aware that he or she has committed a
violation in one of these areas, should announce the violation immediately. In
all of the above areas, the prerogative of decision belongs to the player
involved.
10. A ball is
not out until it is called out. Any ball not called out is good. If you do not
see the ball, you may ask your opponent's opinion; however, when an opponent's
opinion has been asked and given, it must be accepted.
11. Any ball
that cannot be called out is presumed good. A player cannot claim a let on the
basis that he or she did not see the ball. Remember, a ball that is 99.9% out
is 100% good.
12. In
doubles, if one partner calls a ball out and the other partner calls it good,
there is some doubt, therefore, the ball is good.
13. If you call a ball out and then realize it was good, you should
correct your call.
14. If any ball from the opposing side (serve or otherwise) is called out and later the call is reversed, a let must be played if a good return of the ball was made. If the return is not made or is a bad one, the reversal of the call gives the point to the opposing side.
15. Any out or
let call must be made instantaneously. If the return of a serve lands out
(i.e., called out), it is too late to call a let.
16. If you
have any doubt as to whether a ball is out or good, you must give your
opponents the benefit of the doubt and play the ball as good. A let should not
be played.
17. A ball invading your court from another court is the basis for a let and can be called by either side. The ball, however, should roll on, or otherwise hit, your court to legitimate such a call.
18 Do not enlist the aid of spectators in making line calls.
Other
Game Behavior
19. To avoid
controversy over the score, the server should announce, in a voice audible to
all players, the game score (e.g., 30‑40) prior to serving each point.
The set score should be announced (e.g., 5‑4) if set cards are not in use
for the court. This should be done at the beginning of the game.
20. If players
cannot agree on the score, they may go back to the last score on which there
was agreement and resume play from that point. If such a point cannot be found,
they should spin a racquet.
21. The
receiver should make no effort to return the serve if the receiver's partner is
not ready. By inference, if the serve is struck, it indicates that the receiver
was ready. The server and receiver are responsible for the readiness of their
partners.
22. When the
server causes a delay between the first and second serves, the server has one
serve to come. When the receiver causes an unreasonable delay, the server is
awarded two serves. When the delay is caused by outside interference and it is
prolonged, it is the receiver's prerogative to decide if the server has one or
two serves to come.
23. The
receiver or his partner may call footfaults on the server after the server has
been warned once.
INTRA‑LEAGUE PLAY
During
the winter season, a Friday league is operated for the benefit of association
members. The announcement for this league is to be posted during the period
November I through November 15 each year. Details regarding league play, sign‑up
procedures, etc., will be given by the Intra-League Director in this annual
announcement. Any questions should be directed to the Intra-League Director.
INTER‑LEAGUE PLAY
1. Leagues – There are currently five
Inter-community leagues in which Pine Lakes teams participate. as follows:
(1) SWAT League (SWAT: Sophisticated Women At
Tennis) -- A level – 1 team
(2) SWIFT League (SWIFT: Sophisticated Women In Fun Tennis)
– B level – 2 teams
(3)
Men's Red League (A level) – 1 team
(4)
Men's White League (B level) – 2 teams
(5)
Men’s Blue League (B2 level) – 2 or 3 teams
All team members must be
members of the Pine Lakes Tennis Association and residents of
2. Team Sign-ups – A
single sign-up sheet for men’s leagues and one for women’s leagues for the next
fall/winter season will be posted from February 15th through March 1st
of each year.
3. Team Formation:
a. Teams for each league will be compiled from
the above sign-up lists as follows:
SWAT and Red Leagues March 1st through March 10th
SWIFT and White Leagues March 10th through March 20th
Blue League
March 20th through March 30th
b. New teams will be added whenever enough
qualified players sign-up and the league can handle the addition of another
team.
c. Teams may select the number of players for
their team but should not exceed 10. When 2 or more teams are formed, a draft
will be used to assign players to each team and assure balance between the
teams unless otherwise agreed upon by the teams and approved by the PLTA
Commissioner..
d. Each team will choose a captain.
4. Substitutions: Additional
players needed to fill shortages on a team roster for a match may be obtained
by seeking a substitute from any team in a lower league or from the substitute
roster for that league. Players not on other teams and new players coming to
Pine Lakes after teams are established may ask to be placed on a leagues
substitute roster.
5. Adding new team members: Additional
players, from the rosters of lower league teams or as new players become available,
may be added to a team (not to exceed 10), upon mutual agreement of the team
captains for that league or the Commissioner.
6. Team practice times: Team
representatives will work together to assure that each team has the opportunity
to establish a weekly team practice time.
The Pine Lakes Tennis Association owns a ball machine. It is housed in a
locked shelter at the edge of court #2 and is available only for use by
association members. A fund is kept to assure that the machine is properly
maintained in good working order.
The
shelter also has features for accepting and storing balls to be used in the
machine. In addition, the shelter provides storage for the electric blower
which can be used by members to clear debris from the courts.
It
is the responsibility of every member to:
(1) Memorize and keep secure the combination of the
lock for the shelter.
(2) Reserve
court time for ball machine use in increments of one hour up to a maximum of 1
1/2 hours per session when signing up on the sign‑up
sheet. Sign‑up should include user's name and the words "BALL MACHINE." Court #2 should be
used in preference to the other courts. No machine use is permitted during
prime time.
(3) Clean up the area (court) after the ball machine is used. No stray balls nor debris should be left on the court.
(4) Report to any association officer any
malfunction of the ball machine as soon as possible.
A
suggestion box is located on the right side of the tennis bulletin board. The
box is locked and is checked by the association officers. Suggestions and
comments are welcome, but please include your name. An individual response will
be made and then addressed at the next general meeting, if appropriate.
Confidentiality will be honored, if requested.