General

1. The CTL season runs from April 15 through October 15.

2. Each player/team must play one match each calendar month.

a. A player/team in ladder position 1 at the beginning of the month will not be required to play a match that month unless they are challenged, in which case they must accept all challenges in accordance with these rules.

b. If a match is not played during one month, the player/team drops to the bottom of the ladder.

c. For purposes of this rule, April/May and Sept/Oct are treated as one month. This means that a player/team must play only one match during these periods to retain their ladder position. However, if a player/team has already played a match and is challenged again during these 47/45 day periods, they must accept the challenge in accordance with these rules. Players do not have to accept challenges after Oct. 8.

3. A player/team which makes a challenge and wins moves into the ladder position held by the losing player/team when the match ends. All intervening players/teams move down one position.

4. Players may have only one doubles partner on each doubles ladder. Doubles players may not play with subs. A player and a sub constitute a new team and must join and begin play as a new team under these rules.

5. A player/team must provide a local phone number where they can be reached for setting up matches. Most players also provide an email address but some players don't check their email every day. Please call if your email is not answered.

Ladder Chairpersons

1. Ladder chairpersons have the final voice on all questions and disputes arising out of play on their respective ladders.

2. The names and phone numbers of ladder chairpersons appear each month in the newsletter near the ladder standings. Please don't call before 9 am or after 11 pm to obtain names and report matches. Please use the CTL web site www.tennisladder.com for current standings and to obtain ladder chairperson's email addresses. You can use email addresses anytime, 24/7.

Making Challenges

1. Free challenges. Each player/team on a ladder at the start of the season has one free challenge (they may challenge anyone on the ladder). The free challenge must be made and played by May 31. Challengers may not move to a new position as a result of a default on a free challenge. However, the defaulting challenged player/team will drop down one position.

2. New players/teams joining the ladder after April 30 have one free challenge which must be played within one month of joining the ladder.

3a.For Women's Singles and the three Doubles ladders (Women's, Men's, Mixed): Except for free challenges, a player/team may not challenge more than seven positions above their position. On the Men's Double Ladder Only players dropped for inactivity are all considered tied for the same position. They may all challenge seven positions above the line of inactivity as well as amongst themselves.

3b.The Open Singles ladder is a pyramid ladder with tiers. The top tier will have one player, the player at the top of the ladder. Other tiers will have one more player than the tier above it. Open Singles players may challenge players on their tier and the two tiers above them. Players in position 7 and 8 may challenge three tiers above them.

3c.The above rules (3a and 3b) apply even if some of these positions are turned over and, therefore, not available for play.

4. To make a challenge, a player/team should go to www.tennisladder.com or call the appropriate ladder chairperson to obtain the names of the players/teams in their range. Because standings may change quickly, the newsletter listings should not be relied on to make challenges. If a player/team makes and plays a challenge match without first calling the ladder chairperson or going to tennisladder.com and the challenged player/team is out of the challenger's range, the match is null and void for the challengers. The challenged player/team will be credited with a match if the chairperson is notified.

5. You challenge for the position that the player is in after the match is played not the position the player is in when the challenge is made.

6. Challenges should be made within a day or two at most after obtaining the names of players/teams within range. If more time elapses, please make sure the opponent(s) are in range.

7. A player/team may make more than one challenge at a time. However, if someone challenges you, you must accept the challenge even if you have already challenged someone else but not yet played the match.

8. If a player/team makes a challenge and loses the match (by play or default), they must make and play an intervening challenge match or wait seven days before re-challenging the same player/team.

Accepting Challenges

1. As soon as possible, but not more than 48 hours after being challenged, a challenged player/team must offer two reasonable days and times for the match within seven days of the challenge or give a default.

2. A challenged player/team must offer one evening or one weekend time (which one to offer is at their discretion) if the challenged player/team is employed and requests such time.

3. A player/team may accept more than one challenge at a time but may decline challenges if one is already pending. You should tell the challengers that you are already under challenge and, as a courtesy, you should give the challengers the name(s) of the first challengers and the day set for the match. (Remember, a player/team may make a challenge even though they have already accepted a challenge for the same time period.)

Illnesses, Injuries, Vacations, and other Acts of God

Turnovers: If a player/team will be unavailable for play during a period of time, they must report this to the appropriate ladder chairperson who will " turn their name(s) over" during the period they are unavailable. This means that their names will not be given out to challengers by the ladder chairperson and they will not be required to accept challenges during that period. Players/teams who are turned over are still required to play one match during the month.

a. If a player/team fails to notify the ladder chairperson that they want to be turned over, and they are challenged, they must accept the challenge in accordance with these rules or they must give a default.

b. A player/team may be turned over for a maximum of three weeks during a season without losing ladder position for not accepting matches. The three weeks may be used at one time or be divided up as the player/team desires.

Inactive List: If a player/team will be unavailable for play for more than three weeks during a season, they should notify the appropriate ladder chairperson(s). Their names will be put on an inactive list and will not appear in the ladder listing or be given out to challengers. When they are ready to play again, they must challenge back for their old position (or any place below). If they lose, they get the position ten places below the challenged position. Players on the inactive list will not be dropped to the bottom if they do not play a match during a month they are inactive.

Playing Matches

1. Matches are to be played at one of the local courts in the Colesville-White Oak-Cloverly area. Players may mutually agree to play elsewhere.

2. Challengers must furnish new USTA approved tennis balls.

3. All matches will be two out of three sets. The twelve point tie-breaker is played at six all. If all players agree, players may play no-ad or a tie-breaker, usually "ten points wins", in place of a third set.

4. Courtesies: Ten minute warm-up. Please allow enough time for three sets.

5. A match is null and void if, prior to match time, players agree that weather conditions are such that the match is not playable. The challenged player/team must give two additional days and times within the next seven days for a match or give a default, unless they have already turned over.

6. Matches interrupted because of weather, darkness or court time limitations should be continued from the point of interruption within the next seven days unless a player/team is already turned over. If the challenged player/team cannot offer two additional days and times, they must give a default.

Reporting Matches

Winners must notify the ladder chairperson as soon as possible (within 48 hours) after a match is played or after default occurs even if there is no change in ladder position.

Defaults "Default" is not a disgrace. If you can't play, offer a default, not an excuse

1. When a challenged player/team defaults, they drop one ladder position. Except in the case of free challenges, the challenging player/team moves into the position of the defaulting player(s).

2. A default occurs when:

a. A challenged player/team cannot or will not offer two reasonable days and times within the next seven days for a match.

b. A player/team cannot continue a match because of illness, injury or other personal reason.

c. A challenged player/team cancels a match or drops off the ladder before the match is played.

d. A player is more than 15 minutes late for a match.

3. Defaulters cannot count a default as fulfilling the one match per month requirement.