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Clare Richardson

Court Regulations download pdf version here

1. DRESS
Shoes and each item of tennis clothing must be recognised tennis wear. No heavy ribbed training shoes are permitted.

2. COURT AVAILABILITY
MATCH COURTS open at 2.00pm
OTHER GRASS COURTS open at 11.00am
DOME COURTS open 7.30am - 10.45pm
ALL-WEATHER COURTS open at 8.00am
CHANGING ROOMS open 10.00am

3. MATCH COURTS
i Prior to Club Finals Day, designated grass match courts may only be used for social tennis on Committee authority.

ii Match courts are normally Courts 1 to 4 inclusive. At any particular time or times the Committee may, at its discretion, designate any other three grass courts as match courts, provided that Courts 1 to 4 are then available for social play.

4. OUTDOOR COURT BOOKING
A GENERAL
In all cases, the booking sheet must be completed with start time whenever play commences, even if courts are vacant at such time. No booking may be made unless all players are free and ready for immediate play. Bookings for future starting times are not permitted except where they are consecutive from existing bookings. Players may knock up on a vacant court without booking, but they have no status on such courtand may be displaced by any booking (including singles or juniors). No player can be named or included in more than one booking.

B SENIOR DOUBLES
i Subject to rule 3 (match courts), all outdoor courts are available for booking by 4 senior players for a period of 45 minutes.

ii Players may remain on court beyond the 45 minute period booked until such time as they are displaced by another set of players taking over the court with a new booking. Consecutive bookings on the same court by the same players are not permitted.

iii Two or more seniors playing with juniors shall be deemed a senior four for booking rights.

iv SAVE AS IN 4C, 4D AND 7, SENIOR FOURSOMES HAVE PRIORITY ON COURT

C SENIOR SINGLES AND THREESOMES
i When 4 or more grass courts are available for social play to members, singles and threesomes have equal booking rights with foursomes on all courts for normal 45 minute booking periods commencing up until 5.30pm on weekdays and Saturdays and up to 12.30pm on Sundays. If the grass is not in play, equal booking rights apply only to courts 5 and 6 for the same periods; on court 7, the normal priority for foursomes applies.

ii Outside these times singles and threesomes have equal booking rights with foursomes for normal 45 minute booking periods on the all-weather courts only when grass is in play; and on court 5 ONLY when grass is not in play.

iii In addition, from Finals Day until the end of the grass court season, if the grass courts are in play, singles shall have equal booking rights on one grass court (no. 8 nearest the railway) at weekends and during weekday evenings.

iv At all other times singles may be played on a vacant Court until such times as a legitimate booking is made.

D JUNIORS
i Juniors have equal booking rights with seniors for booking periods up to 5.30pm on weekdays, up to and including 12.30pm at weekends and at all times on all-weather courts when not less than 4 grass courts are available for social play.

ii When grass is not in play, seniors have priority for bookings commencing after 12.30pm at weekends and after 5.30pm on weekdays.

iii Juniors may only bring one visitor at a time.

iv Juniors may not use match courts save when representing Ealing LTC in a Club match, or when deemed a senior 4 under rule 4B(iii).

v Juniors of 12 or under are not allowed in the dome unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

vi Juniors 12 years and under must by accompanied by a parent/responsible senior at all times.

5. INDOOR COURTS (DOME)
i See separate Dome Booking Rules and procedure displayed in the clubhouse and on the Club Web site (www.ealingtennis.com). Juniors have equal booking rights to seniors, provided all due fees are paid. Non-payment of fees for dome courts is grounds for suspension and/or expulsion from membership.

ii For the Summer season (end of April to mid-September - the period when there is dome block booking) if dome courts are not booked in advance, they may be utilised by members free of charge (even when lights are required) for normal 45 minute booking periods as for outside courts. Advance bookings by members or approved outside bodies may be made upon payment of off-peak fees. Such bookings shall take precedence over free use, but may not be made for immediate play if that would displace a free booking already in play, or already made and waiting to play.

6. VISITORS
The Club member introducing a visitor is wholly responsible for the payment of the visitor's fee before play and for the visitor's adherence to Club rules including the dress code.

7. OUTSIDE TOURNAMENTS
i A recognised outside tournament match involving a Club member or members may be played to conclusion when the grass courts are in play:

a) On any weekday with the exception of Wednesday evenings after 5.30pm commencement time

b) On weekend mornings up to 12 noon commencement time.

ii In the Winter season (mid-September to end of April) outside tournament matches involving a Club member or members may be played to conclusion on all-weather courts on weekend mornings up to 12 noon commencement time.

iii If grass courts are not in play, there is no priority for outside tournaments, unless a dome court is booked and paid for.

iv No visitors' fees are required in respect of the opponents.

v Outside tournament fixtures (with times) must be booked in advance with the Tournaments and Fixtures Secretary, who will check any potential conflicts and sanction the booking. The time and date will then be displayed on the monthly playing schedule in the clubhouse.

vi No more than one such tournament match may be booked and played at any one time.

8. CLUB TOURNAMENT

i Throughout the Tournament priority will be given to Tournament matches - i.e. Tournament players may immediately displace social players on any court which has not been reserved for non-tournament play, except on Wednesday evenings.

ii The court reservation arrangements when the Tournament is up to schedule will be as follows:

- All courts available - one grass court and one all-weather court will be reserved for Tournament play, except on Wednesday evenings, when one grass court and two all-weather courts will be reserved

- All-weather and grass courts available - one dome court will be reserved for non-tournament play, except on Wednesday evenings, when one dome court will be reserved

- Dome courts only available - no dome court will be reserved for non-tournament play, except on Wednesday evenings when one dome court will be reserved

iii When the Tournament is not up to schedule, or in special circumstances, the Tournament Committee has the right to change these reservation arrangements

iv Members are advised when planning tournaments on weekday evenings to arrange for the earliest possible time in order to maximise the use of courts

9. CONDUCT
Members should refrain from using loud or bad language and from abusing equipment.

10. COACHING
Coaching arrangements and courts will be displayed on the Club noticeboard.

A COMMITTEE MEMBER MAY SUSPEND OR AMEND THE ABOVE RULES ON A TEMPORARY BASIS TO MEET EXTRAORDINARY CONDITIONS

COURT ETIQUETTE
1. Don't fetch balls or walk behind (still less onto) a court in play, wait for the point to be finished, say 'excuse me' and hurry behind the court.

2. If waiting to play on a court, wait off the court until the game in progress at the time has been completed.

3. Check the balls - if any on the court are not yours, return them to the back of the correct court if you know it; if not, ask the neighbouring courts, but not while play is in progress.

4. When you have finished your game, leave the court quickly and quietly. Chatting at the back of the court not only delays the incoming game, it also disturbs other courts.

5. If no-one is playing on the grass court when you leave it, wind down the net to release the tension; this prolongs the life of the nets, the posts and the courts.