You can read the full league rules below but here is a summary of the key changes for Summer 2026:

1 - Player registration and player lists

The rule - This isn't actually a change but to reinforce that, now the system has been in place for while, we are getting a little stricter with it. Prior to playing all players should be registered correctly with the LTA and be added into the correct team player list, this should ensure that no unknown players are added (unless there is a pre match identified issue with the player's account).

It is the dual responsibility of club admins and captains to make sure this happens.

If it is clear that a player features in a game when not registered correctly then their results will automatically be considered null and void. 

If a team/club consistently fail to add players to their player list or plays unregistered players then their may be a further points deduction or similar penalty.

Finally, if you do receive an email concerning an unknown player please resolve the issue or contact the Committee within 3 days, otherwise their rubber score will be considered null and void.

The reason - It provides a better experience for all captains and players and reduces admin for all. It is also preparing us for if, and when, the LTA remove the 'unknown player' option, which is on their system roadmap.

2 - Start times (see rule 26 for full details)

We've slightly relaxed the rules from last year, so the second and third rubbers aren't forfeited until a little later.

3 - Minimum age requirement

Based on guidance from the LTA we have set a minimum age of 14 for anyone competing in the competition. Players can compete as soon as they turn 14, even if this is after the competition start date.

League information, governance and administration

1.  The Dunlop Cleveland Tennis League’s annual programme of events will be dependent on the number of entries received, but principally include a men’s, women’s and mixed league, cup competitions and junior events.

Current planned programme of events:

·    Summer league – men’s, women’s and mixed

·    Summer cup competitions – men’s (the Cleveland Cup), women’s (the Ringrose Wharton Cup) and mixed (the William Morris Cup).

·    Autumn league – men’s and women’s

·    Veterans league – mixed

The structure of each competition may differ due to the number of teams that enter and therefore may vary each year. Typically, the cup competitions are straight knockout, and each league is split into multiple divisions (where necessary), with divisions limited to 8 teams, where possible. In the league structure teams may play each other twice (home and away) or just once, with the location determined by the scheduling.

2.  Trophies are awarded for the Summer League, cup competitions and the Veteran’s League. These trophies are to be held by the club for the period of one year. In the event of a tie for any championship of any division, the tying clubs shall each hold the appropriate trophy for a proportionate part of the year.

If they’ve received a trophy a club representative must sign a receipt to confirm acceptance. If clubs fail to return that trophy the following season, they will be fined £50.

3.  The Dunlop Cleveland Tennis League (referred to as ‘the League’) is managed by the League Management Committee (referred to as ‘the Committee’). The Committee are a group of volunteers and will consist of: 

·       The President

·       Chairperson

·       Secretary

·       Treasurer

In addition, members of the affiliated clubs will be invited to join, with no more than two members allowed per club. The committee membership is capped at nine.

The Committee’s main role is to ensure the smooth running of the league on behalf of the clubs and have the final decision relating to disputes of any kind.

4.  An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held, at a suitable time prior to the season commencing. Three key actions of the AGM are to:

·       Report the financial position of the League

·       Deal with any other league business raised by the Committee or those present

·       Elect the Committee members for the year ahead

We would encourage every club affiliated to the League or applying for affiliation to be represented by a club official, each attendee is only able to represent one club at the AGM.

Anyone wishing to put their name forward, or nominate another, to join the Committee should do so in writing prior to the AGM and within the timescales provided beforehand.  A vote will then be cast either during, or prior to, the AGM to agree the make-up of the Committee.

5.  The Committee will meet throughout the year to discuss League business. A quorum shall consist of four, for purposes of these meetings.

6.  Clubs will be invited to propose changes to the League rules prior to the start of the season (or, if necessary, at an alternative time). These proposals will be considered by the Committee and will be implemented, rejected or, if felt appropriate, put forward for all clubs to vote on.

If the Committee feel it is necessary, then League rules may be amended during the course of the season.

7.  The Committee will inform any defaulting club of any rules that have been broken, for not complying with the league rules or decisions by the Committee. If a rule within this handbook or the Code of Conduct is found to be breached by a club or individual then the Committee will determine what action to take. This could include, but not limited to, a player’s individual match results being voided, a player’s full results being voided, a team or club points deduction, a player ban, relegating a club or withdrawing their league status.

Other than in exceptional circumstances (at the sole discretion of the Committee) any team failing to attend three or more league fixtures within a season for any reason other than weather or ground conditions will be relegated at the end of the season.

A club can submit a complaint concerning the League, the Committee or any other club or individuals following any incident(s) that may occur and will be investigated by the Committee. This process is outlined in the Complaints and Disciplinary Policy document.

 Joining the league, submitting entries and withdrawals

8.  Any club applying for League membership for the first time must contact the Committee who will consider the application. Particular consideration will be paid to geographical location and consider the impact on travel for existing clubs.

9.  Every tennis club wishing to enter any team into the League must be affiliated to the LTA. This process ensures that all clubs meet the LTA's minimum standards. Link to the LTA information.

10. Annual subscriptions for league and cup competitions will be confirmed to clubs at the start of the year (prior to asking for team entries).

11. Prior to a competition starting clubs will be invited to submit team entries before the given deadline. Any entries received after the deadline may result in a team not being included in the event.

12. If, for any reason, a team is withdrawn from the league without completing its fixtures in any particular section (i.e. men’s, women’s or mixed), then all matches in that section, in which the team concerned has already played, will be considered as not having taken place and the record of these matches withdrawn and league tables amended as necessary.

13. If a club disbands, or amalgamates with another club already in the league, the disbanding club must withdraw all of its teams from the league.

Player registration and eligibility

14. Each player wishing to partake in the league must:

• Be a bona fide member of the club they represent. If a club has multiple venues then they must be a member of the local venue that plays within the League

• Have an LTA player plus membership (or equivalent)

• Link their account to the club/venue they are representing

• Have registered with a World Tennis Number

• Agree to abide with the League Code of Conduct

• Be 14 years of age, or older (as per LTA guidance)

Coaches may represent their club but must be bona fide members of that club and shall not be paid or compensated for the hours lost in playing matches.

It is the responsibility of each club to ensure each player meets this criteria. If a player is found to not fit the criteria above then the Committee may consider all of their matches to be null and void and be awarded to the opposing team.

A player is eligible to feature in a men’s, women’s and mixed competition as defined by the LTA’s ‘transgender and non-binary individuals policy’.

15. Results will be recorded in the LTA’s competition management system (referred to as the ‘system’). Clubs who enter the league must agree to the timely upkeep of the system, as outlined throughout these rules.

16. Prior to each match it is the responsibility of each club to ensure their players are added to the team’s player list and, if there is an issue with this addition, it is raised with the Committee as soon as possible and before a player features in a match. This ensures a smooth process when adding results. Any team who repeatedly fails to do this may face a penalty, to be decided by the League.

17. A player who plays for one club in a particular section (e.g. women's Summer League) is permitted to play in the mixed section (e.g. mixed Summer League) for another club, as long as they are members of both clubs. For clarity, a section is deemed to mean either men’s, women’s or mixed

18. A player who has represented one club in a particular section of a particular competition (for example, women’s Summer League) may only subsequently play for another club in that section of the same competition following a transfer of their playing membership. A transfer request must be sent by the player’s new club and the League will seek confirmation from the player’s old club before agreeing to the transfer. If a player represents another club without, or prior to, the League ratifying the transfer their results shall be considered null and void.

Please note that the Summer, Autumn and Veteran’s competitions are considered separate. Therefore, a player can represent one club in a section (e.g. men’s) within the Summer competition and play for a different club in the same section in the Autumn or Veteran’s League without the need of a transfer.

However, the Summer league and cup events are considered part of the same competition, a player may not represent a different club in the same section (e.g. men’s) of the league and cup competitions. In the event of this happening the player will only be considered eligible for whichever club he represents first, and any rubbers played while ineligible will be considered null and void.

19. Players may only complete one transfer throughout the duration of a competition and only if both clubs concerned have more than three games remaining.

20. In each league competition a player will no longer be able to play for a team if they have played a certain number of matches for a higher ranked team (referred to as ‘being tied’). The number of matches before they are tied is determined by the rules for that particular competition.  For clarity, ranking is based on the league in which they feature, or if in the same league, the higher placed team from the previous year’s competition. Therefore, the A team is ranked higher then B, which is ranked higher than C and so on.

These appearances could be accumulated while playing across multiple teams and not just one. For example, if the competition rule states that a player is tied on their third appearance then they can’t play ‘down’ or play for a lower ranked team once they’ve played this third match. In this scenario if a player features for the C,B,A and then B team they are considered to have played three matches above the C team level and therefore will not be eligible for the C team again that season, but can still play for the B until they have played a further two A team matches.

If a player features in any matches for which they were not eligible then their results will be considered null and void and the match awarded to the opposition as a walkover.

21. In a cup competition if a club enters multiple teams a player may only feature for one team per round and they will be considered tied after just one match and be unable to play for a lower ranked team throughout the rest of the competition.

 Fixtures and replaying matches

22. Prior to the start of the league competitions the Committee will compile the league tables and fixtures. Every effort will be made to allow for the promotion and relegation of two teams from each division from the previous season’s competition. However, a workable number of teams in each division will take precedence. This may result in promotion or relegation not adhering to two teams. To protect the integrity of the league structure, in the majority of situations, no more than two teams from each club will be placed in a division. In the scenario whereby a promotion or relegation can lead to this situation occurring, typically only one team will be promoted and relegated.

23. Before each competition commences the Committee will ask clubs to provide, in a timely manner, any dates on which they are unable to fulfil a fixture and, if requested, the reasons why. The Committee will try to accommodate each request but due to scheduling restrictions it may not always be possible.

24. Each team will be asked to provide a day of the week for their home matches. In most circumstances no games will be scheduled on a Bank Holiday weekend and teams who’s designated home match day is a Monday will be asked to provide an alternative day of the week should it be required.

25. The schedule and dates for each competition may vary each year and will be confirmed prior to the start of each competition, but as a general guide:

·    Summer League runs from late April/early May until late July/early August

·    Autumn League runs from September until October

·    Veterans League is split into two phases. The first in November/early December and second from late January/early February to the end of February/early March

26. Across all competitions there are three different start times:

·    Morning matches (from 10:30am)

·    Afternoon matches (from 2pm BST or 1pm otherwise)

·    Evening matches (from 6:30pm)

If any pair/individual is not present at this start time (e.g. in the case of an evening match, 6:30pm) then that rubber will be forfeited. Please note the start time is when the first point of the match is to be played. Should teams wish to warm up they must make plans to arrive prior to the start time.

Subsequent rubbers will be forfeited if pairs/individuals are a further 30 minutes late.  So, in the case of an evening match the second rubber will be forfeited at 7pm and the third rubber at 7:30pm.

Please see the individual competition sections to establish when matches are played.

27. The venue of a match (i.e. switching the home and away teams) may be changed by mutual consent of the two clubs concerned.

28. The only reasons for which a match may be postponed are weather or ground conditions. Should a match not be played for any other reason, unless agreed by the Committee, the defaulting team will be considered the losers. In the case of a league match the ‘winners’ will be awarded the maximum number of points available, or in a cup game they will proceed to the next round (or be declared the competition winner, in the case of a final). The Committee reserve the right to consider each case in isolation and, in exceptional circumstances, may decide another action is more appropriate

29. There may be occasions where the Committee agrees that games can be rearranged if there is a clash with an event that impacts multiple clubs.  For example, an England football game at a major tournament.  In most cases this needs to be agreed by both teams and the Committee will confirm when the match should be rearranged.

30. The responsibility for deciding if courts are fit for play rests with the home captain. It is up to both captains to communicate any decision effectively so that every effort is made to prevent anyone travelling. A match should not be cancelled any earlier than 90 minutes before the start time (e.g. for evening matches with a 6:30 start time a decision should not be made prior to 5pm). In the event of deterioration in the weather after the arrival of the away team, both captains must agree that court conditions are safe and fit for play in order for the match to go ahead or to continue once started.

31. Any match which has commenced, but is abandoned due to weather or ground conditions, will stand (and be considered completed) if a certain number of rubbers have been played. With the remaining rubbers that have not completed to be considered drawn and any points shared. The number of rubbers played to meet this threshold will differ per competition and will be outlined within that section of the rules. This also applies when floodlights go off during a rubber.

32. League competitions have a gap week, or several gap weeks, built into the schedule.  When a match is postponed it must be rearranged on the system within 3 days, by the home team captain, who must inform the away captain within this time period. These games must be rearranged to take place no later than during the next available gap week, ideally on the same day of the week as the original fixture, however this is up to the discretion of the home team. Matches can be rearranged for an earlier date, outside of a gap week, if both teams agree.

The only scenarios in which a gap week does not have to be used for a rearranged match is if:

·    All of a club's match days are already filled by rearranged fixtures (in other words the venue has no availability) or

·    Either team already has a rearranged game scheduled that week which would result in them having to play on consecutive days

In these circumstances the game must be played in the following available gap week, or if no gap weeks are available, the week after the official season end. If necessary, teams may be required to play more than one match in this week to ensure the league fixtures are completed. The aim is always to complete the season within the agreed dates. So, we always encourage clubs to rearrange matches before the end of the season, playing two matches in the same week, where possible.

If the home team fails to rearrange the match during or before the suitable gap week and therefore the fixture does not get played when it should, then the match will be awarded to the away team.

For clarity and as an example: if the league’s two gap weeks are in week 5 and 10 and a team’s game is postponed in week 3, then they will need to reschedule and replay in week 5. In the event that this gap week is already full then it will be moved to week 10.

Cup matches should be rearranged for the following week.

Cross competition rules

33. In each competition every effort should be made to field a full set of players. If a team is unable to do so, then it is preferrable to play with as many players as is possible. Any rubbers which cannot be played as a result will be considered a walkover and awarded to the opposition.

34. All attempts should be made to complete all rubbers where possible. If it is felt that there is a possibility that a rubber may not be completed due to weather, ground conditions, poor light etc then captains can decide to shorten rubbers accordingly, for example, rubbers normally played to 8 games can be played to 6, or 4 instead. Please note that the scoring structure should not be altered. For example, if the rubber structure is to play 2 standard sets then it is possible to shorten each set, but it should not be agreed that only one set is to be played.

If the factors mentioned above are not an issue then matches should follow the scoring structure for the specific competition as stated in these rules at all times, even if both captains agree to any changes. It is the responsibility of both captains to ensure the correct structure is followed.

If this rule has been breached then, upon investigation, the Committee may choose to null and void the game, resulting in either, or both teams, receiving no points, or in case of a cup competition, one or both teams may be withdrawn from the event.

35. For each match a minimum of 2 courts shall be made available (please see individual competition rules) and the home team shall provide 4 new Dunlop balls, of good quality, per court.

36. Where more than one type of court is available, the home team captain shall decide which to use. Indoor courts are permitted but are only to be utilised if both team captains agree.

37. If, during a match, any pairing shall fail to complete any rubber or rubbers for any reason other than weather or ground conditions, those incomplete rubbers shall be awarded to their opponents, as a walkover.

38. The home captain shall determine at the start of each round of rubbers whether to play under floodlights. Floodlights may be turned on during a rubber, but this must be agreed by both captains.

39. Throughout the match the away team pairs will remain on the same court and the home team will be expected to change for each rubber played.

40. It is the responsibility of the home team to enter a result online within 5 days of the fixture being played. If something is preventing them from doing so they must contact the League to inform them and/or add an announcement on the system. If a club or team consistently fail to do this then action, including point deductions, may be taken.

41. All efforts must be made to add a named player when entering a result on the system, as all players should be added before the fixture is played. However, if a player can’t be found they can be recorded as an ‘unknown player’. It is then the responsibility of the unknown player’s captain to resolve the situation within 3 days of the result being entered, informing the League of any issues. If this timeframe is not met and the League haven’t been contacted then the rubber may be considered null and void and awarded to the opposition.

42. If two, or more, teams are tied on points at the end of the season then the final position shall be decided by the head-to-head results between the teams involved. This will be based on a total number of rubbers won against each other, e.g. if Team A were to lose 4-5 against Team B but then beat them 6-3 in the second meeting, Team A would finish higher. If teams are level in the head-to-head then the team with most rubbers shall be placed higher.

If teams still can’t be split and if the final placings may impact potential promotion, relegation or a title win then a play-off shall be arranged between both teams. Rules of the play off are as follows:

·   The Committee shall decide, via a random method, the home team

·   The match will be scheduled by the Committee to be played within two weeks of the final game of the season

·   The match will be played with the same scoring system as in the league stages. If necessary, and if rubbers are level, a doubles champions tie break (first to 10) will be played to decide the winner

·    Players featuring in the play-off must have played at least 2 matches for the team during the season and the tied rule still applies

In the highly unlikely event that more than two teams cannot be separated by points or head-to-head then the Committee will consider the best way of separating teams depending on the situation.

 Summer League

1.  Men’s and women’s matches are to be played on weekday evenings (Monday-Friday) and mixed matches are to be played on weekend afternoons (Saturday & Sunday).

2.  It is the requirement that three courts are available for a Summer League fixture for the duration of the match.

3.  A team’s match day squad shall consist of 3 pairs (so 6 players), each playing a rubber against each of the other opponent’s pairings. Therefore, a match shall consist of 9 rubbers. The designated order of matches are as follows:

Home 1 vs Away 1

Home 2 vs Away 2

Home 3 vs Away 3

Home 2 vs Away 1

Home 3 vs Away 2

Home 1 vs Away 3

Home 3 vs Away 1

Home 1 vs Away 2

Home 2 vs Away 3

4.  Each rubber, unless changed due to weather/ground conditions, is won by the first team to reach 8 games with a minimum two-game lead. Should a rubber reach 8-8 then a standard (first-to-seven points) tiebreak is played to decide the winner, this is recorded as a 9-8 scoreline.

5.  In the event of a match being abandoned due to ground/either conditions it shall be considered completed and the result will stand if either six or more rubbers have been completed or if a team has won the tie by winning five rubbers.  If the match is abandoned after this point then any remaining rubbers will be halved and the result entered as normal. If the match is abandoned prior to this criteria having being met then it will need to be rearranged and will restart with no score.

6.  For every rubber won a team shall receive two points and, if a rubber is drawn due to weather/ground conditions, each team will receive a point. The team with the most points gained during the match shall receive a four-point winning bonus. If the points total is tied both teams shall receive two points.

7.  A player can only represent one of the club’s teams in the same section (e.g. men’s) in each of the first four weeks of the season. From week five they may represent multiple teams in a single week, if they are still eligible.  As an example, if a player has represented the club’s B team in game week one they cannot play for another team until week two, and likewise they can only represent one team in that game week. A player can represent a different team until tied, so in the first four weeks a player may, for example, play for the C, B and A team, as long as they only feature for one team in that game week.

A player is considered tied once they have played for a team at a higher ranked level for the third time. Please see the player eligibility section of the rules for more details.

 Summer Cup competitions

1.  Clubs may enter multiple teams into the cup competition, but please be aware of the eligibility rules for cup events, as highlighted in the player eligibility section of the rules.

2.  It is the requirement that three courts are available for a men’s and mixed cup fixture, while two is required for a women’s cup fixture.

3.  The cup draws will be made prior to the start of the season and, where possible, during the AGM.

4.  For each draw the previous season’s finalists will be classed as the two seeded teams. If there was no competition in the previous season, or if one or more of those finalists choose not to enter, then seeding will be determined by the final league position of the previous season’s league competition.

The draw will be made at random, with the exception of the two seeded teams being placed at opposite ends of the draw, ensuring they won’t play until the final. Depending upon the number of teams entering it may be necessary for some teams to receive a bye, and this will be incorporated into the draw, with the seeded teams receiving any initial byes that are available.  For example, should 14 teams enter then two teams will receive a bye to the second round.

5.  All efforts will be made to evenly share home and away fixtures throughout the competition. The first team drawn out in each pairing will be nominated as the home team. In subsequent rounds home and away teams may be switched to avoid any club playing two subsequent away matches, the League will confirm this once each round is completed. Should two teams meet who would both play subsequent away matches then the team ‘higher up’ in the draw structure will be awarded the home tie.

6.  The schedule of the cup competitions shall be announced at the beginning of the season. They may run parallel with the league competition or be played before or after the league event.

7.  The men’s and women’s cup ties are to be played on Sunday mornings. The mixed cup ties are to be played on Saturday afternoons.

8.  In each competition each rubber, unless changed due to weather/ground conditions, is won by the first team to reach 8 games with a minimum two-game lead. Should a rubber reach 8-8 then a standard (first-to-seven points) tie break is played to decide the winner, this is recorded as a 9-8 scoreline.

9.  The men’s cup will comprise of a team of 4 players. Each player will be ranked from 1 to 4, based on their WTN singles ranking. The match will consist of four singles rubbers (player 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3 and 4 vs 4) and two doubles rubbers (1&2 vs 1&2 and 3&4 vs 3&4).

The team to reach four rubbers will be classed as the winner. If a match is tied at 3-3 in rubbers, a deciding singles Champions (first-to-10) tiebreak will be played between a representative from each team - as nominated by the captain.

10. The women’s cup will comprise of a team of 4 players, split into pairs (so pair 1 and pair 2). Each pair plays the opposition pairs, so four doubles rubbers are played in total.

The team to reach three rubbers will be classed as the winner. If a match is tied at 2-2 in rubbers then a deciding doubles Champions (first-to-10) tiebreak will be played. One player from each pair shall contest this tiebreak, i.e. one player from pair 1 and one player from pair 2, and are to be decided by the captain

11. The mixed cup will comprise of a team of 6 players, split into mixed pairs. Each pair plays each of the opposition pairs, so nine doubles rubbers are played in total. The team to win five rubbers will be classed as the winner.

12. In the event of a match being abandoned due to ground/weather conditions it shall be considered played, and the result will stand if:

·    In a men’s tie four rubbers have been completed

·    In a women’s tie if three rubbers have been completed

·    In a mixed game either six or more rubbers have been completed or if a team has won the tie by reaching five rubbers.

If the match is abandoned after this point then any remaining rubbers will be halved and the result will stand. If the match is abandoned prior to this criteria having being met then it will need to be rearranged and will restart with no score. Likewise, if the game is abandoned and the tie is still level then a replay will be required.

 Autumn League

1.  The league is primarily a mid-week league, so all clubs with floodlights must choose a midweek evening to play (i.e. Monday-Friday), while clubs without floodlights can select a weekend morning (Saturday or Sunday).

2.  It is the requirement that two courts are available for an Autumn League fixture.

3.  A team’s match day squad shall consist of 2 pairs (so 4 players), each playing a rubber against each of the other opponent’s pairings. Therefore, a match shall consist of 4 rubbers.

4.  Each rubber, unless changed due to weather/ground conditions, is played over two standard sets (first-to-six games), including a standard first-to-seven tiebreak if level at 6-6. However, a sudden death point will be played when any game reaches deuce. The team that wins this point wins the game – therefore there is no advantage point played. On the sudden death point the receiving team chooses which side the server will serve from (i.e. deuce or advantage side). However, the receiving team are not permitted to swap sides

If the rubber is tied at one set all a Champions (first-to-ten) tiebreaker is played to decide the winner. Please note this tie-breaker is only played if the rubber is tied at one set each.

5.  In the event of a match being abandoned due to ground/weather conditions it shall be completed and the result will stand if at least two rubbers have been completed. Any rubbers that cannot be completed after this due to weather/ground conditions will be halved.  If two rubbers are not completed then the match will need to be rearranged.

6.  For every rubber won a team shall receive two points and, if a rubber is drawn due to weather/ground conditions each team will receive a point. The team with the most points gained during the match shall receive a four-point winning bonus. If the points total is tied both teams shall receive two points each.

7.  A player is considered tied once they have played at a higher ranked level for the second time. Please see the eligibility section of the rules for more details.

8.  Teams without floodlight facilities can nominate a Saturday or Sunday as their home match day. If they wish, and if agreed with the opposition, they can switch to the away venue and it be played during the week (it will need to be moved earlier in the schedule as weekend fixtures are considered as the last games of that week). Once this has been agreed and updated in the system that fixture date must be adhered to and can only be postponed due to weather/ground conditions. If either club is unable to fulfil this new fixture date it will be awarded to the opposition.

 Veteran’s league

1.  Veteran’s matches are to be played on weekend afternoons (Saturday & Sunday).

2.  If necessary, and depending upon entries and scheduling, the Veteran’s league will be split into two phases of fixtures. The first half is to be completed in October and November and the remaining games to be played the following year, normally end of January and February. This plan may differ each time the event is held.

3.  It is the requirement that two courts are available for a Veteran League fixture.

4.  All participants must be at least 45 years of age on 1st September of the year the competition starts.

5.  A team’s match day squad shall comprise of 4 players (2 men and 2 women). Teams play one men’s doubles and one women’s doubles. The team then form 2 mixed doubles pairs who play against the opponent’s pairings – so four mixed doubles rubbers. Therefore, in total six rubbers are played.

6.  Each rubber, unless changed due to weather/ground conditions, is won by the first team to reach 8 games with a minimum two-game lead. Should a rubber reach 8-8 then a standard (first-to-seven points) tie break is played to decide the winner, this is recorded as a 9-8 scoreline.

7.  A match is considered played if either four or more rubbers have been completed. Any rubbers that cannot be completed after this due to weather/ground conditions will be halved.  If four rubbers are not completed then the match will need to be rearranged.

8.  For every rubber won a team shall receive two points and, if a rubber is drawn due to weather/ground conditions each team will receive a point. The team with the most points gained during the night shall receive a four-point winning bonus. If the points total is tied both teams shall receive two points.

9.  A player is considered tied once they have played at a higher ranked level for the second time. Please see the eligibility section of the rules for more details.