NorCal Leagues operate under two sets of rules: National Rules from USTA, and local league rules, developed by the NorCal Adult League Committee.
National Rules are just that - rules authored at the National level that apply to all nationally sanctioned leagues throughout the country. They are combined in a document called the ULR (USTA LEAGUE REGULATIONS) and are available on-line.
Sectional rules, or "local league" rules, are specific to NorCal. Each league has a specific document posted on the web, with a link on the League page, called the L.L.A.R. (Local League Area Regulations).
The local league rules, or L.L.A.R. cover a variety of issues, from type of tennis balls, to rescheduling rules, to wildcards. Captains need to be very familiar with these rules, and smart captains make sure that their players are informed as well.
Much to the dismay of captains who find the rules cumbersome, new rules are added to the LLAR every year. These new rules typically arise out of situations in which a captain has either innocently misinterpreted, or cleverly exploited some loophole in an existing rule. For those captains who complain about "yet another rule", we would love to embrace the "why can't we all get along" philosophy. However, human nature and the competitive drive being what it is, there may never be a day when we can say we have all the rules we need. And when your team finds itself in the grasp of a confused or manipulative opponent, you will be glad to have the LLAR to back you up! |
