ITA Rule updates discussed during the ITA Convention meetings held in Naples, FL in December 2009 and the Operating Committee meetings held in Athens, GA in May 2010. The following have been adopted/clarified and may not appear in the published edition of 2010 Friend at Court: New wording in bold
ITA Rule I. E.9. (page 245) Player outbursts may be penalized. An official, following an appeal, who hears a verbal outburst or grunting that is loud enough to disrupt play on a neighboring court, shall caution the player that subsequent outbursts shall be penalized under the ITA Point Penalty System. If a loud outburst is in a language that the official does not understand, the official shall caution the player that further foreign language outbursts that are not understood by the official will be penalized as unsportsmanlike conduct under the ITA Point Penalty System.
ITA Rule I.P.(page 250). Eligibility for Collegiate Competition. Only players who are considered eligible for intercollegiate competition at the time of entry: by their school; their conference (if any); AND by their national governing body (e.g. NCAA or NAIA) shall be eligible to participate in ITA sanctioned events and regional and national collegiate championships. This rule applies equally to players who are playing "unattached".
ITA Rule II.B. 7. (page 252) Home coach is responsible for spectator conduct. The home coach shall make sure that the behavior of the spectators remains fair and non-abusive. Under no circumstances may alcoholic beverages be permitted at the site of a collegiate tennis match. Failure of the coach to insure proper behavior shall result in the application of the ITA Point Penalty System against the home team and in extreme cases, forfeiture of the match.
ITA Rule II.D.1. (page 254) Practice Courts. Practice the day before or the morning before the match. Upon request, the host school, at its expense, shall make a minimum of 2 practice courts available to the visiting team. The practice courts shall be the same courts that will be used in the match or if not possible due to extenuating circumstances, courts of similar quality and surface shall be secured. Practice courts must be made available:
- for a minimum of two hours the day before the scheduled match; and
- for a minimum of one hour on the morning of the match.
The visiting coach must request these arrangements in writing at least one week before his team’s arrival. The only exception is if circumstances governing varsity court usage renders compliance impossible. This must be confirmed in writing by the Director of Athletics of the host school. If the visiting school requests to practice 2 days prior to the match date, the expense will be the responsibility of the visiting team.
ITA Rule IV.A. (page 262)Withdrawal from ITA National Intercollegiate Event.
A. Withdrawal from ITA National Intercollegiate Event
1. Once a player accepts an invitation, he/she cannot withdraw within 7 days prior to the start of the event except in extreme academic circumstances attested to by the Dean’s office (in this case the ITA office shall be notified in writing by the Dean’s office immediately).
2. Any withdrawal due to physical injury or sickness shall be made with written documentation from physician and athletic department, which shall be provided to the ITA office within 24 hours of injury.
3. A player shall not accept entry if injured and not sure if he can play except with the written approval of the ITA office. In this case, if approval is granted, the coach must notify the ITA office by phone and fax no later than eight days before the start of the main draw event, if the player is still injured and not fully recovered at that point. 4. Failure to follow these rules will result in two losses in the ITA Rankings and the suspension of the player from the participation in the next ITA national event4. Failure to follow these rules will result in:
- a letter of reprimand to the Head Coach with a copy sent to the school’s
Athletic Director; and
- a fine to the Head Coach in the amount of $500.
ITA Rule II.K.9. (page 264-265) Appeals concerning unfair line-ups. … A coach has the right to appeal a protest ruling made by an ITA Ranking Committee to the National Ranking Committee (for rulings made by Regional Ranking Committees) or to the ITA Operating Committee (for rulings made by the National Ranking Committee). There are no appeals permitted to rulings made by the National Rankings Committee.
ITA Rule II. B.13.a.iii (pg 258) Determining playable outdoor weather conditions.
iii. When no indoor back-up is available, the match must be played outdoors. unless weather conditions are hazardous. If play is suspended due to weather conditions, it is suggested that play resume within two hours of the delay.
ITA Rule II.C.1. (pg. 259) Varsity quality tennis facility. A varsity quality tennis facility is one used exclusively for tennis. The playing surface shall be of hard court construction, designed specifically for tennis, and coated with a recognized tennis surface. The only lines on the playing surface shall be standard tennis court lines, including USTA approved 36’ and 60’ (QuickStart) lines within the same color family as the interior court. A multi-purpose recreational facility is not acceptable…
Rule Clarification:
ITA Rule I.H.1.c. (page 255) Medical Time-Out.In all Divisions, a player may have one Medical Time-Out during the warm-up and another Medical Time-Out during the match for the same condition, following USTA Rules.
Interpretation of the Division I Medical Time-Out Rule: A player may take a Medical Time Out during the three-minute warm-up (dual match) or five-minute warm-up (individual match). The player may take another Medical Time Out during the match for the same condition but may not take another Medical Time Out for any other condition. If the player takes a Medical Time Out at the end of the warm-up, it is considered part of the match and is his/her one Medical Time Out.
