Copyright 2000 National Capital Squash Racquets Association

NCSRA Board Adopts New League Rules

The NCSRA Board of Directors has approved revised rules for league play. At a May 23rd, 2001, meeting in the University Club, the Board unanimously adopted revised rules that had been circulated over the internet to a review committee established in April. The new rules take effect immediately, so they will govern play during the summer season that is scheduled to start the first week of June.

OLD RULES:

NCSRA Rules for League Play (adopted October 7, 1991)

A formal process of updating the league rules in accordance with recent developments (including the world wide web) has been underway for several months, with Carole Grunberg developing a draft set of revised rules. However, the NCSRA has yet to make a final decision on the revisions, so the old rules, dating from 1991, are listed below. As soon as the revisions are approved by the NCSRA Board of Directors they will be inserted here.

1. The NCSRA will sponsor team competition in both the hardball and softball "A", "B", "C", and "D" divisions. The scheduled day for matches shall be Monday, "D" League; Tuesday, "B" League; Wednesday, "A" League; and Thursday, "C" League. The NCSRA Board of Directors may alter the scheduled day for matches.

2. ELIGIBILITY.

a. All league participants must be members in good standing of an NCSRA Member Club or organization that is sponsoring the team or teams on which the are playing (nothing in these rules shall preclude two Members Clubs from forming a "joint team" when there are insufficient members to for teams at each club); and

b. All league participants must be individual members of the NCSRA prior to their first match as a team member or as a substitute. TEAM CAPTAINS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING THE NCSRA MEMBERSHIP OF ALL PLAYERS WHO TAKE THE COURT FOR THEIR TEAMS. In the event a player is not a member of the NCSRA, the Team Captain should see that a membership application and dues are mailed to the NCSRA. Any matches played by an ineligible player are scored as a default. The NCSRA will provide League Coordinators with current information to enforce this provision.

c. To be eligible for League Playoffs, in accordance with Rule 5 below, a player MUST meet the requirements of Rules 2.a. and 2.b. above and must have played in a minimum of 25% of that divisions regularly scheduled matches. (The 25% figure shall be rounded up to the next higher whole number if the calculation yields a decimal.) A player who defaults a match is NOT credited with a reported match for this calculation. (Although the player who receives the default is.)

d. Eligibility for League play shall be as follows:

"D" League: Any player who was not ranked "A", "B", or "C" previously or re-rated to a "C" from "D" with the exception that any player who has competed in four (4) matches in the "A", "B", or "C" Leagues in the current season shall be ineligible for any further "D" League play.

"C" League: Any player who was not ranked "A", or "B" previously or re-rated to a "B" from "C" with the exception that any player who has competed in four (4) matches in the "A", or "B" Leagues in the current season shall be ineligible for any further "C" League play.

"B" League: Any player who was not ranked "A" previously or re-rated to a "A" from "B" with the exception that any player who has competed in four (4) matches in the "A" League in the current season shall be ineligible for any further "B" League play.

"A" League: Any player in the "A" League.

e. Substitutes. A player classified in a lower league may play as a substitute on a higher league team subject to the four (4) or more matches limitation in Rule 2.d, above.

3. PLAYER RANKING.

An "A" player is any player who has been ranked, either numerically or "Insufficient Data", in the "A" division of the NCSRA, or another USSRA Association. Novice players shall be rated "D". The NCSRA may make decisions on player rankings on an individual basis when necessary and appropriate. Any challenges to these rankings or re-ratings must be made in writing to the NCSRA within 30 days of their publishing.

4. SCHEDULING AND CONDUCT OF MATCHES. Team matches will be played as indicated by the official NCSRA schedule as prepared by the respective League Coordinators, subject to the following:

a. All individual matches must be played on the scheduled day. Team Captains may not postpone individual team matches. League Coordinators may postpone team matches if caused by unplayable courts or prospective weather conditions. The Coordinators decision on any appeal, protest, or interpretation may be appealed to the Vice President of Leagues. If sustained, the decision is final. If not, the NCSRA Board of Directors shall rule as the final authority. Any protest to these rules must be made in writing by the Team Captain.

b. If possible, at least two (2) matches should start by 7:00 p.m., but in no event should the first two (2) matches start later than 7:45 p.m. This does not preclude matches from starting earlier than 7:00 p.m. provided both Team Captains are in agreement with the starting time and the courts are available for league play. The Home Team Captain shall be responsible for making at least two (2) courts available for league play on the appropriately designated night from the appointed time through the end of the last match of the evening.

c. Team rankings for league play shall be determined by ladder position. Ladders shall be maintained at all Clubs for a division in which the Club is sponsoring teams.

d. The Visiting Team Captain MUST call the Home Team Captain no later than noon on the day of the match to confirm the match line-ups. If a team is known to be incomplete, i.e., not sufficient players for a complete team, those players who appear will play starting from the number one position down, and the bottom position shall be forfeited.

If a player whom the Team Captain reasonably expects to appear for a match fails to appear, that match shall be defaulted. Any team which defaults the equivalent of two (2) team matches in a season, shall be ineligible for that season's play-offs (i.e. six individual matches if three (3) player teams, eight individual matches if four (4) player teams, or ten individual matches if five (5) player teams).

5. SCORING AND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Each individual match will count as a point won or lost by the team. The Vice President of Leagues, in coordination with the respective League Coordinators, shall determine the manner and methods in which play-offs and league championships shall be conducted, on a season-by- season basis. All pertinent information concerning play-offs, etc., shall be made available to Team Captains at the outset of each season. Team Captains shall be advised of any changes on a timely basis.

6. REPORTING RESULTS

Both the Home and Visiting Team Captains are responsible for transmitting the official NCSRA match results to their League Coordinator within one (1) week after the scheduled match. The reported results must indicate the names of all players, the winner of each match, and the game score of each match. Failure to meet these requirements may result in a default of any or all matches and is not subject to appeal. Upon approval of the respective League Coordinators, Team Captains may send results via facsimile or e-mail. Telephone calls are an unacceptable means of reporting results.

7. TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES

In the event that two (2) teams are tied at the end of the regular season, the following procedures shall be used to determine which team advances to the play-offs: First, head-to-head score of team match(es); if still tied, then second, the head-to-head cumulative score of individual matches; if still tied, then third, the team with the least number of matches defaulted over the entire season; if still tied, then fourth, the Vice President of Leagues shall flip a coin to determine the winner. If a play-off match is tied, the following procedures shall be used to determine the winner: First, head-to-head cumulative score of individual matches; if still tied, then second, the total number of POINTS scored in the head-to-head matches; if still tied, then third, the head-to-head score of team matches during the regular season; if still tied, then fourth, the head-to-head cumulative score of individual matches from the regular season; and if still tied, then fifth, the Vice President of Leagues shall flip a coin to determine the winner, unless the tied match in question is a championship final in which case both teams will share the championship.

8. PLAYING FOR MORE THAN ONE CLUB

No player may play for more than one Club team in any single division of any league.

9. LEAGUE BALL

The league ball shall be the ball adopted by the USSRA for play in the national hardball championships and softball championships respectively.

10. WOMEN PLAYERS

The NCSRA encourages women players to play on Club teams even if there is a separate "Womens League".

11. INJURIES

If a player is seriously injured and is unavailable to a Member Team for play-offs, and there are no other qualified player per Rule 2.c. above, the Team Captain may request permission from the Vice President of Leagues, through a request to the League Coordinator, to substitute a player who has played for the team but does not have the sufficient number of matches as required in Rule 2.c above. The Vice President of Leagues may require medical evidence of the seriousness of the injury before granting permission to substitute. Team Captains are urged to qualify a sufficient number of players for play-offs in order to avoid this situation.

12. REFEREED MATCHES

Every match should be refereed.

13. AMENDMENTS

These rules may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at an NCSRA Board of Directors meeting which is legally constituted with a quorum present. This printing incorporates all changes up to, an including, October 7, 1991. All other versions are obsolete.

Adopted by the NCSRA Board
October 7, 1991