The tennis guidelines are for tennis team championships and singles and doubles individual championships. Vermont schools are to use the 5-2 format for all divisions. Vermont will participate in the New England Tennis Championships. The individual champions will represent Vermont. The 5-2 format will be used. The 12 point tie breaker will be used.

TENNIS CONDUCT

SPORTSMANSHIP
There will be no tolerance for negative statements or actions between opposing players, especially trash talking, taunting, or baiting of opponents. If such comments are heard, a penalty will be assessed immediately.

Unsportsmanlike conduct may result in disqualification with a team point awarded to opponent. Abusive language will not be tolerated. All line calls will be made by players themselves without interjection by coaches, other players, or spectators. During the regular season, as well as the state tournament, coaches are responsible for crowd control.
The United States Tennis Association Rules will be the rules used. Coaches and players are expected to familiarize themselves with these rules.

If a team has more than 2 athletes/coaches disqualified for behavior during the season, the school will be required to meet with the Activities Standards Committee before being allowed to enter or continue in the state tournament.

REGULAR SEASON:

1. All teams must have participated in eight interscholastic matches with at least three different schools before filing this application. Hardship waivers may be submitted to VPA by May 16th. Scores of all matches, league and non-league, must be reported to the media.
2. Each team must be accompanied during the regular season by the team coach. During tournament season it is recommended that a school administrator or designee also be present.

VPA Pre-Match Protocol

a. Welcome visiting team
b. Introduce Line-ups
c. Point Penalty System
First offense point
Second offense match

Point penalties will be imposed against a player for unsportsmanlike conduct during a match for the following:
* Unreasonable delays between points and when changing ends
* Audible obscenity
* Visible obscenity
* Violently or with anger hitting, kicking or throwing a tennis ball, racket or other equipment
* Verbal or physical abuse of any coach, opponent, spectator or other person
* Disruptive behavior

On-Court Rules
*Any "out" or "let" call must be made instantaneously (i.e. before either an opponent has the return or the return has gone out of play). Otherwise the ball continues in play.
* Spectators may not aid in making line calls.
* The server should announce the set score prior to each service game.  The game score should be announced before each service point.
* If players cannot agree on a score, they may go back to the last score on which there was agreement and resume play from that point, or they may spin a racket.
* Wait until players on another court have completed a point before retrieving or returning a ball.
* Court changeovers are 90 seconds and occur after each completed odd game in the set. The first game changeover in each set must be continuous (no break) and no coaching allowed.
* There is a two minute break allowed at the completion of each set.
* Coaching will be allowed during a match at the change of ends for only a minute by coaches, or a teammate. However, persons doing the coaching are not allowed on the playing courts.

3. Each player can play only once during a match (cannot play in both singles and doubles).
* A school may substitute players in lineup during regular season. However, integrity of lineup must be maintained. For example, #2  singles is absent. Team may substitute an alternate or may slide other players up in position. (During playoffs, the alternate may only play in the absent position).
* In the event of an incomplete team (for the season) the team must forfeit from bottom up, i.e., singles #5, #4....., Doubles #2, Doubles #1.
4. In any case of postponement the previous score and previous occupancy of courts shall hold good, unless the coaches unanimously agree otherwise (Refer to Rule 29, USTA).
5. All scoring is team scoring. In all divisions there are five (5) singles and two (2) doubles played.
6. Match scoring for singles and doubles will be two out of three sets, no-ad scoring; at deuce (40-40) one point will be played to decide the game. The receiving player will have the choice of court in which to receive serve. At six games all a regular 12-point tie-break will be used. Changing ends during the tie-breaker are to be made within the normal time allowed between points, 25 seconds. There is to be no break or coaching during a tie-breaker
changeover.
7. General warm-up time for teams should be concluded so individual match participants may have a full 10 minutes of warm-up from the moment the competitors step onto their court. It is the coaches responsibility to keep the matches moving along in an expedient manner. In the first matches played 1st serves will be reckoned at the agreed upon start time. In matches following, a 10-minute warm-up period should be strictly adhered to.
8. If during the regular season a school h as questions/concerns about the playing surface of a court(s), this should be referred to the Tennis Committee immediately.
9. Beginning in 2005, schools must have a minimum of 3 courts in order to host a match.

STATE PLAYOFFS:
1. The VPA Tennis Committee will make up the draws and establish the seeding. Seeding will be based upon the following index system:

The points will be totaled and the total divided by the number of games played to find the point index.
2. The application must be electronically filed to the VPA Office at 229-4801 no later than 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2008. The seedings will be Thursday, May 29, 2008 at the VPA Office at Noon.
3. Playdowns may begin on Tuesday, June 3, 2008. The quarterfinals may begin Thursday, June 5 through Saturday, June 7, 2008 on the courts of the higher seeded teams, unless deemed otherwise by the committee. In the event of inclement weather during playdowns, quarterfinals or semi-finals, the match between schools will be held at available sites on the same day, or next day at outdoor facilities.
Division I & II boys and girls semi-finals may be held on Tuesday, June 10 through Wednesday,  June 11, 2008 at the courts of the higher seeded team. These dates and times are firm.
Participating teams will be notified of the scheduled times depending on who will be playing. The intent of the flexible date format for playdowns, quarter-finals, and semi-finals is to take into account the possibility of inclement weather and the ability to play the matches outdoors without incurring the expense of indoor courts. Given this objective it is strongly recommended to play your matches on the first available date within each of the timeframes listed above.

TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES
Division I Boys and Girls Finals will be held Friday, June 13th at the highest remaining tournament seed.
Division II Boys and Girls Finals will be held Friday, June 13th at the highest remaining tournament seed.

4. Please note that all scoring is team scoring. Match scoring for singles and doubles will be two out of three sets, no-ad scoring; at deuce (40-40) one point will be played to decide the
game.The receiving player will have the choice of court in which to receive serve. At six games all a regular 12-point tie-break will be used. Changing ends during the tie-breaker are to be made within the normal time allowed between points, 25 seconds. There is to be no break or coaching during a tie-breaker changeover.
5. THE SINGLES PLAYERS MUST BE RANKED IN ORDER OF THEIR ABILITY ON THE APPLICATION AND CANNOT CHANGE. (For example, the number one player will be the best player, the number two will be the second best, etc.) The better doubles team must be ranked/seeded as #1 for playing doubles.
6. A school may list alternates who will be eligible to compete in the event of absence.
* An alternate may be placed anywhere in the line-up. However, only the alternate should  be out of ranking order.
* Ranking order remains the same if a forfeit must be used and no alternates are available.
Rosters will be mailed to participating schools in the tournament. Individual matches will be forfeited ifplaying order is not the same as the roster submitted to the VPA. Only legal substitutions may be employed (see above). Once a player has started the match (either in singles or doubles) and is unable to complete it, then it is to be considered a default. In other words, if a person starts a match they must be able to finish it. There will be no substitutes after the match has started. The match shall deemed to have begun after the coaches have exchanged lineups and the first serve has been made in that individual match.
7. General warm-up time for teams should be concluded so individual match participants may have a full 10 minutes of warm-up from the moment the competitors step onto their court. It is the coaches responsibility to keep the matches moving along in an expedient manner.. In the first matches played 1st serves will be reckoned at the agreed upon start time. In matches following, a 10-minute warm-up period should be strictly adhered to.
8.During Finals, tennis balls to be furnished by the host school. The official ball will be new, yellow , and unopened. Higher seed team furnishes balls through finals.
9. A representative of the VPA will be in attendance at the finals and will make rulings and handle any protests. On an experimental basis a roving umpire will be used for the Division I and II Boys and Girls State Championships.
10. Awards will be supplied and presented by the Vermont Principals' Association.
11. Each coach is responsible for their team player's behavior on and off the court.
Host coaches should provide or have water available.
12. During the VPA state tournament each school will have an administrator or their
designee, other than the coach, present at the event.

VERMONT PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION
SINGLES/DOUBLES STATE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
MAY 29, 30, 31, 2008

Please accept this invitation to the VPA’s boys and girls interscholastic state singles and doubles championships. Winners and finalists of both singles and doubles will qualify for the 13th Annual New England Interscholastic Individual Tennis Championships held Monday June 16 at William Hall High School, West Hartford CT.

The 2008 VPA Individual State Championships will be played Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 1:00 p.m. will be the earliest possible starting time Thursday and Friday. This event is for Vermont’s top high school players, giving them an opportunity to compete individually for the 2008 singles and doubles state title.

SINGLES & DOUBLES Entries must follow the same team roster as presented to the VPA Office. Each team throughout Vermont may enter their top 2 singles players and a third entry if the draw permits in the singles tournament. Each team throughout Vermont may enter one doubles and a second team entry if the draw permits, team consisting of any players other than the #1 and #2 single.

AWARDS: To the top four singles players (losing semi-finalists playoff for spots 3 and 4) and the top two doubles teams. In addition, awards will be given to the school of the singles state champion and the doubles state champion for placement in the school’s trophy case.

ENTRY DEADLINE: Monday, May 26th, 2008 by 4:00 p.m.

CONTACT NFORMATION

STARTING TIMES: Starting times will be available Wednesday, May 28th after 12:00 P.M. Athletic Directors will be contacted by 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 28th with start times.

ENTRY FEE: Singles $22 / Doubles $25.00 Wednesday

GENERAL INFORMATION: All matches will be 2 out of 3 sets, with the exception of early rounds which will use 10 point match breaks of lieu of a third set., no add scoring, with consolation for 1st round of losers (time permitting). Coaching will be allowed and will follow the same rules as the regular season. A USTA certified umpire may be used to monitor play for part or all of this event.

Sites: Boys Tournament – Burlington; Girls Tournament – Stowehof Inn, Stowe, VT

Foremost among the VPA conditions is the liability issue.
As for all VPA events, it is expected that each school will supervise and transport \ it’s athletes with their coach or approved personnel.