Chaos should be anticipated when rain or other unexpected events occur during the USTA Local League Playoffs. It is exacerbated when that event is scheduled immediately before the team certification deadline for the Sectional Championships. The local league playoff coordinators are put into a position of making decisions under the duress of frustrated teams eager to complete their matches. USTA League Captains should never forget that the designated POC deals with a dozen or more teams, each with an independent communication stream. It’s a lot.
That is a compelling reason to lay out contingency plans in advance. That supports the playoff coordinators by providing an existing framework for solving problems that all stakeholders are already familiar with. It is a best practice that supports transparency and the perception of fairness.
One way to communicate that framework to teams participating in USTA League Local Playoffs is via the “Captains letter.” This best practice reminds stakeholders of the existing local league regulations that carry over into the event and outlines any unique parameters and logistics. It stuns me whenever I hear accounts from teams that advanced to the local playoffs with captains who don’t bother to read the Captain’s letter or share it with the team. Typically, it is a wealth of essential information, and there is an argument that USTA Leagues at all levels should automatically send the Captain’s letter information to every player on the roster.
As far as Captain’s letters go, the one for the 2024 DTA 18+ City Championships is fairly exhaustive, though some restructuring could definitely improve readability. Contingencies for the weather-related impacts during those playoffs are contained in three explicit references defining what could happen.
The first excerpt essentially builds the case that post-season play is a goal of the DTA but that the organization isn’t obligated to conduct it in the case of inclement weather. It also broadly outlines other steps that can be taken to get the event in under reduced time and court capacity.
DALLAS TENNIS’ goal is to host POST SEASON. However, if faced with inclement weather, as the event organizer DALLAS TENNIS maintains the right to alter POST SEASON play (i.e. number of advancing teams, format, etc…) or possibly even cancellation.
2024 DTA 18+ City Championships Captain’s Letter (excerpt)
One lever that could be pulled would be taking only the top team from each flight rather than the top two, which is sometimes done. Altering the format is an overloaded term, but I believe this reference refers to the structure of the team matchups. For example, if a two-flighted playoff was slated to be the best two out of three head-to-head team matches, a decision could be made only to play one winner-take-all matchup.
Everything outlined in that first paragraph is perfectly reasonable. However, I would like to see some provisions in the Captain’s letter —or better yet, in the DTA USTA League regulations— regarding how advancement is determined when post-season playoffs cannot be conducted. That is not trivial in Dallas which runs a lot of multi-flighted leagues.
The second excerpt has more logistics surrounding rescheduling in the case of inclement weather.
INCLEMENT WEATHER NOTE: Should DALLAS TENNIS be faced with inclement weather conditions over the course of the weekend event, the 2024 18 & over ADULT POST SEASON schedule is subject to change. Matches that DO NOT impact the final standings may be cancelled at the discretion of DALLAS TENNIS. Please advise your players in advance that should weather dictate a schedule change or cancellation of match they are available to play/understanding of cancellation.
2024 DTA 18+ City Championships Captain’s Letter (excerpt)
The key provision in the inclement weather note above is that matches that do not impact the final standings may be eliminated. That is a perfectly reasonable provision because, during such circumstances, court capacity is usually constrained. It doesn’t make sense to play any matches that don’t matter.
This brings us to the final excerpt, a verbatim reprint of DTA official regulation 7O.
7O. When weather or unforeseen circumstances force the DTA League Coordinator to use an alternate scoring format during a local championship event (i.e. League Play Off, City Championship and Weekend Events), Dallas will utilize an 8-game Pro-Set with Ad scoring. If faced with time constraints, the DTA League Coordinator and VP of Leagues will determine the appropriate scoring format, which could include a shorter format.
2024 DTA 18+ City Championships Captain’s Letter (excerpt)
This is where things get interesting. The decisions made for one flight didn’t follow this regulation at all. In fact, from what I can tell, it was also the only flight with a deviation beyond eliminating the matches that did not impact the final standings.
Next weekend, we will break down that scenario in detail. It is a case where a lack of transparency and consistency creates a perception of unfairness.
