Yesterday, I detailed an unconventional method recently used to shorten play during local USTA League playoffs. That post highlighted the apparent competitive inequities created when a decision was made in one division to eliminate two singles lines and decide advancement to the Sectional Championships by playing only the three doubles matches. Today, I am thinking through potential future alternatives and considerations should any USTA Local League coordinator ever face a similar conundrum.
This type of post is challenging because it can give the impression that I’m second-guessing or criticizing the decisions made in this instance. However, that is not my intent. Rather than highlighting mistakes, my goal is to provide USTA League administrators, coordinators, and captains with the knowledge needed to make well-informed future decisions. In evaluating these considerations, I hope to contribute ideas that can help ensure fairness and transparency when similar challenges arise.
When league playoffs or Sectional championships have to be canceled or suspended, a lottery drawing to determine advancement becomes a necessary evil. However, that last-resort alternative can incentivize players and captains to behave differently. The post “Once Upon a Time: A Washout at USTA Texas Sectionals” described my suspicion that teams purposely dragged their heels and refused to pitch into dry courts because they hoped for a drawing. Similarly, yesterday’s scenario saw one captain motivated to avoid a lottery drawing at all costs. Those behavioral impacts must be anticipated and understood.
As a rules enthusiast, I firmly believe that if an organization has published regulations for shortened formats, they should be followed if at all possible. In the episode described yesterday, the DTA has a regulation that indicates that 8-game Pro-Sets will be used. That regulation was apparently disregarded.
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.
USTA Local League Rules & Regulations, Dallas Tennis Association, for USTA Championship Year 2024.
Before moving past the formal regulations, event administrators should consider if there is a compelling reason not to use that format and document the rationale. In this case, while the two teams could only reserve three courts, none of the starting times were the same. The result is a rolling wave of court availability, and my back-of-envelope calculations suggest that it was possible to play all five lines as pro-sets within the available time. Some matches might have had to move courts, but the capacity was there.
If the unlikely scenario arises that court capacity requires some lines to be eliminated, there are a couple of ways to do that while maintaining a sense of transparency and fairness. The first is to have the captains exchange lineups and then conduct a witnessed public drawing to determine which matches will be played. The second approach would be to conduct a drawing for the lines and then to set the lineups for the exchange.
Even the decision between those two options highlights a subtle complexity. Teams with solid depth will undoubtedly prefer the first approach, while teams with a handful of dominant players will likely favor the second. If the drawing method is not published in advance, perhaps a preliminary drawing should be held to determine which of those two options will be used.
Finally, if an event had access to only a single indoor court, I would be in favor of competing all the lines using the tie-break tens format. Those matches could not be officially recorded because the USTA League only uses scoring formats compatible with the NTRP Rating system. However, it is a definite step up from a random drawing because teams that perform well in high-pressure super breakers will generally do well in tight matches at the next tier of competition.
In any of these situations, if a captain approaches the league coordinator or championship committee with a novel solution for shortening the format or alternative methods to determine advancement, those creative ideas should certainly be entertained. However, it is critically important to make sure that the other captains have an opportunity to advocate for the interests of their own teams and to voice any concerns before a decision is made. Doing that one thing could have eliminated the controversy created by the incident I wrote about yesterday.
There is no perfect solution to the challenges of weather delays and limited court capacity at USTA League playoffs and Sectional Championships. Whatever method is used to shorten the format or determine advancement, it is essential to implement a transparent and fair decision-making process.
- USTA Local League Rules & Regulations, Dallas Tennis Association, for USTA Championship Year 2024.
