I frequently write from a USTA Texas-centric perspective on this site. That is natural because it is the Section where I played my Junior tennis and currently compete as an adult. However, I am sensitive to the fact that I have a national following. While Texas is a backdrop for discussing rules and experiences, I always strive to provide a big-picture perspective and relevancy for players from other Sections.
Regardless of where you live, it is critically important to be familiar with the rules and regulations governing your tennis engagement. That was actually the primary idea that motivated the creation of this site almost five years ago. The takeaway from this post for all players is that you should make sure you have access to a copy of the rules you are competing under and are familiar with them.
As I wrote about last week in “The Wild West of USTA Local League Rules and Regulations,” the Sectional League Committee for USTA Texas recently passed a new rule that if a player is suspended from any local League, they will also be suspended from all other local leagues within the Section. Now more than ever, it is essential to understand your local league rules and regulations.
The remainder of this post is a manifestation of the thought exercise exploring if I can find the USTA League local rules and regulations for all the playing areas in Texas. (Spoiler alert! I could not.) Since I think someone needs to take a comprehensive look at the rules that might lead to a player suspension from their local league, there should be an authoritative master list of where to find those essential documents.
The USTA Texas Section office might have an official comprehensive list. However, if they do, it is not on their public-facing webpage that contains the Sectional level rules. I will reach out to them directly once this post goes live. In any case, this exercise aimed to determine if the general USTA League playing population in Texas could quickly find their local league rules and regulations.
The answer was… actually better than I anticipated, but still not great.
Eight associations have excellent local league rules and regulation documentation posted with versioning and date information that indicates those resources are being actively maintained. Unfortunately, seven local league areas don’t have any local rules posted. Additionally, three could not be definitively categorized as good or bad. In those cases, something was published, but the information was inaccessible, or the paucity of metadata suggests that it might not be up to date. Percentage-wise, 44% are good, 39% have nothing, and 17% fall somewhere in between.
| City | CTA | Local League Rules and Regulations |
| Houston | Houston Tennis Association (HTA) | Houston Tennis Association Rules for Houston USTA and HTA League Play (Revised November 2023) |
| San Antonio | San Antonio Tennis Association (SATA) | SATA League Rules (No version or date) |
| Dallas | Dallas Tennis Association (DTA) | USTA LOCAL LEAGUE RULES & REGULATIONS As of USTA CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR 2025 |
| Austin | Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) | CATA League Regulations (Revised 02/2024) |
| Fort Worth | Greater Fort Worth Tennis Coalition (GFWTC) | 2023 GFWTC League Regulations (Revised 12/2022) |
| Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi Tennis Association (CCTA) | Corpus Christi Tennis Association United States Tennis Association League Rules (Revised July 17, 2024) |
| Laredo | Laredo Tennis Association | The organization’s webpage (https://laredotennis.org) contains no obvious information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
| Lubbock | South Plains Tennis Association | The organization has a web presence at playtennis.com, but it does not contain information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
| Amarillo | Amarillo Area Tennis Association | 2024 USTA AATA Local League Rules and Regulations |
| McAllen | Rio Grande Valley Tennis Association | The organization has a web presence at playtennis.com, but it does not contain information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
| Waco | Waco Tennis Association | WTA Rules (no date or version) |
| Beaumont | Southeast Texas Tennis Association | The SETTA webpage ( https://settatennis.com) points to a Google document with USTA League Rules. However, it requires access permission, which I have requested. Update 10/24/2024: I did not receive access to the file but have obtained a copy, which is posted here. |
| Abilene | Abilene Tennis Association | Abilene Adult League Rules & Procedures 2024 |
| Midland | West Texas Tennis Association | The organization has a web presence at playtennis.com, but it does not contain information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
| Wichita Falls | Wichita Falls Tennis Association | The organization has a web presence at playtennis.com, but it does not contain information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
| Bryan | Brazos Valley Tennis Association | The organization’s league web page contains a list of “General Rules and Requirements.” |
| San Angelo | Concho Valley Tennis Association | The organization’s website (http://www.conchovalleytennis.net) provides a link to League rules, but the landing page doesn’t contain that information. I did find a copy of the USTA Texas rules on the site, but no specific local procedures. |
| Longview | Northeast Texas Coalition Tennis Association | The organization has a web presence at playtennis.com, but does not contain information about local USTA League Rules and Regulations. |
I would be thrilled to have any assistance filling in the gaps.
I didn’t receive any rules for Beaumont in 2024, but I do have an email with them for 2023.
Check your email. I sent you a message requesting a forward of that message. I want to publish those rules on a resource page on this site.