The Tri-Level Sectionals Championships last month were impacted by drizzly weather that made the courts unplayable for the better part of Saturday. That is hardly surprising since Tri-Level is a lightning rod for inclement weather. The Trophy Husband’s team was scheduled to play at 8 AM Saturday morning. That match was pushed back incrementally throughout the day before eventually settling into a scheduled start at 2 PM.
When it was time for the teams to turn in their rosters, none of the players on the opposing team could be found. In fact, they had already departed to return to Lubbock. It was a whole-team premeditated no-show default.
Unsportsmanlike Behavior
The match between the Trophy Husband’s team and the one from Lubbock featured two teams that were winless at 0-2. Both were already mathematically eliminated from advancement to the playoff stage. That fact didn’t prevent the guys from Wichita Falls from hanging out at the courts that day bent over squeegees trying to get courts dry enough to get that last match in. They were there to play.
When the Lubbock team made the self-centered decision to head home, it would have been polite to tell Tri-Level administration at the moment of departure. That way another team’s match could have been moved up to preserve court capacity. Additionally, that knowledge would have allowed some of the guys from Wichita Falls to also head home at the same time.
The ramifications for the other team extend well past the inconvenience of the lost day for a handful of players.
Official matches for players in smaller CTAs that don’t generate local league play are essential for establishing and maintaining NTRP ratings. Had this incident occurred at the Lower level their thoughtless action could have prevented a player from participating in enough matches to earn a computer rating. Even at the Upper level where this particular whole-team default transpired, it could theoretically cause one of their opponents with a scant recent playing record to lose their computer-rated designation.
The Whole Team Default (Almost) Changed the Playoffs
Last Friday we examined the USTA Regulations for scoring Full Team Defaults during the Sectional or National Championships because that is where the penalties are also described. Today we’re backing up a couple of sentences to examine what these regulations say about the standings.
Scoring of Full Team Defaults. If a team defaults an entire team match for any reason during round robin play, that team is ineligible to continue play at that championship. All matches of the defaulting team already played shall be null and void when determining standings but will be used for individual player ratings and individual player advancement purposes. If all teams with a mathematical chance to advance have played the defaulting team in good faith, those matches shall stand as played when determining standings. The Sectional Association may impose further penalties on the defaulting team.
2023 USTA League Regulations, 2.03L
The sentence highlighted in red font stipulates that all matches previously played by a defaulting team are voided when determining standings. However, the second sentence highlighted in blue adds an exception if the defaulted match doesn’t matter. Since Wichita Falls and Lubbock were both 0-2 in the round-robin pool, both teams were already mathematically eliminated. Lubbock’s matches should not have been voided, but the results posted seem to indicate that they were.
It is pure conjecture on my part, but I suspect that the blue highlighted sentence was added sometime after the one in red was first ensconced in the regulations. It is plausible that the amendment came shortly after the first time a team was screwed over by a whole-team default in a match that could not have impacted the standings even if played. The exception makes complete logical sense.
There were three round-robin pools in this specific event and four spots in the semi-finals. That means that one second-place finishing team would advance to the playoff stage. Fort Worth was the second-place team in the group with Lubbock and Wichita Falls. In USTA Texas the process for determining how the fourth team is selected is based on the calculation of the total percentage of games won.
With Lubbock’s results voided, Fort Worth barely missed advancing to the Championship stage. With much trepidation, we recalculated the results had Lubbock’s matches been included. Thankfully, Fort Worth still narrowly missed out on advancement, though it was a little bit closer.
It is mathematically possible that the determination of the advancing team could have hinged on whether Lubbock’s previous matches had been included.
Finishing Shots
This topic was launched Friday with an examination of extenuating circumstances that caused a whole-team default at Mixed Sectionals a few years ago. I sincerely hope that the one-year suspension of those players was successfully appealed. I have a very different perspective toward the players on the Lubbock team. In reality, a year-long suspension for players in a tennis wasteland isn’t much of a punishment.
It is quite possible that the captain and players from Lubbock didn’t understand the consequences or ramifications of their departure. That is what prompted me to write this post in general. People need to be aware of both the rules and how their actions impact other players and teams.
Additionally, every captain needs to be familiar with this relatively obscure section of the rules to effectively advocate for their team. Whole-team defaults add a new wrinkle into the already capricious process of determining what essentially amounts to a wild-card team into the playoff stages. The least we can do is make sure the rules are applied correctly and that the calculations are correct.
Public Service Announcement: This is why it is important to carefully read through the regulations in their entirety every year.
- Championships Procedure to Determine the Fourth Team for Semifinal Play in a Three Flight Round Robin, resource file hosted by USTA Texas, last viewed February 10, 2023.
- 2023 USTA League Regulations, document dated December 22, 2022.
- 2023 USTA League Tom Fey Tri-Level National Invitational Fact Sheet, last viewed February 4, 2023.
Interesting post. I would add a rule that ALL players from a team should be present to ALL matches. I have witnessed too often teams Fro
Austin, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio (oddly enough all big cities…) who do not have all players on their roster present for all the games at regional competitions. Small cities teams who have to travel far, which I should note that it is always the same teams that have to travel far, bring all their players for the whole weekend. How about making the rules for everyone??? Yes, it is inconvenient. But should it be inconvenient for everyone then to be fair?
Interesting idea. The roll call alone would create a pretty significant workload for the playoff officials. Additionally, there would always be exceptions. (Are we really going to ding someone for skipping Sectionals because their child is getting married or because they have a relative in the hospital? I don’t think so.)
I do have a future post outlined that explains the dynamics that lead to these massive rosters in the larger markets. I am guessing that it will run maybe 3-4 weeks from now.
I do understand the extra load and the necessity to “not ding someone for attending a wedding” etc… in that last case, I would recommend that that player do not play any of the matches. What I am referring to are players who do not play on Friday or sometimes even on Saturday but are there on Sunday. Many of those players just don’t want to play the “qualifying matches” and it also allows players to be fresh for the later rounds. This definitely puts smaller traveling teams at a disadvantage, especially those coming from far away. I think the roster should be determined the first day of the competition and all players intending to compete in sectional weekend need to be present at all matches, regardless whether they are playing or not. That would limit those giant rosters and level the playing field. So, I really don’t mind people skipping sectionals but I do not appreciate disguised discrimination vs smaller markets. I look forward to reading your blog.