I frequently observe that suspension points for USTA Adult tournament play are somewhat less common than for USTA League play. However, it is also important to remember that the tournament Regulations in the USTA’s “Friend at Court” rulebook are also applicable to Junior tennis, where suspension points are more of an issue. In 2024, the USTA made some administrative updates to the tournament suspension point system.
My active imagination can’t help but speculate on what might have prompted these changes. My best guess is that a player challenged suspension points that were issued by claiming the person who assessed them did not have the authority to do so. The overarching theme of the updates made this year is the explicit delegation of that authority.
Starting in 2024, USTA Sectional or District Associations have the right to designate a person who is authorized to levy suspension points at sanctioned tournaments. The Sections can also assign that responsibility to various Grievance committees. Previously, the District Associations did not have a defined role or authority in the tournament suspension point system. Now they do.
(As an aside for USTA Texas people, that Section uses the term “Qualified CTAs” rather than Districts. That means that Texas residents outside of one of those Qualified CTAs do not live in a District. )
Anyone who observes misconduct has the right to report it to the designated point of contact at any level. That change apparently resolves an ambiguity over who has the authority to report such events. In our current surveillance state, where everybody now carries a video recording device in their pocket, I am sure that eyewitness accounts are frequently well substantiated by video evidence.
That is significant because there is also new wording that the person who assesses suspension points can only do so if they have seen, heard, or been presented with enough documentation to determine with reasonable certainty that a violation occurred. In other words, someone who believes they might want to report a violation should consider collecting solid evidence.
Another apparent ambiguity was also erased by explicitly stating that the person who originally assessed suspension points cannot participate in ruling on an appeal of the original decision. That is a consistent theme in updates to other areas of the USTA Regulations in 2024.
Finally, there are a couple of weird situations that have been added to the Suspension Point table in the Regulations. Two new violations have been added. First, a player may receive suspension points for failure to pay an entry fee. Additionally, a player who competes while suspended is subject to receiving additional suspension points. I am surprised at both of those new entries because I would think that the USTA platform would catch and prohibit either of those things from occurring.
If you are deeply interested in these Regulation updates, I recommend perusing the complete text in the 2024 “Friend at Court“. The Suspension point system is laid out in Regulation IV.F which starts on page 114 and runs through page 119.
For those who are completely disinterested in tournament suspension points, I congratulate you on avoiding the fray.
