1 The object of the Ashford and District Tennis League shall be to conduct an annual competition between affiliated Clubs. To arrange and conduct competitions and to assist and encourage the formation of Tennis Clubs in Ashford and District. To promote the game of tennis in every possible way. All income and property of the association to be devoted to those objectives, and on dissolution, any such income or property remaining to be devoted to a society with similar aims. 2 The Ashford Tennis League shall affiliate annually to the Kent County L.T.A. and the East Kent Association. All Clubs affiliated to the Ashford Tennis League shall also be affiliated to the Kent County L.T.A. 3 Annual registration fees are to be sent to the Ashford Tennis League. Each Club is required to register at the rate agreed at the A.G.M. to come into effect from the 1st April following the A.G.M. For Clubs playing in the Winter League only, fees are due on 1st October. 3a The A.G.M. shall have the authority to appoint Honorary Life Members of the League. These shall be persons who have made a huge contribution to the League and are no longer playing members of Clubs affiliated to the League. (10.11.05) 4 The business of the Ashford Tennis league shall be conducted by the following officers; A President, Chairman, General Secretary, League Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Treasurer, Junior Affairs secretary, Press Secretary, Tournament Secretary, who shall be elected at each A.G.M. Offices may be combined as necessary. Each Club is required to send a representative to each League meeting. 4a Each Club, as a condition of entry to the league, will provide one or two people to sit on the committee on a rolling basis. Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixtures Secretary, Match Secretary and LTA Representative will be rotated. Each member will serve for a three year period. Other members of the committee will be replaced/found as required. 5 The Committee shall have the power to fine, suspend or expel any Club, team or registered member found guilty of breaking the rules of the League, and shall decide all appeals made by the Clubs arising out of and in connection with, the league and its activities. It shall have the power to decide anything on which these rules are silent. Every order of the Committee shall be binding on all Clubs and registered members, subject to an appeal to a Special General Meeting called in accordance with rule 6. The Committee may make temporary provisions for dealing with such emergencies arising in the competitions, as they deem desirable. 6 The A.G.M. of the league shall be held not later than the last week in November of each year. It shall be the governing body of the association. The committee may convene a Special General Meeting should they consider it necessary, or if the same were desired by one third of the Clubs affiliated. Every decision of every General or Special meeting shall be final and conclusive, and shall be binding on all Clubs and registered members as the voice of the whole League. At least 14 days written notice of any Special or General Meeting must be given to all affiliated Clubs. Voting at any Special or General Meeting shall be on the basis of one vote per Club registered in either the Summer League or Winter League in the year preceding the meeting. Notification of any alterations to the rules to be included in the agenda of the A.G.M. must be in the hands of the General Secretary prior to September 30th preceding the A.G.M. The proposals will be circulated to all members by 15th October, and any amendments to the proposals must be in the hand of the General Secretary by 31st October. 7 The League shall be composed of divisions. The position of a Club in the divisions will be determined by the previous years performance. All new Clubs entering teams will start in the lowest division. Divisions should be filled from the first division downwards. Vacancies are to occur only in the lowest division. No Club may enter more than two teams in any division. 8 Formation of Teams. Mens, Ladies and Mixed Teams - Winter and Summer. Teams shall consist of 2 pairs. Each of the two pairs shall play against each pair of the opposing team the best of three sets which shall follow the tiebreak procedure. 9 In the event of two or more teams being level on points at the end of the season, the final position in the League Table shall be decided on (1) Matches won. (2) Sets won. (3) Games won. 10 The home Club must provide good standard tennis balls for all matches. 11 Promotion and relegation will be on the basis of 2 up / 2 down except in competitions where there are more than two divisions. In this case, in division 1, 1 up / 1 down will apply, while in the other divisions, 2 up / 2 down will apply. 12 The Home Match Secretaries are responsible for completing result cards and forwarding these to the Match Secretary within three days of the completion of each fixture. Each match must be confirmed by the home team 7 days prior to the match. 13 No Club may postpone a match unless due to adverse weather conditions. Matches may only be re-arranged with the consent of both match captains, or within 14 days of the fixture meeting. 13a Any team proposing to play a match without a full complement of players must advise the opposition in advance. The opposition has the option to agree to play, to postpone, or to claim the points. 13b In the event of injury, all unfinished rubbers involving that player shall be conceded. 13c If any player is not present (on court and ready to play) twenty minutes after the time fixed for the start of any match, one love set shall be conceded in the rubber from which the player is absent: if a player is forty minutes late, the rubber shall not be played and the opponents shall receive two love sets: providing the player arrives before the start of the second rubber, he/she may play, otherwise the opponents shall receive two love sets in each rubber for which the player was scheduled. (10.11.05) 14 No players shall play for 2 different Clubs in the same competition in one season. Each Club shall nominate 4 players for each team other than the lowest. No player may play in a lower team than nominated without a transfer sanctioned by the League Committee. A player may play twice in a higher team, on the third appearance the player will automatically be a nominated player for the higher team. Only Clubs fielding 2 or more teams are required to nominate players. 15 Any player who is registered with a Club playing in the winter or summer league is eligible for the Summer Closed Tournament. 16 A member of a Club must be registered with the League Secretary prior to playing in a League Match. 17 Teams shall be entered in the Kent County Association each year at the discretion of the A.G.M. Players will be chosen from the League. 18 Trophies shall be awarded to each team winning a division in the competitions. These will be held by the Club for one year and engraved at the expense of the League. The trophies shall remain the property of the League and Clubs holding trophies are responsible for their safekeeping. In the event of loss or damage, the Club concerned will be responsible for the full cost of replacement. 19 For Emergencies only, a Standing Committee will be selected each year, consisting of the Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, League Secretary and Fixture Secretary, to settle major disputes between formal meetings. 20 All players in League matches shall wear appropriate tennis clothing. Non-marking shoes should be worn. 21 All summer fixtures shall be completed between 1st April and 30th September (27-10-88). All winter fixtures shall be completed between 1st October and 31st March. Matches not played will be declared void. 22 (Moved to 13b) 23 If an emergency situation arises on the day of a match any decision agreed by both Match Captains on the day shall be legal and binding. In the event of a dispute the matter shall be referred to the League Committee. (10-12-87) 24 In the event of a team having to concede more than one match in a season, that team shall be penalized one rubber for every match conceded. 25 If there is a change of Match Secretary or Captain after the fixture meeting, the Club concerned must notify all other teams in the division of the new official. It is the responsibility of the Match Secretary/Captain, when appointing a substitute, to ensure that the person appointed has all the relevant information regarding the matches for that period (10-12-87).