RULES   |   BYLAWS

Updated: January 30, 2024

1. Players must be at least 21 years old by the end of the season in which they play.
2. Players must be a legal resident of Mississippi.
3. Players must pay the JLTA appropriate fee and register on-line prior to the 9:00 AM start of match.

1. Fees per season are $15 a person. Player’s participating in Silver (55+) pay $25 when registering for a Silver team at the same time they register for another color.
2. Website charges may be incurred when paying online.

1. Registration dates are available at www.jlta.org.
2. Captains must report any changes for the next season to the league secretary, such as team name, location, or new captain--prior to registration.
3. Players must be approved by the captain and given a password before registering for a team.
4. Registration is available online at www.jlta.org during the registration period.
5. Players must agree to abide by JLTA Membership Rules and accept the terms of the online waiver of liability.
6. Teams must have the required minimum of 8 players by the registration deadline to be considered a team.

1. Rosters are available online at www.jlta.org.
2. Teams must consist of at least 8 players, and no more than 14 players.
3. Teams must include 4 players who have played in that level or above, in 1 of the last 2 consecutive seasons and have played in at least 3 matches.
4. A player may not be listed on more than 1 roster per season with the exception of those 55 and over who participate on a Silver team.
5. If a player's name is submitted without her permission, she may file a protest.
6. If a player joins a team without the captain's permission, the captain may file a protest.

1. Deletions from the roster must be requested by the team captain to the color league secretary.
2. Deletions take effect when the color league secretary is notified.
3. Players will be deleted by the color league secretary, or by a substitute JLTA board member appointed by the color league secretary.
4. Once a player has been deleted from a roster, she MAY NOT play for the rest of the season on any team in any color.
5. Players who have NOT been on a roster during the current season may add themselves to a team throughout the season by being invited by a captain, receiving that captain's password, and registering online at jlta.org.
6. Upon registering, an automatic email will be sent to all captains in the color of the new player and the color league secretary noting that a player has been added in their color. This only applies to players added after the registration period.
7. After properly registering, new players are eligible to play in a match immediately as long as they register prior to the 9 am start of a day's match.
8. If a player doesn't properly register, any points earned by that player during the season will be deleted.

1. There are 8 color/levels of teams in JLTA: Platinum, Red, Gold, White, Blue, Bronze, Yellow and Silver. Silver is restricted to players age 55 and over. To participate on a Silver team you must reach the age of 55 no later than December 31 in the year of participation.
2. Each color/level is restricted to 10 teams, except for Silver.
3. The board reserves the right to reorganize levels of play to accommodate new teams or the loss of teams.

1. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received by the board and following instructions of Article IV, Section III, of the By-laws.
2. Teams must be submitted by the registration deadline.
3. Teams will be considered only if space is available.
4. Teams must include 4 players who have played in that level or above, in 1 of the last 2 consecutive seasons, and have played in at least 3 matches. (Excludes Yellow and Silver)

1. Mandatory meetings will be listed in the JLTA book and on the JLTA website. Note: the JLTA website will have the most current information of the correct dates, due to unforeseen changes that may occur once the book is printed.
2. A representative from each team is required to attend the Captains' Meeting, preferably the captain or co-captain.
3. Failure to attend a mandatory meeting will result in a penalty: a 6 point deduction will be subtracted from the team during that season.
4. Captains will be notified of any schedule changes at least one week in advance by color league secretaries.

1. Platinum/Gold - Regular matches will be played on Tuesday with make-up matches the following Thursday.
2. White/Bronze - Regular matches will be played on Wednesday with make-up matches the following Friday.
3. Blue/Red - Regular matches will be played on Thursday with make-up matches on the following Tuesday.
4. Yellow - Regular matches will be played on Friday with make-up matches on the following Wednesday.
5. Silver – Regular matches will be played on Monday. Make-up matches are not required. In the case of a rescheduled match, the time and day will be at the discretion and agreement of the two captains.
6. All matches are scheduled to begin promptly at 9 AM.
7. All make-up matches should be played in the order that they were originally scheduled.
8. In extreme situations, the JLTA board reserves the right to make adjustments to the schedule.

1. Home teams must furnish 4 cans of new USTA-approved tennis balls.
2. Failure to comply will result in a 6 point deduction from the final score of the home team.
3. To invoke a penalty, do not sign the score sheet, notify league secretary, and file a protest within 24 hours.

1. Home team captain must confirm 4 outdoor courts of the same surface have been reserved for the entire match.
2. Home team must pay any required court/guest fees for use of courts for the match.
3. If the reserved courts for the match are unplayable due to weather, consult Rule 19.
4. Should other conflicts or unforeseen problems arise, contact your color secretary.

1. Captains must be knowledgeable of the JLTA Membership Rules listed in the book and online.
2. Teams must have a captain, or acting captain, at each match.
3. Each captain must provide a lineup written legibly in ink on the JLTA provided form.
4. Captains must determine lineups according to the strength of players to make play fair and competitive for all.
5. No changes can be made to the lineup, once they have been exchanged by captains. (exception Rule 20)
6. Captains need to have players on the lineup present and ready to begin play promptly or risk forfeit. (Rule 17.G)
7. Captains must agree on final points of the match and both sign the home captain's score sheet or both score sheets.
8. Captains should ensure that all players have paid the appropriate JLTA fees and are registered on-line prior to play.

1. Home team captain must confirm court reservations with the facility prior to each match.
2. Home team captain must contact the visiting team captain 24-48 hours prior to the match to confirm the number of courts available and confirm location.
3. Home team must provide bottled water for the match and, at its option, additional beverages. Home teams are not required to provide snacks. Silver teams are not required to provide bottled water, other beverages, or snacks.
4. Host captain should initiate line up exchange, assign courts to players, and start the match promptly at 9 AM.
5. As soon as possible after the match, the home team captain must enter individual matches and scores online. The visiting captain should check the scores online and report any discrepancies to her color league secretary as soon as possible.
6. Failure to comply with Rule 13.E. by 5 PM the day after the match will result in a penalty of a 6 point deduction from the home team's final match score.

1. A captain must determine the lineup according to the strength of players to make play fair and competitive for all.
2. If a team does not have enough players for the match, forfeits will be taken from the bottom of the line-up.

1. Silver teams will play 4 courts of doubles. All other teams will field 4 singles players and 4 doubles teams for match play.
2. Singles matches will be played first and in order, starting with # 1 thru # 4. Violation results in a forfeit and a deduction of any points earned on the matches played out of order.
3. Doubles will follow as players and courts are available. But doubles-only players are not required to be at the match facility until 9:30 am.
4. Singles players will play 1 set, with a Coman Tiebreak played at 5 games all (5-5).
5. Doubles teams will play 2 sets, with a Coman Tiebreak played at 5 games all (5-5).

1. The first player to serve shall serve from the deuce court.
2. After the first point, the players shall change ends.
3. The next two points shall be served by the opponent from the ad court first then the deuce court.
4. Each player shall serve alternately for two consecutive points starting from the ad court.
5. Players change ends after the first point then after every 4 points, until the end of the tie break game.
6. Players switch sides after points 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 and the end. First player to 7 wins but must win by 2 points.
7. Any disputes or questions should be directed to the acting tennis pro at the facility or a JLTA board member immediately.

1. Forfeits must always be taken in order starting from the bottom of the lineup, #4 singles and #4 doubles.
2. A player who forfeits in singles will not be allowed to play doubles that day.
3. No substitutions will be made for a forfeited player.
4. Both captains should confer when a forfeit occurs.
5. 15 Minute Forfeit Rule:
   1. Players have 15 minutes to begin play when a court becomes available. Players who are playing doubles only do not have to arrive before 9:30 am. So, in the event a court becomes available for doubles before 9:30 am, the 15 minutes to begin play will not start until 9:30 am for a double-only player.
   2. A player may be forfeited only if her captain is notified, a court has been available for 15 minutes, and her opponent is present and ready to play.
   3. A player who forfeits in singles will NOT be allowed to play doubles that day.
   4. Forfeit should be recorded on the score sheet.
6. Three Forfeit Rule:
   1. Any team that forfeits on 3 different play days will be dropped from the league and all previous match points will be null and void.
   2. The players will be suspended from JLTA and will not be allowed to play for the remainder of the season on any team.
   3. That team may petition for a space in the league next season as a new team.
7. Death Penalty Rule:
   1. If a team forfeits an entire match, all previous match points earned will be null and void.
   2. The players will be suspended from JLTA and will not be allowed to play for the remainder of the season and the next upcoming season.
   3. The team may not submit a roster or petition for a space in JLTA as a new team next season.

1. The president can decide to cancel league matches due to EXTREME weather conditions, such as freezing temperatures, hurricanes, or other threatening emergency situations.
2. The president will make a decision by 8 AM, notify the league secretaries, and post on the JLTA website.

1. Home captain must consult the tennis facility to determine if the courts will be playable for the match.
2. Home captain must notify the opposing captain and her team members of a cancellation.
3. A match may be canceled before 9 AM when it is obvious, due to heavy rain, storms, or ice.
4. Players should never assume a match will be canceled, unless notified by the captain.
5. A match may be delayed for court conditions, but never start a match later than 9:45 AM.
6. Do not begin the match without 4 playable outdoor courts of the same surface.
7. Players are not required to make the courts playable.
8. If courts are not playable by 9:45 AM, the match will be rescheduled for the make-up day.
9. If rain begins after the match has begun, play will be suspended for up to 30 minutes.
1. If the courts are still non-playable after the suspension, play will not resume that day.
2. The match will be played on the next make-up day beginning at 9 AM.
3. Completed individual matches will stand as played.
4. Incomplete matches must be resumed by the same player at the same score, point, game, and set as when the match was suspended.
5. Lineups of matches that have not started may be changed for the next make up.
6. If a player cannot continue her match on the make-up day she will be defaulted, not forfeited.
7. Defaulted players retain all games earned.
8. Incomplete matches must be resumed on the same court surface if possible. However, if playable courts with the same surface are not available, resumption of play on a different surface could be allowed. Change of court surface will require prior approval of the appropriate color secretary or the President or Disciplinarian of the Board.
9. The home team captain is responsible for locating and reserving courts for rescheduled matches
10. In the event a rain delayed match must be rescheduled to a Friday of a USTA championship tournament and one of the teams involved have a minimum of 4 players participating in the tournament, the captain may request the make-up match be rescheduled to the following rain make-up date. This request must be made to the Color Secretary after notification to the opposing captain. NOTE: Captains should notify the Color Secretary and opposing captain at the beginning of the season if this potential conflict exists.
11. Silver teams, see Section 9 regarding rescheduling rules.

1. If a player becomes unable to physically play tennis due to sudden illness or a serious injury during a match, the player may retire, and default.
2. Defaulted players retain all games earned. If a player is defaulted in singles, a substitution may be made for doubles, after notifying the opposing captain.
3. No substitution may be made for a match in progress.
4. A defaulted player may not return to play that day.
5. A default shall be declared if any player commences play prior to registration. Any points won by such ineligible player shall be permanently deducted from the team score.

1. Absolutely NO alcohol allowed on or off the court during JLTA match play. Match play ends when every player is off the court.
2. Offensive profanity directed toward or about another player during the match will not be tolerated.
3. Poor sportsmanship or rude behavior is unacceptable.
4. Cell phones should be turned off during JLTA matches.
5. Never bring children to any JLTA match.

1. Each season the board determines the first and the last place teams of each color/level by points earned.
2. The first place team will be promoted and moved up to the next color/level.
3. The last place team is in jeopardy of being demoted and moved down to the next color/level.
4. Decisions on team placement will be based on the available space in each level after the season.
5. Additional promotions or demotions may be approved by the board, if necessary for the overall good of JLTA.
6. Silver League is not subject to provisions of this Rule.

1. Any problem that occurs during a match should be immediately brought to the attention of the captains.
2. The captains should make every effort to resolve the situation, by consulting JLTA rules to reach an agreement.
3. If the dispute cannot be resolved, captains should contact their color secretary, and if she cannot be reached, the Disciplinarian, or, if neither can be reached, the President for clarification.
4. As a last resort, the captain may choose to file a protest after the match.
5. Captains must follow this procedure for a protest.
1. Continue play.
2. Do not sign the score sheet after the match.
3. Protesting captain must complete the official JLTA protest form found in the JLTA book or online at www.jlta.org.
4. One or both captains must sign and date the protest form.
5. Protest must be filed within 24 hours of the match and submitted to the color league secretary via email. A phone call to the color league secretary is also required.
6. The Disciplinary Committee will rule on the matter in a timely manner. A hearing may be scheduled if necessary.
7. By not signing the score sheet and filing a protest, please be aware that the filing captain is opening up the entire match and both teams’ behavior to investigation and potential discipline. Discipline may include point penalties, loss of games won, and/or player suspension for either or both teams.