FRIEND AT COURT 2010 - USTA.com

3. Referee determines ball change pattern. The Referee shall determine the
ball change pattern subject to the right of the Chair Umpire to order a ball
change at other than the normal time when the Chair Umpire determines that
abnormal conditions warrant so doing.
4. Number of balls. New balls shall be used to start a match commencing with
the warm-up. At least three balls shall be used for matches at tournaments
above the Sectional Championship level and are recommended for matches
at the Sectional Championship level.
When a tournament specifies new balls for a third set, new balls shall be
used unless all players agree otherwise.
5. Warm-ups. Warm-ups in which the match balls are used are treated as the
equivalent of two games of match play.
G. Player Eligibility
1. USTA membership generally required to play in sanctioned tournaments.
All players, including non-citizens resident in the United States, Puerto Rico,
U.S. Virgin Islands, Province of British Columbia, Guam, or American Samoa,
desiring to play in sanctioned tournaments of the USTA are required to be
members of the USTA except for sanctioned matches or tournaments that
are interscholastic, intercollegiate, or that are limited to students and
conducted by scholastic or collegiate officials.
For the purpose of this provision all foreign players shall be presumed
to be residents of the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands,
Province of British Columbia, Guam, or American Samoa, and thereby
required to enroll unless they have a certification from their national
association or from the USTA stating that they are in fact nonresidents of
the United States as above defined. If a foreign, nonresident player
requests that the USTA issue a certification that the player is a nonresident,
then the USTA shall issue the certification upon finding that the player is
a nonresident.
2. Eligibility for tournaments: There are three general categories of tournaments:
• Junior;
• Adult, Senior, and Family; and
• Wheelchair.
Many tournament divisions have minimum or maximum age restrictions. Some
divisions are restricted by the players’ NTRP ratings.
a. Junior tournaments (18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8). Junior tournaments, with
the exception of the USTA National Championships, are limited to
amateurs. A player, if otherwise eligible, may enter any junior division
if the player has not exceeded the maximum age by the last day of the
month during which the division is scheduled to start (see Table 4);
provided that, annually the Junior Competition Committee may
designate one tournament in each of the Boys’ and Girls’ 18 Divisions
that shall be limited to players who have not turned 19 on or before
December 31. These designated tournaments may be, but are not
required to be, USTA National Championships.
b. Adult, Senior, and Family tournaments. A player, if otherwise eligible,
may enter any:
i. Men’s or Women’s Division that is not restricted by age or NTRP
rating;
60 USTA REGULATIONS I.G. (Player Eligibility)