rules

competition

• University Tennis League is a mixed gender (co-ed) competition

• Swiss and European teams can join the competition (after meeting required conditions of SUTA and UTL)

• competition is divided into 2 conferences (West and East)​

• tennis playing student-athletes who are attending different schools, but in the same metropolitan area can create one / join the same team. Example: Players of Zurich Lions attend different universities / colleges / Hochschulen, which are located in metropolitan area of Zurich.

• the teams in UTL don't necessarily have to represent just one school, but they can.

• at least 6 boys and 4 girls are needed to register the team. In order to be prepared for possible complications such as illnesses, injuries and other unexpected situations, UTL recommends teams to prevent complications by registering at least 7 male and 5 female players.

• teams must have at least 4 male and 2 female players to be able to play the match. Teams with only one girl will be penalised. 

• all the players must be able to prove, that they are full-time university / college / Hochschulen students, with one exception. One player per team (male and female) can be registered as on-line student. Another exception are graduated alumni. One alumni per team is eligible to play no more than 2 semesters after his/her graduation. One junior per team (male or female) with Swiss rating R1 and better is able to join the team (players shall be no younger than 16 and no older than 18).

• student-athletes older than 28 are not allowed to participate in UTL

• 30.7. each year is the deadline to register teams into next season of the competition

• 31.8. (for fall season) and 31.01. (for spring season). each year are the deadlines for the teams to register new players (in order to be eligible for the next semester)

• number of registered players by one team is unlimited

• in order to be approved by the league, each team must create official identity by creating its Statutes & Founding minutes and its Bank Account. Teams name and logo must be approved by the league.

• at this moment, there is no registration fee to register the team into UTL competition 

• teams in same conference must meet twice during one season (2 semesters). Best two teams from each conference will meet in play-offs at the end of the season (end of April). 

• season schedule & dates for the league matches are decided by the league (UTL)  after communication with all the team captain's. Team captains shall propose their desired requests, but the league has the right to make the final decision.

• if the scheduled match is cancelled by one of the teams due to lack of players, then this team must pay the UTL a fine of 800 CHF. The match can be rescheduled if both teams agree on the new date, otherwise will be counted as x:xx loss.

 

SEASON 

• teams in the same conference must meet twice during one season (two semesters)

• after the regular season, will the best 2 teams from each conference qualify for the play-offs (first against second). Winners will meet in the final and losers will play for the third position. The last team from each conference can be challenged by any new team interested to join the UTL.

 

Ranking

• winning team receives 3 points and losing team 0 points

• when both teams won the same number of matches, games / points will decide. In this case, the winning team receives 2 points and losing team receives 1 point.

• every game / point counts into the ranking and will be calculated as teams average % of points won. When at the end of the season two teams have the same points in the ranking table, the team with higher winning % moves up.

 

MATCH DAY RULES / regulations

• Number of players: each playing team must consist of at least 6 players (4-7 males & 2-4 females). Depending on the number of available players, must both teams decide / agree on appropriate match format. This provides teams with more flexibility. If both teams agree, the leagues shorter match format (tiebreaks up to 25) allows more players to be involved in one match.

• Changeover can be no longer than 2 minutes long

• On-court coaching can be performed only by the team head coach, his assistant, or playing - team captain. All of them have to be listed on the match form. Only one of them at time can be present on the court.

• Only 2 coaches / team captains can be listen for both boys and girls side of the team / total of 4 per one team. It can be the head coach, assistant coach and / or team captain.

• Player substitutions must be announced to referee or tournament director by the team captain

• Player substitutions are allowed only once per each match due to following reasons: when injured / not performing well / not behaving well

• Player can be substituted only by someone who is listed lower on his/her team roster / this applies to both singles and doubles matches​

• Second substitution is possible only when serious injury would occur

• Third substitution is not allowed

• Home team is responsible to organize courts, one referee and one medical personnel being available if medical treatment necessary (league might, but is not responsible to help)

• Home team is responsible to provide 4 new balls for each match (league might, but is not responsible to help)

regular match scoring 

​

• Match:  first to win 9 games (tiebreak when 8:8)

• Game: first to win 4 points

• Tiebreak: first to win 5 out of 9 points

• Switching sides: regular ITF rule

• Let on serve: regular ATP / WTA rule

​

• On-court coaching is allowed during every changeover

• 15  seconds "coaching time out" is also allowed once during tiebreaks, when called for "coaching time-out"

​

• Player substitutions during the match are allowed (not before 7 games are finished, or earlier when serious injury)

​

• Calling score: Serving player is responsible to call the score out loud to his opponent before every first serve / this rule doesn't apply when the referee is present. Players can be penalised when first warned and repeatedly not calling the score.

​

Faster match scoring (not enough time / more players)

option in case of limited time / more players / limited courts availability (both teams must agree and league must approve)

​

• Match / set: first to win 25 points games (long tiebreak)

• Changing serves: after first point, the players change their serve after every 4 points

• Switching sides: changeover after every 9 points

• Let on serve: regular ATP / WTA rule

• On-court coaching is allowed during every changeover

• 15 seconds "coaching time out" is also allowed between the points / only once between each changeover  "coaching time out".

• Player substitution during the match is allowed (after 18 points played - during 2nd changeover)

• Calling score: Serving player is responsible to call the score out loud to his opponent before every first serve / this rule doesn't apply when the referee is present

​

TEAM MATCH FORMAT (red - one extra match possible)

4 courts

5 or 6 boys and 0 girls 

11-12 matches

approx. 4 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 s 2 and 3 vs 4, 3 vs 4 singles (4 matches)

• Round 2: 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 , 3 vs 3, 4 vs 4  singles (4 matches)

• Round 3: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 vs 3 + 4  doubles, 5 vs 5 singles, 6 vs 6 singles (3-4 matches)

​

3 courts

5 or 6 boys and 0 girls

11-12 matches

approx. 5 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 4 (3 matches)

• Round 2: 3 vs 4, 1 vs 1 boys, 2 vs 2 singles (3 matches)

• Round 3: 3 vs 3, 4 vs 4, 5 vs 5 singles (3 matches)

• Round 4: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 doubles, 3 + 4 vs 3 + 4 doubles, 6 vs 6 singles (2-3 matches) 

​

4 courts

4 or 5 boys and 1 or 2 girls

12-13 matches

approx. 5 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 4, 3 vs 4 boys singles (4 matches)

• Round 2: 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3, 4 vs 4 boys singles (4 matches)

• Round 3: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 vs 3 + 4 boys doubles, 1 vs 1 girls singles, 5 vs 5 boys / 2 vs 2 girls singles (3-4 matches)

• Round 4: 3 + 1 vs 3 + 1  mixed doubles (1 match)

​

3 courts

4 or 5 boys and 1 or 2 girls

11-12 matches

approx. 5 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 3 boys (3 matches)

• Round 2: 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 boys, 1 vs 1  girls singles (3 matches)

• Round 3: 4 vs 4 boys singles, and 3 + 1 vs 3 + 1  mixed doubles (3 matches)

• Round 4: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 boys doubles, 3 vs 4, 3 vs 4 boys, 5 vs 5 boys / 2 vs 2 girls singles (2-3 matches)

​

4 courts

3 boys and 2 or 3 girls involved

11-12 matches

approx. 5 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 s 2 boys and 1 vs 2, 1 vs 2 girls singles (4 matches)

• Round 2: 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 boys, 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 girls singles (4 matches)

• Round 3: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 boys doubles and 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 girls doubles, 3 vs 3 boys singles, 3 vs 3 girls singles (3-4 matches)

• Round 4: 2 + 1 vs 2 + 1 mixed doubles and 3 + 2 or 3 vs 3 + 2 or 3 mixed doubles (2 matches)

 

3 courts

3 boys and 2 or 3 girls involved

11-12 matches

approx. 5 hours

• Round 1: 1 vs 2, 1 s 2 boys and 1 vs 2, 1 vs 2 girls singles (3 matches)

• Round 2: 1 vs 1 boys, 1 vs 1, girls, 3 vs 3 boys singles (3 matches)

• Round 3: 2 vs 2 boys, 2 vs 2 girls, 3 + 1 vs 3 + 1 mixed doubles (3 matches)

• Round 4: 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 boys doubles and 1 + 2 vs 1 + 2 girls doubles, 3 vs 3 girls singles (2-3 matches)

​​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​