Matches are designated as Home or Away on your schedule.

Home Court

Teams are required to select a team court and submit to during registeration.

Balls

Each player brings unopened can of balls (2 cans for doubles). All cans should be set taken out prior to match start. Match is to be played with one of the unopened cans. Winner takes home all cans.

Matches are to be played at the designeated home court unless both teams agree in writing to change the location when scheduling the match.

Home Court Facility Requirements

Courts must be reasonably maintained. Examples of courts that are not reasonably maintained include:

• Courts with cracking that is significant enough to impact the bounce of the ball or cause someone to lose their footing.
• Courts with surfaces that are buckled or uneven enough to impact the bounce of the ball or cause someone to lose their footing.
• Courts where net heights cannot be accurately adjusted or the height maintained throughout the match.

Court Availability & Reservations

The home team should provide a court reservation for a minimum of 2 hours to ensure that there is ample time to complete a match and to avoid an incomplete match being rescheduled at their opponents’ court. If the match cannot be completed in the timeframe provided, then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match for completion any time prior to the deadline.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then all completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match.
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then all completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Incomplete’

If the home team does not provide a playable court for the minimum timeframe for any reason (the reservation was for only 1.5 hours, the lights on a timer go out, the facility closes early, the facility did not have a reservation), then the match should be handled as follows:

• Teams should reschedule the match for completion any time prior to the deadline.
• The visiting team can require the match be completed at their courts (as long as the match started at the scheduled time and was not delayed due to the visiting team arriving late). Please consider that every drive to your opponents’ court is essentially another “away” match for whoever has to drive. This simply distributes the “away” matches in a reasonable manner.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then all completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match.
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then all completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Defaulted’

If a match is scheduled and confirmed by both teams and a court is not available at the match start time, the visiting team can score the match as a forfeit if the court does not become available within 20 minutes. However, if both teams agree, they can move to another location, or reschedule the match.

Changing Facilities

If the home facility is not available, the home team can offer a facility within 2 miles from the original facility (using Google Maps). If no other facility is available within 2 miles of the original facility, the visiting team can request that the match be played at the visiting team’s facility. If neither facility is available, teams must find a mutually agreeable public facility and court fees will be split between the teams.

Court Fees

The home team pays all necessary court and guest fees for their home matches. We do not require teams to split the fees since we want every team to have control over their expenses.

Driving Directions

The home team MUST ensure that they have submitted a good address. The driving  directions to their courts will be available in Tennis Point. Therefore every home team should go to their “Schedule” in the Tennis Point app and  click the driving direction for their facility then review that the address and driving directions are accurate. If the information is not correct, or if it is apparent that googlemaps does not take the visiting team to the courts, it is up to the home team to advise the league and to provide a good address and driving directions to each of their opponents in writing.

25 Mile Rule

If an away match is greater than 25 miles distance from your home court facility using Google Maps, you may request that the match be played at a public facility that is approximately midway between the two facilities. If there is no facility midway between the two, then the teams should choose a facility that results in neither team traveling more than 25 miles with the shortest distance given to the home team where possible. The court fees will be split between the two teams. If the teams cannot agree on a facility, contact us at 404-913-6763 and we will make a final decision.

If teams are in a division where they play someone twice and the 25 mile rule is applicable, teams must decide whether they will utilize the rule or not and it must be handled the same for both matches. In other words, if you are 25 miles away from an opponent, and you let them drive to your courts, you cannot then turn around and force them to meet you halfway when you have to travel to their courts.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather is defined as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) or severe weather (temperature below 34 degrees or above 98 degrees Fahrenheit according to www.weather.com). Use the following guidelines in the event of inclement weather:

• If there is inclement weather, teams must contact each other via telephone to cancel a match. Do not assume that a match is cancelled!
• Teams should reschedule the match for completion prior to the deadline.
• If one team wants to reschedule but the other team does not, then any completed games should be entered and a ‘Retire’ given to the team that does not want to complete the match
• If both teams do not want to reschedule, then any completed games should be entered and the match marked as ‘Defaulted’
• If a regular season match that is scheduled on the last day of the season is interrupted, you must contact us immediately. We will extend the deadline for these matches by one day if this is reported but if we get no reports of issues by midnight, we will not extend the deadline.
• If a playoff match that is scheduled for the default time is interrupted, we will extend the deadline for these matches by one day if this is reported, but if we get no reports of issues by midnight, we will not extend the deadline.

Adult Match Play

Adult Match Play rules are described below. CLICK HERE for the basics on how to play tennis.

Singles matches are best 2 out of 3 sets. Sets are won by the first to win 6 games by a margin of 2 games.

Double matches are 2 sets with 10 point tie breaker in lieu of a third set.

Two Point Margin:
The first team to win 6 games by a two game margin is the winning team. 

A tennis tie-breaker is played when the game score in a set is 6-6. At this point, players will engage in a 7-point tie-break to decide the set. This means the first player to reach 7 points wins the tie-breaker.

If the score in the tie-breaker reaches 6-6, then a player must win by 2 points to capture the tie-break. For example, final tie-breaker scores in this scenario might be 8-6, 9-7, 10-8, etc.

There is no limit to how high the score can go in a tie-break. Some tie-breakers end 15-13 or even higher. The tie-breaker continues until one of the players wins by 2.

At the conclusion of the tiebreaker, the score is recorded as 7-6, meaning 7 games to 6 games won.

7 Point Tie-Break Rules

Tie breaker occur when a tennis game score is tied at 6-6.  Tiebreaker points are scored numerically, “0”, “1”, “2”, “3” and so on, instead of “love”, “15”, “30”, and “40”.

Service Rotation for Doubles:
• The player or team that just served to even the set 6 – 6 will receive the serve in the tiebreaker. *
• To counter the advantage of serving, the player who starts serving will only serve one point. This player will serve this point from the right (deuce) side of the court.
• One player of the opposing team serves the next two points. Point #2 will be played from the left (ad) side of the court and point #3 will be played from the right (deuce) side.
• Players will take turns serving 2 points until the end of the tiebreaker.
• At 6 points total, or any multiple of 6 points total, teams switch sides of the court.

10 Point Tie-Break Rules

When the score in a double match is two sets all in a The team who first reaches 10 points by a margin of two points over the opponent(s) is the winner.

Order of Serving:

When a super tiebreaker is used as the final set, the original order of service continues. Before the start, though, doubles teams can change their order of serving and receiving, and this order remains until the end of the tiebreaker.

Serving:

The team whose turn it is to serve, serves the first point of the tiebreaker. The next two points are then served by the opposing player or team. From then on each player or team alternates serving two points until the end of the tiebreaker

When to Change Ends:

Players change ends of the court after the first point and then after every six points.

Match Tiebreaker Scoring:

Points are simply scored 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. The first player or team to win 10 points by a two-point margin wins the match. If the score in the match tiebreaker becomes tied at 10 points, play continues until a player or team has a two-point lead.

Choice of Service / Court End

Choice of service / court end for the first game of the match is decided by a coin toss/racket spin/rock paper scissor at the start of the warm-up allowing teams to warm-up on the end of the court where they will begin play. Team winning the toss can either

1. choose to serve or receive letting the opponent choose ends,
2. choose ends letting the opponent choose to serve or receive, or
3. require the opponent to make the first choice of service or ends and then taking the remaining choice.

Teams change ends after the first game and whenever the total number of completed games in a set is an odd number.

Coaching & Spectator Participation

The following guidelines apply to all spectators:

Coaching from a spectator is not allowed for anyone. Offering advice on rules, interpretation of rules, or making lines calls is not allowed from a spectator.

Teams are responsible for their spectators. Bad sportsmanship is not allowed from a spectator that is the guest of a team.

When a player/team violates a rule or does the following penalty will occur:

1. First Offense: Warning
2. Second Offense: Loose a point
3. Third Offense: Loose a game
4. Fourth Offense: Loose the set
5. Fifth Offense: Loose the match

Once season is underway, players/teams are not allowed to play with an opponent until they the playoffs have ended. 

Reporting Scores

Scores are entered on tennispoint.com (not the app)by:

• Selecting ‘teams’ on the bottom menu bar
• Selecting appropriate match
• Selecting the ‘Entre Score’ button

Scores can be entered anytime through 11:00 pm on the deadline for the match. Be sure to press ‘update score’ after scores have been entered and saved! The winning team should enter the score to ensure that they get credit for the match. However, anyone can enter the score.

Correcting Scores

Score corrections must be sent as soon error is realized but as late as 11:00pm on the deadline of the match.

Match Scoring

• Winning team should enter the score to ensure that they get credit for the match. However, anyone can enter the score.
• Winning team will receive 3 points for the match. Losing team will  not receive any points.
  If a team forfeits the match select ‘default’ next to that team – winning team will receive 3 points, forfeiting team will receive 0 points.
• If a team retires from the match, enter all completed games then select ‘retire’ next to that team. Winning team will receive 3 points for the match. Losing team will not receive any points.
  If the match is incomplete, enter all completed games. The team with the most games/set won will receive 3 points.  Losing team will not receive any points. If the games won are equal, teams split points.
• If the match is not played but it was not due to a forfeit or retire then no scores are entered. Neither team receives points.
• A set won by tie-break will be entered as 7 – 6 in favor of the team that wins the tie-break.
• All scores must be entered by 11:00pm on the match deadline.
• Any score corrections must be sent to us by 11:00pm on the match deadline.

Forfeited Matches

The following situations allow scoring the match as a forfeit against your opponent:

• A team does not respond to multiple attempts at contact by 5 days prior to the match deadline and offer 3 options to play or alternatively accept one of their opponents’ options. You MUST have made attempts to contact the team by phone and text and made the proper offers by 5 days prior to the deadline and you MUST be able to provide copies of text with the date and recipient phone number included in order to use this rule. 5 days prior to a Sunday deadline is by midnight the preceding Monday.
• A team does not offer 3 valid options to play (or alternatively accept one of your offers). You MUST have offered 3 valid options to play in order to use this rule.
• A team does not show up for a match within 20 minutes of a confirmed match start time.
• The home team cannot provide a court at the confirmed facility within 20 minutes of a confirmed match start time.
• A team cancels a scheduled match less than 24 hours from scheduled match start time.
• A team cancels a scheduled match twice regardless of advanced notice.
• A team cannot play a match at the default time after both teams have offered 3 valid options to play during the regular play period,  and cannot agree on a date You MUST have notified your opponent that you want to utilize the default time with at least 48 hours notice.
• A team decides at any time they cannot play the match and must forfeit the match.

If the match is scored in the system as forfeit, but teams decide later to play the match, we will accept the scores via email to mtl@muslimahendure.org by 11:00pm on the match deadline.

Excessive Forfeits & Unscored Matches

You should avoid forfeiting your matches as it results in others in your division not getting the benefit of a full schedule. Teams with more than 2 matches that are forfeited or unscored in a league will be considered having excessive forfeits. A first case will be documented,second will receive a verbal warning and third will result in suspension from the league.

Teams that determine they cannot complete a season due to injury or other conflicts MUST report this to the league and withdraw as soon as possible so that an attempt at finding a replacement can be made.

Retired Matches

When a match is incomplete as the result of one player it is considered a “Retired” match. Circumstances that fall under a “retired” match may include:

• Cannot continue due to injury or illness
• Leaves due to personal reasons
• Failed to reserve enough court time to complete the match
• Failed to provide a court with working lights during evening play
• Player refuses to complete a match due to a disagreement

The “retired” player will lose the match, but will receive points for all games completed prior to stopping play. The opposing player receives the win and will receive 3 points.

Incomplete Matches

If two teams start a match but cannot complete it due to inclement weather or court availability issues, and both teams decide not to reschedule it at a later date, the match is considered incomplete. See scoring above for details on how incomplete matches are scored.

Playing After the Match Is Scored

If two teams agree to play a match that was previously scored as forfeited, retired or incomplete, contact us, and we will change the scores any time prior to 11:00pm on the deadline of the match.

Teams are also asked to take a photo of both teams at each match and submit photo in the WhatsApp group.

Pics will be used on Muslimahs Endure and Muslim Tennis League social media accounts.

Open Match

All matches should open with Al-Fatiha.

Close Match

All matches should conclude with gratitude and Suratul Asr.

Gratitude a Muslimahs Endure traditional when all participants have an opportunity to express gratitudge for any of the many blessing that Allah has bestowed on us.

Salah

If salah falls during the time of your match, teams should be allowed to break to peform salah without penality. Game will resume where it left off.