Courts
The care of the courts is regulated by the board of directors on recommendations of the courts committee, through the club manager and tennis professional. Play is prohibited on courts not furnished with nets, on courts where the net has been lowered, and on courts otherwise not in condition to be used as determined by the club manager.
The club manager has the authority to close any of the courts for maintenance when necessary. Persons using the courts must wear tennis shoes that are rubber-soled, heel-less and non-grooved to protect the court surfaces. The courts committee has the responsibility to approve suitable shoes.
RFTC Tennis Dress Code
The games committee whishes to express to the membership once again the guidelines regarding appropriate tennis apparel.
The RFTC policy of upholding the all-white dress code is a long-standing and continuing regulation. Pastel or dark-colored tennis apparel is not appropriate. The following guidelines should be followed in choosing your tennis garments.
1. All tennis shorts and skirts must be all-white. Colored accents are acceptable if they cover less than 10% of the garment.
2. Tennis shirts and tennis dresses must conform to the same guidelines as above.
3. All hats, visors, or other headgear must be all-white.
4. Tennis undergarments worn by ladies may be of a solid color if predominantly covered in a tennis dress of sufficient length. To avoid problems, white undergarments are recommended.
5. Non-white tennis warm-up suits, sweaters and jackets are acceptable before June 1 and after September 1. Tennis attire under warm-up suits must be all-white. All-white warm-ups with minimal colored accents are required during June, July and August.
The dress code guidelines will be enforced by members of the games committee, club professionals, club manager and the board of directors. Those in violation will be asked to leave the court or to change into appropriate white attire. Please advise your guests of our club’s all-white dress code to avoid any embarrassment.
Your understanding and cooperation is appreciated in helping to carry out the spirit and tradition of the dress code.
Assignment of Courts
The assignment of courts is regulated by the games committee through the tennis professionals and the club manager.
All persons desiring to play shall first sign the register outside the pro shop, and the register shall govern the order of play.
No person may repeat signing the register or waiting list until that person has come off the court after completion of the allotted time.
No more than two consecutive sets may be played, and then not exceeding one hour, without re-signing the register. If others are waiting, a player must wait for a new turn to play by signing in order on the waiting list.
Time allowed for singles play shall be further regulated th the tennis professionals, the club manager or the games committee according to the demands for court play.
One-hour singles play may be allowed from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Players having club championships or other recognized tournament matches may exceed the time limits stated above, provided they have the express permission of the tennis professional.
On ladies team tennis mornings until noon, women shall have the priority on courts one through eight. During the period of the USTA sanctioned tournament, the number of courts available and the time they may be used shall be regulated by the tennis professional
Court Use for Players Under the Age of 18
Play and behavior of persons under 18 years of age shall be subject to discipline by the tennis professional or the club manager.
Monday through Friday until 4:30 pm, players under the age of 18 have the same registering requirements and court privileges as adult members, and shall have full rights to court usage consistent with all rules and regulations governing their use at that time. No age or class of players under 18 years of age shall have any special rights more so than any other age or class of players under 18 years of age during the above time.
After 4:30 pm on weekdays, and all day Saturdays and Sundays, on holidays and during times designated for specific tennis events, children under 18 years may occupy the court only if it is vacant and no adults are waiting to play; and they shall immediately leave the court in the order in which they have signed the register when the courts become full and an adult member is waiting to play.
When a child under 18 years is playing with an adult member, the adult’s privileges take precedence and they may continue to use the court for the allotted time.
Court Etiquette
The oldest tradition in tennis is to give your opponent the benefit of the doubt; this means that any ball that cannot be called out with surety is presumed to be good and continues in play.
No point should be replayed because a player is not sure if a ball was in or out.
It is both the obligation and prerogative of a player to call all balls in his court, to help his opponent make calls when the opponent requests it, and to call against himself (with the exception of his partner’s first service) any ball that he sees clearly out on his opponent’s side of the net.
Returning a service that is obviously out (accompanied by an out call) is a form of rudeness and when the receiver know that in making these returns he bothers the server, it is gamesmanship.
Compliance with the footfault rule is very much a function of a player’s personal honor system.
When play is in progress do not go behind another court to retrieve a ball or hit a loose ball to that court. Do not ask for one of your balls until the point in play on the adjoining court has stopped. In returning a loose ball to another court, do not hit it aimlessly as if you do not care where it goes as long as it leaves your court. Instead, pick up the ball and hit it so that it goes directly to one of the players on the other court, preferably the server.
