April 4, 2017
TO: Athletic Directors, Coaches (Tennis Programs)
SUBJECT: Tennis Updates for Schools
Tennis Manual for 2017
The 2017 manual is on the IGHSAU web site. There are changes dealing with tournament play that all coaches should become aware of for this season. Be sure to take a moment to look at the changes and refresh yourself with the rules for tennis. A hard copy was mailed to every tennis school.
Coaching Ethics and Placement of Players
Please note the importance of placement of players in their dual and team tournament line-ups. Ethics for coaches dictate that the best player compete against the best player from the opposing school, and the second-best players compete against each other, etc. This must include your double teams, too. Changes in a school’s line up may certainly occur due to injury, absence or illness of a player. However, realignment of players to earn team points is not ethical and does not represent good sportsmanship. For example, a player or a doubles team has played together all year and then the week before the tournament they change positions in the line-up in singles or the doubles team goes from being the #1 to #2 or #3 doubles team to a lower position. This is not in the best interest of the sport of tennis. Athletic Directors, please sit down with your coaches and go over this very important point and the importance of playing the correct players in the proper positions. Players and parents KNOW when a coach manipulates a line-up for the purpose of winning. Do not let your school be the school that other schools label as a cheating school in tennis for years to come. Hold yourself and your team to the highest level of integrity to ensure fair competition.
Tennis Tournament Hosting
If your school is interested in hosting regional tournaments send your materials to the IGHSAU that you are willing to host. AD’s take a moment to check that you have sent that material into the state office.
Tennis Spectator Behavior Expectations
We continue to encourage creating a positive environment for all athletes to compete in. Please be sure to have a talk with your coaches and parents on the importance of positive behavior at all matches. You as an Athletic Director can do a great deal of good by having this kind of meeting with your coaches.
Announcing - Score During the Match
We continue to encourage our coaches to work with their players on announcing the score before every point, loudly enough for the receiver to hear. Ask players to confirm the match score on every changeover and, if score cards are being used, to change the score on every changeover. When players do this we have fewer issues with scoring for matches. Coaches, take time to stress this point.
Tennis Attire
On page 5 number 12 it speaks to attire to be worn for a match. Tennis attire must be school approved. In the past we have some cases where our players have gone out on the court in inappropriate attire. Coaches, the attire of your players is a reflection of your school. Please check on this before a match begins.
Introduction of Coaches
Before a match begins be sure to introduce all coaches for each team at the match. That would include all assistants and school approved volunteer coaches too. This will help with who should be speaking with the players on the 90 second coaching opportunity. Be sure to go over page 13 of the manual with all players before a match begins!
90 Second Coaching Opportunity / Crossover
Please remind your players the 90 seconds starts after the point it finished, NOT when you get to their courts to talk to them. You do not have to speak to your players on every crossover.
During the 10-Point Match Tiebreak the following rules apply:
*There is a three-minute break between the 2nd set and the 10-Point Match Tiebreak.
*New balls are NOT given to the players for the 10-Point Match Tiebreak.
*Play is continuous during the 10-Point Match Tiebreak and no coaching opportunities exist during the 10-Point Match Tiebreak.
*Players change ends every six points during the 10-Point Match Tiebreak. There is to be no coaching during the crossover time.
*The first player, or doubles team, to win ten points, by a margin of two, is declared the winner.
*The score for the 10-Point Match Tiebreak is recorded as 1-0 (x), with the (x) being the number of points won by the loser in the Match Tiebreak.
Scrimmage
ONE scrimmage date is allowed per school and it must happen after the first Friday in May (1st) and before the first day of the State Singles and Doubles Tournament June 1st. This scrimmage can be with one person or with a whole team or several teams. There can only be ONE scrimmage date. There can be no official results…it does not count as a part of a team / individual record.
Rules Meeting and Concussion Course
Coaches be sure you have taken the rules meeting online. You cannot coach at the tournament level until you take the rules meeting online!! If you failed to get this done contact the State Office ASAP. All head coaches this year must take the concussion course that is online too!
Quikstats Reporting for Tennis
Go to http://www.quikstatsiowa.com/ and click on School Login located in the blue header to report your individual and team scores this year. We added the individual scores last year with great success. Reporting dateline dates are: April 6, April 17, April 27 and May 9. On the IGHSAU website is a guide on how to report the individual scores for your players as well as team matches. If a school does not report scores on Quikstats please let them know they need to report their scores. When another school points this out to the coach the scores are usually entered. The Quikstats tutorial is still posted in the Coaches’ section of our Website (under tennis). Here is the link: https://ighsau.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/QuikStatsTennisTutorial.pdf
Weather issues with meets
Please see page 3 number 3 in the 2017 Tennis Manual on how to deal with rain delays and weather issues with meets. Be sure to update your Quikstats if there is suspension of a meet to a later date.
Team / Single and Double Pairings
Pairings will be released at the end of April / first of May as we have done in the past. First round of team play is set for May 13th. Singles and Doubles regional set for May18th.
Team Line-ups
Every school in the Team Tennis tournament will submit their team line-up they are going to use for the entire tournament to the State Office by the 11th of May. That includes teams who have a bye on the 13th. You may submit your line-up to the IGHSAU by using the following e-mail craig@ighsau. Or FAX 515-284-1969. This will be the line-up you will use the entire tournament unless you have an injury or a sub for an approved reason…then you will follow the procedure listed in the tennis manual. Be sure you do this before the 4:00 p.m deadline. THIS YEAR YOUR AD MUST SUBMIT YOUR TEAM LINE-UP USING THE FORM THAT WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEB SITE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. YOUR AD WILL VERIFIY THE LINE-UP AS BEING CORRECT AND PLAYERS PLAYING IN THE PROPER POSITIONS. THAT WOULD INCLUDE DOUBLE TEAMS. THE AD WILL ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT LINE-UP BEING CORRECT. AD’S DO NOT JUST SIGN THIS FORM PLEASE TAKE TIME TO CHECK THAT IT IS CORRECT FOR YOUR SCHOOL.
Team Tennis format
All matches for the entire team tennis tournament will end when a team reaches 5 points.
State Co-ed Tournament
The State Co-ed tournament will be held on June 6th. Be sure to look over the instructions for that tournament in the tennis manual. Please note that only students who are currently in grades 9-12 can play in that tournament. You cannot use an 8th grade student.
State Meet Sites
Class 2A Prairie Ridge Sports Complex, Ankeny
Class 1A University of Iowa Tennis Center, Iowa City
State Co-ed Sites
Class 2A Prairie Ridge Sports Complex, Ankeny
Class 1A Waveland Tennis Courts, Des Moines
Have a great spring of tennis and thank you for the work that you do for our youth!
Craig Ihnen / John Overton
IGHSAU