PTA Player and Spectator Conduct Contract 

Player Conduct

We expect the highest level of sportsmanship and exemplary behavior both on and off the court. Each player shall abide by the following rules of conduct during all USTA match play. 

  1. .If you have any doubt as to whether a ball is out or good, you must give your opponent the benefit of the doubt and play the ball as good. 
  2. It is your obligation to call all balls on your side, to help your opponent make calls when the opponent requests it, and to call against yourself (with the exception of a first service) any ball that you clearly see out on your opponent’s side of the net. 
  3. Any “out” or “let” call must be made instantaneously; otherwise the ball continues in play. 
  4. Do not enlist the aid of spectators in making line calls. 
  5. If you call a ball out and then realize it was good, you should correct your call. 
  6. To avoid controversy over the score, the Server should announce the set score before starting a game and the game score prior to serving each point.  
  7. If players cannot agree on the score, they may go back to the last score on which there was agreement and resume play from that point, or they may spin a racket. 
  8. Do not stall, sulk, complain, or practice gamesmanship. 
  9. Wait until the players on another court have completed a point before retrieving or returning a ball. 
  10. From the beginning of the match, play must be continuous. Attempts to stall or to extend rest periods for the purpose of recovering from a loss of physical condition are clearly illegal. 
  11.  Players are expected to put forth a full and honest effort regardless of the score or expected outcome. 
  12. Players are expected to maintain full control over their emotions and the resulting behavior throughout the match. If you begin to lose your composure during play, try the following:
    1. Take several deep breaths, exhale as slowly as possible and feel your muscles relax 
    2. Concentrate on your own game and behavior while ignoring distractions from your opponent or surroundings. 
    3. Be your own best friend – enjoy your good shots and forget the poor ones. 
  13. The ZERO tolerance policy towards any physical, verbal, racquet or ball abuse will be strictly enforced. Failure to comply with any of the above regulations may result in dismissal from the event. 

Spectator Conduct 

If you have ever been to a football game, you know that there aren’t set expectations or rules of etiquette around spectator behavior. As a result these events can get loud and sometimes even rowdy. Tennis is a different sport though, where just one or two opponents go head-to-head on a fairly small court. In an effort to promote fairness and to assure a physically and mentally healthy experience for all players, tennis had expectations around spectator behavior. All Paducah Tennis Association spectators are asked to follow these rules of conduct: 

  1. Cheering. Clapping for good shots is encouraged and will be allowed provided spectators clap for both players’ good shots.  Please wait until a point has finished before clapping. Clapping during play is a distraction for all players.  Please do not cheer when a player makes a mistake. This is considered poor etiquette.  Please keep cheering respectful in tone and volume. Cheering that gets out of control can intimidate players on the court, disrupt other matches in progress and cause conflict between opposing players.  If cheering gets out of hand, spectators will be informed that any cheering or clapping will not be allowed the remainder of the match.  If abuse continues the person(s) will be asked to leave the site. Any violation or rules may be enforced by the point penalty system.  
  2. Coaching. Spectators are prohibited from coaching players. Spectator coaching can intimidate and disrupt play on the court. Spectators who attempt to coach players will be asked to stop.  If spectator coaching continues, the person(s) will be asked to leave the site. Any violation of rules may be enforced by the point penalty system.
  3. Spectator Help. Spectators are prohibited from making line calls, calling double bounces or providing scores to players. Only the players on the court, or designated court monitors can make line calls, double bounce calls or assist with scoring.  Please control any urge to address a perceived injustice. 

By signing below, I _________________________________ agree to abide by the above rules.

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Player Signature Date