Winter League 2025-2026
Date/Time
12 Oct 2025 - 6 Mar 2026
12:00am
Categories
WINTER LEAGUE 2025/2026
The teams and schedule are shown in the embedded document below. If slow to load you can also open it in a separate window HERE.
Rules
Rule 1 – FEE: 20 Euro per person
Rule 2 – PLAYING FORMAT: A Team Match shall consist of two doubles matches.
Rule 3 – PAIRINGS: There are two Pairings. Players 1 & 2 play each other; Players 3 & 4 play
each other.
Rule 4 – SCORING: Matches will be First to 11 Games. Play the Advantage Rule as per
normal. Team Captains must send a completed Score Sheet at the conclusion of each match
using the appropriate Group WhatsApp and showing all substitutes used. (A permanent
replacement is not considered as a substitute)
Rule 5 – QUALIFICATION FOR THE KNOCK-OUT STAGES: The top four teams will
go through to the Semi-finals of the Winter League Cup. The First-placed team will play the
Fourth-placed team; the Second-placed team will play the Third-placed team. In the event of
two teams being level on points, the winner of the match between the two teams shall be
deemed to be placed higher. If that match had ended in a draw, then the Winner of the
Player1/Player2 match shall be deemed to be placed higher. If that was drawn, the team with the
fewer subs over the course of the WL shall be deemed higher.
Rule 6 – The 5th & 6th teams will go through to Winter League Plate Final. Rules as above for
teams on equal points.
Rule 7 – SCORING IN THE KNOCK-OUT STAGES: Each match will consist of the best
of three tie-break sets, however the third set will be a Championship tie-break instead of a full
set. The team that wins both the #1/#2 and the #3/#4 is the winner. If these matches are shared
between the two teams, then the #2 and #3 from each team (#1 and #3 in Section D) will decide
the winner in a Championship tie-break.
Rule 8 – WHAT TO BRING: Each player needs to bring a new Tretorn Plus ball for each
match (except Finals).
Rule 9 – SUBSTITUTIONS: Players make their own substitutions. Men sub for Men.
Ladies sub for Ladies. The two Substitution Lists and the correct Substitution Procedure is
held by the Team Captain and can be viewed here also:
Substitution List – Women
Substitution List Men
If the Substitution Procedure is not correctly followed, a three-point penalty
will be applied to the team. Pairings that use either one or two substitutes can only get a
maximum of 8 games added to their team’s score. It is essential that the captain knows who the
substitute will be. In the Knock-Out Stage, there is no penalty for subbing but there are
greater restrictions on choosing a sub. Follow the usual substitution rules as well as the
following restrictions: Choose a sub…
League Semi-Finals – from the bottom four teams or go to a lower Section.
Plate Finals – from teams that were knocked out of the Semis, the bottom two teams or go
to a lower Section.
League Finals – from any other team.
Please note: All substitutions in the Knock-out stages must be approved by the
Competition Organiser with the aim that a team should not be strengthened by the use
of a substitute (the Committee may ignore Substitution List rankings).
Rule 10 – INJURIES: If a player is injured and has to drop out, the Selector’s Committee will
consider finding a permanent replacement.
Rule 11 – If a match has to be abandoned due to an injury to a player, the opposing team takes
full points and the injured player’s team keeps the number of points it had acquired up to the
time of the injury.
Rule 12 – MATCH SCHEDULE – No walkovers. All matches must be played as
scheduled. If a player or players do not show up for a match it must be rescheduled and the
offending team has 3 points subtracted from its score. Inclement weather is generally the only
legitimate reason for rescheduling a match (see Rule 14). However, opposing captains may ask
Alan Williamson, the Competition Organiser, to authorise the rescheduling of a match. Offering
to play the match outside of the prime weekday 7:30pm and 9pm slots, as well as a high
percentage of player unavailability will be important factors in authorising a change. If this rule
is not correctly followed, each team will have 3 points subtracted from its score. However,
when the Knock-out Stage is reached, Semi-finals can be rearranged once both captains agree.
Rearranged matches must be played before the Final and the Competition Organiser must be
informed and agree to the changes.
Rule 13 – INCLEMENT WEATHER OR SLIPPERY, FROSTY COURTS: The two Team
Captains will decide whether conditions make a match unplayable. If it is decided that a match
must be postponed, then the match should be played by 11pm the following Saturday. If team
captains and their teams decide that they wish to play a match but the match has to be
abandoned due to a deterioration in the weather conditions and the courts become unsafe, the
score of the match will be picked up from where it was left off when the match is played out.
Rule 14 – ISSUES: The Competition Organisers (Alan and Juli) and the Club Captain (Karen)
will make the final decisions on any issues that arise in the course of the Winter League. Many
Thanks to our Competition Organisers, Alan Williamson and Juli Moticka.