USTA League Match Rescheduling

[MisterP]

Got an email from the captain of our main rival, who wants to reschedule our match because he has some guys out of town on that night. We are both in contention for a spot in the playoffs, and this match will determine who goes.

I replied that I didn't think it was fair to my team to reschedule a match just because he didn't have his preferred players. He emailed the league coordinator and he wants us to split up the courts and play them when we can. Basically, the league coordinator is siding with the other captain.

Does this sound nuts to anyone else?

 

[catfish]

What do your local league rules say about match reschedules?

 

[OrangePower]

I agree it's nuts that the league coordinator is siding with the other captain. The coordinator should never favor one side or the other.

On a different note, how far off is the match date? If it's just a few days I would also probably not agree to reschedule, because by then I would already have started getting players lined up etc.

But if a week or more away, I'd probably agree to reschedule. Yes this is competition and we want to win, but ultimately the goal is to play tennis and have good matches. If the other team ends up defaulting 2 lines for example that means folks on my team are getting fewer matches.

(I say 'probably' because I know all the other captains in my area, and some of them I'd be more inclined to help out than others. What goes around comes around.)

 

[Top Jimmy]

He should default those matches. He should have a deep enough roster to cover people being out. Or is he wanting his best guys to be able to play? That would be really slimy.

I'd look up the rules and see if you have the leverage. If you do, I'd say "this is the only time my guys can play, they planned their schedules around these dates."

You made a commitment, either deal with it or accept your fate.

 

[MisterP]

What do your local league rules say about match reschedules?

The only allowances for rescheduling, according to the league rules, are for conflicting events e.g. playoffs, state, sectional or national champs. Or weather, obviously. Doesn't say anything about rescheduling due to not having enough players.

This match is more than a week out.

 

[Top Jimmy]

The only allowances for rescheduling, according to the league rules, are for conflicting events e.g. playoffs, state, sectional or national champs. Or weather, obviously. Doesn't say anything about rescheduling due to not having enough players.

This match is more than a week out.

Rules say no. Just say your guys can't make the re-schedule dates.

 

[catfish]

The only allowances for rescheduling, according to the league rules, are for conflicting events e.g. playoffs, state, sectional or national champs. Or weather, obviously. Doesn't say anything about rescheduling due to not having enough players.

This match is more than a week out.

If the rules only allow for conflicting USTA championships, then the reschedule should not be allowed. I'd push this with the coordinator and ask why he or she is requiring it. Sometimes there are circumstances which you may not be aware of and coordinator can justify using their discretion.

 

[struggle]

Coordinator must abide.

Rules is rules.

Be sure to save all exchanges and make them via email only, no phone talk so you have a "paper trail"

Been there, done that.

 

[86golf]

The only half legit reason to compromise on this is if the date lands during the local schools spring break.

Our local league has gotten wise to this and just schedules byes during that week. However since we have multiple school districts, sometimes the spring breaks don't line up and some teams get screwed having to play the week of their spring break.

If that's not the case, I'd push the issue with them.

 

[jk175d]

Got an email from the captain of our main rival, who wants to reschedule our match because he has some guys out of town on that night. We are both in contention for a spot in the playoffs, and this match will determine who goes.

I replied that I didn't think it was fair to my team to reschedule a match just because he didn't have his preferred players. He emailed the league coordinator and he wants us to split up the courts and play them when we can. Basically, the league coordinator is siding with the other captain.

Does this sound nuts to anyone else?

completely bogus. Just insist on sticking with the schedule in tennislink.

 

[J_R_B]

Got an email from the captain of our main rival, who wants to reschedule our match because he has some guys out of town on that night. We are both in contention for a spot in the playoffs, and this match will determine who goes.

I replied that I didn't think it was fair to my team to reschedule a match just because he didn't have his preferred players. He emailed the league coordinator and he wants us to split up the courts and play them when we can. Basically, the league coordinator is siding with the other captain.

Does this sound nuts to anyone else?

My first response would be the old "I'll check with my guys" line. If I couldn't have as good or better lineup on the days he wants then no go. You hold the cards in this situation. If you think you're getting screwed, you have the right to refuse to accommodate him.

 

[struggle]

Poor planning on their part should no create a crisis on your part.

Ever.

The schedule comes out at the beginning of the season.

Barring the above REASONABLE exceptions, they need to do their best to bring a team and play the match, or default some lines.

 

[OrangePower]

Seems that most would rather get a guaranteed team match win with say a couple of lines won by default, versus playing all 5 lines and then the team win being a toss up.

This surprises me, but I can tell from the replies that I'm in the minority. Perhaps I'm just not competitive enough.

Edit: This being said in the context of the OP being asked for the reschedule more than a week out. Obviously it's different if it's closer to the match date and lineup and arrangements have already been made etc.

 

[Nostradamus]

Coordinator must abide.

Rules is rules.

Be sure to save all exchanges and make them via email only, no phone talk so you have a "paper trail"

Been there, done that.

Maybe this coordinator plays favorites and likes that other captain or is friends with him or her......... this is gross injustice and unethical.

 

[MisterP]

We are going to split up the courts and play them over the next two weeks. Personally, I think it's bogus and clearly not provided for in the league rules, but they (inexplicably) have the support of the LC, and I honestly don't have the energy to waste on it. Plus, I am 99.9% sure we are going to win. I'll report back after the matches are played.

 

[Nostradamus]

We are going to split up the courts and play them over the next two weeks. Personally, I think it's bogus and clearly not provided for in the league rules, but they (inexplicably) have the support of the LC, and I honestly don't have the energy to waste on it. Plus, I am 99.9% sure we are going to win. I'll report back after the matches are played.

I want you to report this unethical behavior that is inconsistent with spirit of USTA and USTA rules to the President of USTA.

 

[Angle Queen]

Just a tad late to reply...since the OP has followed up but --

I'm mostly with OrangePower: What goes around, comes around.

Let's face it; there are some captains...I'd be willing to work with, no matter the circumstance. Other stick-in-the-muds, not a chance in heLL. Middle-of-the-roads and if there was enough time to check with my own crew, I'd try to make it work.

FWIW, though, I can't believe the League Coordinator would take sides with the capt wanting to reschedule outside of established league rules.

As for the Spring Break concessions -- is this a womens league? I didn't think the guys worries about such matters (all sexism/bias aside). That said, even my all-ladies, daytime/weekday league schedules matches throughout the Spring...mostly because they didn't want to try to keep up with all the different "Break" schedules. Everyone, esp the captains, knows about it weeks, dare I say months, in advance. No excuse. Either work it out or default. Despite that, we're not all that cutthroat and genuinely want to play but it is what it is. Most of us have a Life (outside of Tennis) and scheduling/having things to do with our families and friends is important.

 

[gmatheis]

Got an email from the captain of our main rival, who wants to reschedule our match because he has some guys out of town on that night. We are both in contention for a spot in the playoffs, and this match will determine who goes.

I replied that I didn't think it was fair to my team to reschedule a match just because he didn't have his preferred players. He emailed the league coordinator and he wants us to split up the courts and play them when we can. Basically, the league coordinator is siding with the other captain.

Does this sound nuts to anyone else?

Did you email the LC back and tell him in no uncertain terms that you do not wish to reschedule, and ask why if the rules do not allow for it that you have to ?

I'd at least make sure you don't get screwed somehow, such as not having the players you want available, or forcing your players to play under lights after working all day when the original match was scheduled for a weekend during the day.

 

[dlk]

I say reschedule, but allow your captain to pick the opposing players & their position in the match.

 

[struggle]

Rules are made to be broken I guess.

I don't stand for that crap. I understand the "everyone just wants to play" mentality, BUT the schedule is set way ahead of time.

If another team has enough players, but their "ringers" are out of town, well that's not an issue and should not be a reason to reschedule even a single line.

edit: I understand the conflicting USTA tourneys etc argument, but vacations etc are just part of life.

 

[catfish]

Rules are made to be broken I guess.

I don't stand for that crap. I understand the "everyone just wants to play" mentality, BUT the schedule is set way ahead of time.

If another team has enough players, but their "ringers" are out of town, well that's not an issue and should not be a reason to reschedule even a single line.

edit: I understand the conflicting USTA tourneys etc argument, but vacations etc are just part of life.

I agree. I don't know why anyone expects an entire other team to change their plans based on his players being unavailable. IMO it's a very entitled attitude. If I'm a captain and my players are not available, that's my problem. Why would I expect the other team to change their plans? But, rather than fault his own players for not making themselves available, the captain blames the other team for not being flexible and goes to the coordinator. I don't understand why the coordinator is requiring the reschedule, but then again we are only hearing one side of the story. One thing I've learned, there are two sides to every story.

 

[Startzel]

Seems that most would rather get a guaranteed team match win with say a couple of lines won by default, versus playing all 5 lines and then the team win being a toss up.

This surprises me, but I can tell from the replies that I'm in the minority. Perhaps I'm just not competitive enough.

Edit: This being said in the context of the OP being asked for the reschedule more than a week out. Obviously it's different if it's closer to the match date and lineup and arrangements have already been made etc.

I agree and wonder what the other club would do if the situation was reversed.

 

[MisterP]

I agree and wonder what the other club would do if the situation was reversed.

If the situation were reversed, I would have planned appropriately from the beginning of the season 2 months ago, and made sure I had enough players to cover the match. What I wouldn't do is ask my opponents to make a special exception to the rules and then whine to the league coordinator about it when I didn't get my way.

But, that's just me.

 

[OrangePower]

If the situation were reversed, I would have planned appropriately from the beginning of the season 2 months ago, and made sure I had enough players to cover the match. What I wouldn't do is ask my opponents to make a special exception to the rules and then whine to the league coordinator about it when I didn't get my way.

But, that's just me.

I think perhaps you and your teammates lead much more organized lives than me and my teammates. Props to you and your team.

My teammates don't know their schedules two months in advance. So I can't plan as precisely as you say you do. And deciding how many players to have on my roster is a balancing act. Too many and then each player does not get as much playing time. Too few and we run the risk of being short at some point.

Generally it has worked out for us. I think in 3 years we've only had to default one line. But there have been more than a few matches where we were using the only 8 players available out of a roster of 17-18.

What I would never do if I was in danger of being short of players for a match: Whine to the league coordinator.

What I would do, and have done: Talk to the other captain, explain the situation, and ask for a reschedule. Most will do it, because they want to play, and because they know I would accommodate them in the same way. Some won't do it. That's ok - it gets remembered for the next time they ask us for any accommodation.

 

[Top Jimmy]

I wouldn't have the nerve to even ask another team to do this. And if I did decide to ask I would approach it like this: "Hey Joe, you can absolutely say no, but would you be able to reschedule our match? Talk to your guys, if not, just let me know."

Going to the league coordinator is a wussies way out and beyond pathetic. And the fact that they sided with him is pathetic.

But in reality, if I can't field a full team, I would accept my fate and just say too bad, maybe next year.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Definitely would not resched, especially the way he tried to go around your back to the League Coordinator.

As a captain, I owe it to my guys to not make them rearrange their scheds. It's hard enough to get guys to play on the scheduled date,... even harder when you ask folks to resched around work and family life, available court time, etc...