World Team Tennis at the USGO

What the heck is WTT?
World Team Tennis-style competition is just darn fun team competition. It augments our competitive men's and women's singles and doubles competitions with fast-action, high-energy team competition. Teams of 4-10 players compete against each other in World Team Tennis format matches specifically adapted for the USGO. Each team match consists of 2 singles matches, 2 doubles, and 2 mixed doubles. Each match is a 5-game set, and the team with the most games at the end of all six matches wins! Play starts Saturday Night, continues Sunday afternoon, and concludes Monday. Team competition provides players who lose early in singles and doubles the chance to play extra tennis. It also provides an enjoyable, social environment for players of all levels, as well as provide a climatic ending to the tournament!

Teams/Games/Matches
Each team consists of at least 2 women and 2 men, and can have up to 10 players. Just signup for WTT when you register and you will be placed on a team. If you would like to form your own team, please contact VP@gltf.org.

Game scoring is no-ad and each game counts as one point in the team's cumulative match score. The events/sets are Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, Men's Singles, Women's Singles, 1 Mixed Doubles match and 1 Anything goes doubles match. For each match, the first team to win five games wins the set. At the end of the 6th match, if the team ahead in the cumulative score wins the final game of the last set, then that team is the winner. If, however, the trailing team wins the final set, the match is sent into OVERTIME and continues with the same players until, a) the leading team wins one game, or b) the trailing team wins enough games in a row to tie the match score. If the trailing team ties the match, the match is decided by a Supertiebreaker. A team can at any point, INCLUDING THE SUPERTIEBREAKER, substitute a player into a set for any reason. And coaching and hootin' and hollarin' are allowed!

Let's Have Some Fun!
Plan on giving your team a fun or even intimidating name, to go with your flavored names, and come up with a crazy team uniform. Yelling and witty cheers encouraged.

USGO World Team Tennis Rules of Play

Sign up
Players can sign up online and we will place you on a team. If you would like to form your own team, please contact usgo@gltf.org. Also, players can sign up at the last minute up until Saturday Night's 1st round action starts at 6:00pm.

Teams
Competition limited to 12 teams. Each team consists of at least 2 women and 2 men and can have up to 10 players. Players are permitted to play in two sets per match, plus a supertiebreaker if needed.

Game
Game scoring is no-ad (first team to win four points wins the game). Should the game reach deuce (3 points each), the receiver chooses the side from which he/she will receive serve. In mixed doubles, the serve is always gender-to-gender at 3-all. Each game won counts as one point in the team's cumulative match score. Players change sides after every four games. Lets are played and in doubles either partner may return the let serve.

5-Game sets
The first team to reach five games wins each event/set. Should a set be tied at 4-4, a nine-point tiebreaker is played. If necessary, sets may be reduced to 4-game sets for rounds 2 and 3.

Team Match
A match consists of six sets plus overtime, if any, and if necessary a Supertiebreaker. The events/sets are Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, Men's Singles, Women's Singles, and 1 Mixed Doubles match and 1 anything goes doubles match. Team captains submit starting line-ups to each other before the start of each set. Each team captain has until the end of the three-minute break between sets to submit starting line-up for the next set. The winner of the match will be the team that wins the most games.

Order of Events
Two courts will be used for each match. Order of play will generally be: 2 doubles matches, 2 singles matches, then the mixed and anything goes doubles matches. However, if scheduling conflicts or for substitution reasons, the order can be rearranged, provided that the mixed doubles matches are always the last match played.

Overtime
Overtime eliminates the possibility of the final sets becoming exhibitions. If the team ahead in the cumulative score wins the final game of the last set, then that team is the winner. If, however, the trailing team wins the final set, the match is sent into overtime and continues with the same players until, a) the leading team wins one game, or b) the trailing team wins enough games in a row to tie the overall match score. If the score becomes tied, the match is decided by a Supertiebreaker (see below).

WTT Format
WTT competition is round robin.

Substitution
A team can at any point, INCLUDING THE SUPERTIEBREAKER, substitute a player into a set for any reason. However, only Opens and A's can substitute for Opens and A's. Once a player is replaced, he/she cannot return in that set. If a substitution occurs in doubles, the remaining player cannot change the side on which he/she receives or the service order. Substitutions are allowed in overtime. The Supertiebreaker should be treated as a new set, and all substitutions are allowed. Players are limited to playing two sets per team match, plus the Supertiebreaker. When a player subs, that set counts toward his/her two set limit.

Warm up time
In WTT you warm up with your teammates. All players are allowed a five-minute warm-up. All team members are encouraged to warm-up during this time. Once play has begun, a three-minute warm-up is allowed between sets. This must be adhered to so that all sets will be completed in the time allotted.

Changing Ends
After every four games players change ends. In the nine-point tiebreaker, change ends only after the first four points. In the Supertiebreaker, change ends only after the first six points.

Service Lets
LETS ARE PLAYED. When a serve hits the net and bounces within the correct service court, the ball is playable. In doubles, either player on the receiving side may return the ball after it bounces in the correct service court. If any player on the court calls "let" he/she loses the point. If players on both teams call "let" then the point will be replayed.

Coaching/line calls
Coaching is allowed throughout the match as long as it does not interfere with continuous play. We encourage team members to stand alongside the court and support their team. Only the two players (singles) or four players (doubles and mixed doubles) on the court can make the line calls. Team members along or near the court cannot make the line calls.

Explanation of Tiebreakers:

Nine-Point Tiebreaker
A nine-point tiebreaker will be played at five games all in any set. The person who is to serve next begins the tiebreaker. Each player serves two points in succession starting from the deuce court. Players change sides after four points. The first team (or person) to score five points wins the tiebreaker. If the tiebreaker reaches 4-4, the person who served the eighth point serves the ninth (final) point. The receiver, however, has the choice of sides (except in mixed doubles, where the service must be gender-to-gender). The winner of the ninth point is the winner of the set. Note: You do not have to win by two points.

Supertiebreaker
If the match enters into a Supertiebreaker, a coin toss will decide which team serves first/receives or chooses side in the Supertiebreaker. The Supertiebreaker should be treated as a new set and substitutions are allowed. Either player on the serving team may serve first. The receiving team selects from which end of the court they want to receive. In addition, court positions may be changed (i.e. the person who played fore hand position may switch with his/her partner to play the backhand position). Each player serves two points in succession starting from the deuce court. Players change sides after six points. The first team to score seven points wins the Supertiebreaker. If the Supertiebreaker reaches 6-6, the person who served the 12th point will serve the 13th (final) point. Since this set is mixed doubles, the final serve will be gender-to-gender. The winner of the 13th point wins the Supertiebreaker and the match. Note: You do not have to win by two points. The Supertiebreaker counts as one game in overall match scoring.