One Doubles League Information- 2017
One Doubles League is a format designed to offer fun and competitive matches for players of all
levels—from beginner to advanced. You play whenever it’s convenient for you—weekends,
mornings, weekday evenings, even on your lunch hour!
The One Doubles format is one pair of doubles playing against one other pair. This is a samegender league, i.e., women’s or men’s. Mixed doubles is not offered. The team may be
comprised of two players to a maximum of six players. You may mix and match partners. The
league follows the NTRP rating levels: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, & 5.0. A player may play up one
level. However, the team must be comprised of at least 50% of the players in rating level.
Example: a 3.5 team may have one 3.5 player and one 3.0 player.
Captains set up the match schedule in advance, during May 15-22. We encourage use of
outdoor public courts to encourage players who are not members of clubs to participate in One
Doubles League. . . . and it is summer! Let’s play outdoors when possible. The match schedule
will be published on TennisLink. If you plan to play outdoors and it rains, you need to be
cooperative in either playing indoors or rescheduling.
There will be an opportunity to advance at most levels. Each Area will send a team at each level
& gender to Sectionals. 2.5 and 5.0 divisions will depend upon how many teams the other Areas
field. Read on about advancement to a national invitational.
Local League season: June 3-August 20, 2017.
Sectionals: September 22-24, 2017 in the Tri-Cities, WA.
Nationals is a Tri-Level* invitational at Indian Wells, CA. The dates will be determined later.
*Tri-Level
A national invitational is offered for Tri-Level teams. It is a privately operated Invitational
tournament hosted by the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and Tournament Director Tom Fey. It is
known as the “BNP Paribas Tri-Level Invitational Tournament.” The BNP Paribas Tri-Level
Invitational invites one Men’s and one Women’s Tri-Level team consisting of 4.5/4.0/3.5 NTRP
levels from each of the USTA Sections to participate in the tournament. It is held during the BNP
Paribas Open in March and has become wildly popular.
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) teams will be comprised of the Section Championship winners at
3.5, 4.0 and 4.5. The PNW team could have One Doubles pairs from three different Areas.
Example: A Southern Oregon 3.5 women’s team could join with a NW Washington 4.0 women’s
team and an Eastern Washington 4.5 women’s team. Maybe all three will be Southern Oregon
teams!
Guidelines
 Minimum age: 18 years (born anytime in 1999 or earlier).
 USTA membership: required.
 Straight level: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0.
 Same gender: Men’s or Women’s; no mixed doubles.
 Team Match Format: One individual doubles match is one team match.
 NTRP Ratings: Valid computer or self-rating is required (If a player advances to BNP
Paribas Invitational, s/he must have a 2017 year-end computer rating.)
 NTRP Rating Requirements: Players may play at their NTRP rating level or one level
higher. (Example: a 3.5 player may play on a 4.0 One Doubles team.)
 NTRP In-Level Requirements: In each match at least 50% of the One Doubles pair must
be at the rated level. Example: one 3.5 may play with a 4.0 in a 4.0 One Doubles match.
Two 3.5 players could not play the 4.0 match together. If this occurs the match will be
DQ’d as an ineligible player in the match. This is non-negotiable and will be recorded as
such.
 Scheduling: Captains schedule their own matches. The “home” team is encouraged to
select a mutually convenient match location in consultation with the other team.
 Facilities: Public and private are fine. We encourage public in order to include the
players who do not belong to clubs. Outdoor courts are encouraged—it is summer.
Indoor courts are okay.
 Court Costs or Guest Fees: If any are assessed, the home team is responsible to pay.
 Tennis Balls: Home team provides a fresh can.
 Number of Player on Team: Team size is a minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 6
per level. (If a team advances to BNP Paribas Invitational, only 4 players are allowed to
participate at each level.)
 You may add a player to your team with one match remaining. (maximum of six players)
 Scoring Format: 2 out of 3 sets; 3rd set is a match tiebreak—first to ten points and ahead
by two or more points.
 Regular Scoring: play out deuces
 Set tiebreaks: If a set is tied at 6-6 games, play a set tiebreak—first to seven points and
ahead by two or more points.
 Tiebreak Procedure: Coman (see separate instruction on Coman procedure)
 Record Scores: Record match results on TennisLink.
 NTRP Ratings: Match results will be used in year-end NTRP rating calculations through
Sectionals (Invitational will not count toward ratings).
 Advancement Opportunities: Area Champions at each level & gender will advance to the
One Doubles Section Championships.
 Advancement Requirements: Players must play in a minimum of one match to advance
to the Section Championship. (A default received will count as a match.)
 Sectionals: September 22-24 in Tri-Cities, WA.
 BNP Paribas Invitational: For the teams that advance to the BNP Paribas Invitational, a
maximum of four players per level will be allowed to participate. The National team size
is a maximum of 12 players and a minimum of 6.
One Doubles League Information
2017