How Courts & Cocktails Works

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League Overview & Eligibility

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• Inaugural Launch: Fall 2027.

• Neighborhood Identity & Eligibility: 10 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams represent local subdivisions and tennis centers. Players must represent their own neighborhood or facility and hold a USTA 3.0–3.5 rating (unrated players require a pro rating session).

• Slot Limits & Waitlist: Capped at 20 total teams (10 men's, 10 women's). Additional teams will be placed on a priority waitlist for future seasons.

• Player Dues & Registration: Individual member dues are required upon website registration to unlock app access, league eligibility, and team assignment. Players sign up individually and are assigned to their designated doubles pair by their Team Captain.

• Future Expansion: Mixed teams, senior teams (men's/ladies), and a 4.0 level of play will be added in season two.

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Team Structure & Leadership

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• Roster Minimums: At least 8 paid members per team (4 doubles pairs per match), plus an official captain. Carrying at least 2 substitutes is strongly recommended.

• Doubles Pairings & Rotation: Players remain with their designated doubles partner throughout the entire match, rotating across courts each round to face different opponent pairs.

• Team Captain: Responsible for managing rosters, lineup cards, rainouts, home court reservations (4 courts required), and score submissions.

• Co-Captain (Timekeeper): Manages a centralized match clock across all 4 courts, manages round transitions, and calls time warnings.

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Schedule, Season Timeline & Match Format

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• Division Nights & Times: Women's Division plays Wednesday nights; Men's Division plays Thursday nights (standard match start at 6:30 PM).

• Seasons: Fall Season runs September–November; Winter Season runs December–February.

• Match Format & Duration: 9-week single round-robin where every team plays each other once (split 5 home / 4 away - 4 home /5 away.) Matches consist of seven 15-minute timed rounds (1 hour and 45 minutes) using No-Ad scoring across 4 simultaneous courts.

• 15-Minute Round Timer & Mid-Game Rule: When the 15-minute timer expires, if a point is in progress, finish the point. The pair leading the current game wins that game; if tied, play one decisive final point.

• Season Playoffs (Week 10): The top-scoring teams from each season compete against each other in a season playoff at week ten. Note: So there will be 2 season playoffs.

• Grand Finale: Each Seasonal Champion will clash in a final tournament bracket for the Grand Championship Cup, concluding with an Awards Gala.

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Scoring & Rules

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• Standings: Overall standings are determined by the total combined games won across all 4 court pairings.

• Score Submission: Home captains must submit final scores via the app or portal by midnight on match day.

• Weather & Makeup Policy: Home captains must call rainouts at least 1.5 hours before match time. Makeup matches must occur within 1 week by mutual agreement.