Event News
 Tennis Hampshire's Universal Doubles Ladder Rules
Highlighted sections indicate changes from Season Four.
SEASON FIVE
OVERVIEW
Season Five will run from 08:00 on Saturday 5th September 2026 until Saturday 31st July 2027
Tennis Hampshire's Universal Doubles Ladder is a doubles tennis competition, open to all formats – men’s, women’s and mixed pairings. All players start a new Ladder season ranked by their combined average Tencap Doubles Rating. Any new teams joining the Ladder after the season begins will be placed at the bottom, but they will also receive two Wildcards (see below) on joining.
The object of the Ladder is to get as high a position as possible by the end of the season. The overall winners will be the teams at the top of the Ladder in each category at the end of the season. There is also an award for biggest move up the Ladder overall from Day One. The "biggest move" award is only available for teams who were in the Ladder on Day One.
To qualify for any winners’ awards, teams must have played at least five matches in the season.
PARTICIPATION AND LOCATION OF PLAY
Tennis Hampshire's Universal Doubles Ladder is open to all tennis players aged 16 and over in the Tennis Hampshire WhatsApp group. Juniors 14 and over may be permitted to participate only with parents / guardians as partners.
Matches are generally expected to be played at David Lloyd West End, but alternative locations (including David Lloyd Southampton, and other clubs) are fine if agreed by mutual consent. But, teams must be able to play at David Lloyd West End without the need of a guest pass in order to participate on the ladder. To participate on the Ladder, teams must also be able to play weeknights after 6pm and / or at weekends.
Matches should be played indoors unless agreed otherwise by both teams. If a court surface for the match cannot be readily agreed, the final choice of surface is with the team receiving the challenge. If a surface cannot be agreed between two teams, the Admin team should be notified. Such a challenge may be cancelled and removed from the schedule.
CHALLENGES Teams move up the Ladder by challenging higher ranked teams and winning the match. Teams may challenge any team above them on the Ladder a maximum of 10 places above. If every team above them is unavailable to receive a normal challenge, a team may challenge the next highest available team.
Teams can have up to two pending outgoing challenges; this includes outgoing challenges that have been accepted but not played. They cannot issue any further challenges until one of those has been played and the score recorded in Tencap.
Teams can have up to three pending incoming challenges; this includes incoming challenges that have been accepted but not yet played. They cannot accept any further challenges until one of those has been played and the score recorded in Tencap.
Teams may not challenge down the Ladder, except for those in the Top Ten, who may challenge anyone else in the Top Ten, with the requirement that only one "Down Ladder" challenge may be accepted by a fellow Top Ten team. This is to ensure that at least two "Up Ladder" challenges can still be made against that team, particularly for players outside the Top Ten who may be looking to challenge into the group.
Challenges can only be made in the TH Universal Doubles Ladder WhatsApp group. The challenging team should indicate who they wish to challenge by using the “Tag” facility (e.g. Challenge @“Name”). The challenged team should also accept the challenge in the WhatsApp group. Once the challenge is accepted, players should then use Direct Messaging to discuss and set an agreeable time for the match to take place. Don't negotiate the entire match in the WhatsApp group after the initial challenge is accepted. Banter and chat are not allowed in the WhatsApp group either, to respect all other users of the group. Admin will strictly enforce this rule!
Teams should accept a challenge unless it is invalid – in which case it will be rejected by Admin. A team may "pass" on a challenge from any other team if they wish. To do so, the team should simply say "Pass" in the WhatsApp group. The team passing would then concede a Walkover (see below) to the challenger. A team may not re-challenge another team who has previously declined their challenge.
Teams should respond to a challenge within 48 hours. Failure to respond within a week may result in a Walkover win for the challenger, however the challenged team must have been tagged using the @“Name” function in WhatsApp and directly messaged by the challenging team or Admin.
In the case where two teams have played before, a team may not challenge the same opponents until a full calendar month has passed from the most recent match date played.
The deadline for extending final challenges will be Saturday 3rd July 2027.
WILDCARD CHALLENGES Wildcard challenges allow a team to challenge a much higher placed team than the normal rules allow. Teams may use a Wildcard to challenge any other team above them, including the top 10 teams, as long as the challenged team is no more than 10 Tencap points stronger than the challenger (i.e. a team with an average Tencap rating of 65 can Wildcard challenge any team above them on the Ladder whose average Tencap rating is 80-55).
All teams start with one Wildcard, and all teams active on 1st April 2027 will be awarded a further Wildcard. Very active teams will be awarded an additional Wildcard for every 15 matches played.
Wildcard challenges can only be used as one of the permitted two outward challenges – they are not “additional” challenges.
ARRANGING MATCHES The challenging team is expected to start the discussion with the team they have challenged but, ultimately, it is the responsibility of both teams involved in a challenge to ensure that it is completed and let the Admin team know if a challenge cannot be played.
The challenging team must offer at least three dates and times to play. If none of these dates work for the defending team, they should offer three dates and times to play in return.
Dates and times offered while arranging a match should be in line with event hours. Playing outside event hours is acceptable, however, by mutual agreement.
Once a date and time is agreed, the team who suggested the accepted date and time should book the court, unless otherwise agreed.
IN MATCHES
Challengers to supply NEW LTA-approved tennis balls for each match.
All matches will be over two standard sets of tennis, first to 6 games (with 2 clear games), with a 7 point Tie-Break if the set reaches 6-6. This is entered in Tencap as a 7-6 win (the system will then prompt you to enter the Tiebreak points – e.g. 7-4). If one player wins both Sets, they win the match. If it is one Set each, the match should be decided by a Championship Tie-Break. A Championship Tie-Break is first to 10 points by 2 clear points or by something like 15 13 if you go over. Championship Tie-Break scores should be entered into Tencap as a 1-0 win in the third set (the system will prompt you for the tie break score when it sees a 1-0 result).
Teams can, by mutual agreement, play a third full set to decide the winner, but this must be agreed before the match has started.
MATCH RESULTS Results should be entered directly into the Universal Doubles Ladder "Schedule & Results" section in Tencap by a player from either team – the Result entry screen is accessed by selecting the “Submit Score” option to the right of the appropriate fixture on the Schedule & Results page. The system then requires one player from the opponents to "verify" the score before the system updates. Results may also be sent to Admin for entry on players' behalf.
If matches are incomplete at the end of the court booking period, it is permitted to enter the score as it stands if both teams agree.
LADDER STANDINGS For Season 5, we are reverting to the “Bump” Rule. This means that the lower placed team will take the place of the higher placed team if they win the match. The higher placed team and the teams in between the two positions will be Bumped down one place. If the higher placed team successfully defends the challenge, they will be Bumped up one place and swap places with the team above. For the final stages of the season – from 3 rd July, the one place Bump for the higher placed team will be suspended for the Top Twenty teams in the Ladder. Therefore, if any team in the Top Twenty at the time a match is played successfully defends a challenge from below, they will NOT bump up one place.
If, after a challenge has been made, the teams’ relative positions change due to other results, the challenge is still valid and should be played. The challenge effectively becomes reversed, and the “Bump” Rule will still apply.
If relative positions change due to a “Non-playing Relegation” (see Play Expectations & Relegations, below), the challenge is cancelled.
PLAY EXPECTATIONS AND RELEGATIONS Teams are expected to play a minimum of one match every two months. There is no maximum number of matches per two-month period.
On the 6th day of every second month* inactive teams will fall 10 places if they haven't played at all in the previous two-month period. They will be moved to the bottom of the table (and given one new Wildcard) if they haven't played in the previous four months and will be removed from the Ladder entirely if they haven't played for the previous six months. Teams can always ask to come back later.
*Actual dates will be 6th December, 6th February, 6th April, 6th June & 1st August.
The first period is actually three months to allow subsequent two monthly intervals. Relegations will also apply for June / July – inactive teams who do not play in that period will also be subject to such penalties on 1st August.
Teams who join the Ladder or return from the Sub’s Bench (see Injury & Absence, below), during a two-month period are exempt from the requirement to play a match in that period.
If a team is relegated due to inactivity and moves below a team who has challenged them, that challenge is automatically cancelled.
A team may leave the Ladder at any time and return with two Wildcards after more than 30 days have passed. Any team may request to move to the bottom of the Ladder at any time and receive two Wildcards to start.
UNPLAYED CHALLENGE PENALTY Matches must be played within two months of a challenge being accepted. Any match that remains unplayed after two months will be deleted from the schedule, and both teams involved will drop ten places on the Ladder if no effort was made to contact Admin about the state of the match. If this involves more than one challenge at the same time, a team will drop ten places for each unplayed challenge. The Unplayed Match Penalty will apply for the full duration of the season, unlike previous seasons when there was an amnesty after 28th June.
If a team is relegated due to this penalty and moves below a team who has challenged them, that challenge is automatically cancelled.
Please remember that players may contact the Admin team at any time to request an extension of time or cancellation if a match date simply cannot be agreed, in line with Ladder rules. The onus is on both teams to ensure that a match is played - do not just sit back and wait for your opponents to make the running!
WALKOVERS A Walkover is defined as awarding a no-score win to the team that is awarded a Walkover. Such results are entered using the "Walkover" functionality in Tencap. No score is entered.
The “Bump” Rule applies to Walkovers also. So, if the lower placed team is awarded the Walkover, they jump over the higher placed team. If the higher placed team is awarded the Walkover, they will bump up one place.
A team may claim a Walkover if they are unable to arrange a match at any time with another team, due to the opponents being unable to play, including an injury that occurs after a challenge is accepted, or if a player leaves the Ladder after a challenge is accepted. To be able to claim a Walkover, the challenging team must have offered at least three dates and times to play on, and the opponents must have declined these, and not offered three alternative dates and times. If both teams have suggested three dates and times, then no Walkover can be claimed.
If a match has been arranged and one team fails to turn up on the arranged date, the other team may claim a Walkover. If a team is not on court within 20 minutes of the agreed start time, a Walkover may be claimed by their opponents.
A team may claim a Walkover if their opponents cancel with less than 24 hours' notice. If match dates have been arranged and agreed and then subsequently cancelled twice by the same team, then the opposition team may also claim a Walkover.
A team may claim a Walkover if their opponents cannot offer three suitable dates and times within two months after the challenge has been accepted.
Players must not enter Walkovers directly into the system - they must make any claim by direct message to the Admin team. Walkovers must be claimed promptly.
Any disputed Walkover will be decided by the Admin team.
INJURY AND ABSENCE Any player who is injured or unable to play for a prolonged period (generally more than a month) may request to join the Sub’s Bench. While on the Sub’s Bench the player’s team moves to the bottom of the Ladder, and all existing challenges (incoming and outgoing) are awarded as "no score" Walkovers to the opposition team (this has no impact on Tencap ratings). When fit / available again, the player’s team returns to the Ladder ten places below where they were when they joined the Bench, but they can challenge teams who are up to ten places higher than their original position in their first two challenges if they wish.
SPORTING CONDUCT Players are requested to always play in a sporting and fair manner. Treat your opponent with respect. If a player cannot call a shot out with 100% certainty, then it must be assumed to be in and must be played as such. “Lets” can be played if mutually agreed.
Remember tennis reveals character, please play accordingly. This is not Wimbledon. You are not Aryna Sabalenka or Daniil Medvedev!!
THESE RULES The rules for Tennis Hampshire's Universal Doubles Ladder are based on originally published "Club Ladder Rules" from Brixworth Tennis Club ( https://brixworthtennisclub.org.uk/club-ladder-rules/), a club in the heart of rural Northamptonshire. Brixworth Rules were amended in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 to meet the needs of players in our Tennis Hampshire group and further updated on 1st September 2026.
This event is organised "by Members for Members" and is not part of any formal club activities.
The Admin team of Tennis Hampshire's Universal Doubles Ladder reserve the right to add to / alter the rules and participation as the competition progresses, at any time.
All decisions from the Admin team relating to matters on the Ladder, including player participation eligibility, are final.
The Admin team may decline to accept an application from any player without giving reason.
The Admin team for this competition are:
Dave Ernsberger (Admin Overlord!) Tom Mitchell Rob Ernsberger
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