Rules

Last Updated: April 6, 2026

These Rules govern how Tennis Club Austin operates its ladder platform. They supplement the Terms of Service and apply to all registered users, subscribers, participants, and administrators who use the Platform.

1. Baseline Match Play

Tennis Club Austin is primarily a platform for coordinating matches, reporting results, and managing ladders. Unless a platform-specific rule below says otherwise, players are expected to use ordinary tennis rules and self-officiated good-faith play for line calls, scoring conduct, and sportsmanship.

2. Season Structure

• The current season-creation automation is configured to create new seasons to begin on the first day of a month
• The current automation defaults to an active season length of 49 days, followed by an off-season status period managed by the Platform
• Season and ladder statuses may transition automatically between upcoming, active, off-season, and completed
• Tennis Club Austin may adjust season timing, status, or timing-related automations if needed for operational reasons

3. Ladder Levels and Placement

• The Platform currently supports ladder levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0
• Players are placed into ladders according to the ladder level recorded on their account
• Separate ladders may be created for each supported level during a season
• Tennis Club Austin may adjust a player's level if platform records, season results, or administrative review justify a change

4. Enrollment and Participation

• An active paid subscription may be required for enrollment in ladder sessions
• Accounts marked inactive or paused may be excluded from season participation or auto-enrollment
• The Platform may automatically enroll eligible users into active or upcoming ladder sessions
• Late enrollment into active seasons may be restricted to qualifying new users when the Platform determines there is still enough season time remaining
• Withdrawals may be limited to specific windows, such as upcoming sessions or designated off-season periods

5. Match Generation and Ball Duty

• The Platform may automatically generate regular-season matchups for ladder participants
• Generated matchups are intended to distribute matches across participants while reducing unnecessary repeat pairings
• The Platform tracks ball-bringer assignments and may assign ball duty to the player with fewer prior ball assignments
• Ball-duty and matchup generation rules may be recalculated by the Platform or adjusted by administrators

6. Scheduling Rules

• Players are responsible for communicating promptly and working in good faith to schedule their matches
• Match scheduling through the Platform requires a date, time, and location
• Players are responsible for confirming the facility, court access, weather conditions, and any court fees
• Tennis Club Austin does not supply courts, referees, transportation, insurance, or equipment
• If players cannot coordinate a match reasonably, administrators may intervene, modify ladder records, or take other platform action

7. Reporting Results and Points

• A score is required to report a match result
• A match result may be reported by a participating player or by an administrator acting within platform authority
• The Platform currently awards 3 points for a recorded win, 1 point to each player for a recorded draw, and 0 points for a recorded loss
• Platform rankings are updated from stored match results and may be recalculated when scores or records change
• Submitting false, misleading, or abusive result data is prohibited

8. Rankings, Finals, and Promotions

• Players in a ladder are ranked according to platform records, primarily by points
• The Platform may automatically create a finals match near the end of an active session for the top two ranked players in that ladder
• At the end of a season, the Platform may process promotions and relegations based on standings and completed-match data
• The current automated logic may promote the top finisher upward by 0.5 ladder level and relegate the last-place eligible finisher downward by 0.5 ladder level, subject to platform minimums and maximums
• Tennis Club Austin may override or correct promotions, relegations, finals, rankings, or ladder assignments if platform data is incomplete, disputed, or operationally incorrect

9. Notifications and Automations

• The Platform may send automated notices when a season opens for enrollment, starts, or ends
• The Platform may send match-scheduled emails, score-reported emails, welcome emails, and missed-chat digests
• Notification delivery depends on user preferences, provider availability, and system state and is not guaranteed
• Users are responsible for checking the Platform directly and not relying solely on email alerts

10. Chat Rules and Acceptable Use

• Match chat may be used only for legitimate ladder-related communication such as scheduling, location confirmation, match logistics, availability, and clarifying reported scores or notes
• Do not use chat for spam, marketing, solicitation, abuse, threats, harassment, or unrelated personal or business outreach
• Do not share passwords, payment-card data, identification numbers, medical information, or other sensitive or confidential information in chat or in match-related email replies
• Match chat is not end-to-end encrypted
• Authorized administrators may view, review, preserve, and act on chat content for moderation, support, enforcement, dispute handling, abuse review, or technical operations
• Replies to certain match-related emails may be imported into active match chat threads

11. Conduct and Sportsmanship

• Players must interact respectfully and honestly with opponents and administrators
• Harassment, discriminatory conduct, abusive language, repeated ghosting, false reporting, score manipulation, or intentional misuse of the Platform may lead to suspension or removal
• Using player contact information for any purpose unrelated to legitimate match coordination is prohibited

12. Administrative Authority

Tennis Club Austin may investigate disputes, review player communications, correct platform records, recalculate standings, modify season records, suspend users, remove users, or override automated decisions when reasonably necessary to protect fairness, safety, platform integrity, or legal compliance.

13. Safety and Personal Responsibility

Players are solely responsible for deciding whether to participate in a match, whether a facility is safe, what equipment to bring, whether weather conditions are acceptable, and whether they are physically able to play. Use of the Platform does not transfer those responsibilities to Tennis Club Austin.

14. Rule Changes

These Rules may be updated from time to time. Continued use of the Platform after updated Rules are posted means you accept the revised version.

15. Contact

If you have questions about these Rules, contact us at support@tennisclubaustin.com.