Best Practices for Tournaments
Prior to the Registration Period
Use the TennisLink administration function to renew your sanction and to update relevant information.
Accept (and even emphasize) online registration via TennisLink.
Click here for instructions on how to make your web page complete by adding essential information on topics like Amenities, Conditions, Directions and Hotels.
If the Surface appeared as "Unknown" on last year's page, contact your section administrator to have it corrected.
Download and install the free TDM software for tournament administration. Click here to do that.
Use "signup consolations" rather than first-match loser consolations. Designate main draws as Modified Feed-In Consolation (MFIC) and then manually create corresponding (single elimination) consolation events.
Close entries for doubles at the same time as the singles. Suggested language for the USTA web page and application forms:
Doubles and singles draws will be made at the same time. Interested players should enter with or without a partner. Players without partners will be put in contact with each other and refunds will be given to those who remain without partners.
During Registration
Record paper and telephone entries in TDM often. Publish them on the Internet by performing Download Tournament and Upload Tournament operations; do this daily as the entry deadline approaches.
Resolve unmatched and partial doubles pairings (TennisLink does not complete an original unpaired player when the second registrant is the one who specifies his partner).
Assist unpaired players in finding a partner — preferably before entries close.
Designate and post provisional seeds a few days before the entry deadline and give consideration to revisions suggested by players. Designate four number 5 seeds rather than 5 through 8, eight number 9 seeds, etc. Click here for detailed guidelines on seeding.
Making the Draw
Make and post the draw as soon as possible after the entry deadline — preferably the following day.
Consider playing a small number of matches a day early should a division have an awkward number of entries, e.g. 17-18 or 33-34 (so most players play on the first scheduled day).
Schedule at least the first two days of matches (to ensure players with byes are informed of their start times).
During the Tournament
Have each court equipped with chairs, singles sticks, scorekeepers and water.
Use the Tournament Desk function in TDM to check players in, assign courts and record scores. Consider using a projector to display its contents for the benefit of players and spectators.
Clay courts can benefit by not being swept between matches. Rather, have only the lines brushed. (Sweeping will make them dusty and mid-day watering during a tournament is usually impractical.)
At the conclusion of each day's play, make sure the schedule for at least the next two days is complete before performing the nightly Upload Tournament.
Have first-match losers affirmatively sign up for consolation events and manually enter each player into the corresponding manually-created event. (Highlight the appropriate main draw event; use Shift-click to select a enter a player and then drag his name from Players panel to the consolation event listed in the top panel.)
Use match tiebreaks (first to ten with a margin of two) in lieu of third sets for consolations (and notify players in advance on entry forms and the web site).
Special Considerations for Cat I's & II's
Recognize that out-of-section players must arrange travel and hotels. Those playing only doubles will benefit from having their draws published with the singles draws.
In making the draw, it's allowable (and desirable) to prevent players from the same Section and/or doubles partners from meeting in the first round.
Ensure that players play every day (no skipped days).
Emphasize the desirability of using "signup consolations" to avoid the numerous defaults and scheduling problems that result from using the TDM automated consolation feature.
Category I & II tournaments must provide 3rd/4th place ("Top 4") playoffs. Singles draws in all Category I's (and eight Category II's) must follow ITF rules for placing seeds (place a check mark in the "ITF Draw" box on Events/Event Properties/Draw Information in TDM).
