Before you leave for your WAIT C match
A team match uses five doubles lines, so a full lineup needs ten players. For the regular start, players must be present and captains exchange completed lineups at 9:25 a.m.; warm-up with opponents starts at 9:30, and match play starts at 9:45. Prior arrangements for early or late lines have separate requirements.
Lineups are locked once exchanged. If a player cannot attend and no eligible substitute is available, forfeits begin at Line 5. A shortage of players is not a reason to reschedule a team match.
Is 9:30 a.m. the first-serve time?
For the regular start, 9:30 is warm-up with your opponents. The rulebook sets first serve at 9:45, after the 9:25 lineup exchange. Follow any separately agreed early or late-play arrangements.
Official source: Part I, Rules 9-13, pp. 13-14
League points, half-points and standings ties
Each doubles line won earns one league point. Line 1 and Line 5 carry the same point value. For ties in the season’s top three positions, compare the points earned in the tied teams’ head-to-head meetings, then sets won, then games.
Half-points can come from league allocations rather than a played draw. For example, an entirely unstarted weather-canceled team match may be split 2.5-2.5 when both captains agree under the rescheduling rules.
Are games won the first standings tiebreak?
No. For a tie in the top three places, WAIT C first compares head-to-head league points. Sets and then games are the next comparisons. EloCup’s independent Elo rating is not an official league tiebreak.
Official source: Part I, Rules 14.A-B, p. 14; 8.A-B, pp. 11-12
Eligibility and flagged players
The Membership Committee approves players and assigns restrictions. An applicant with an active USTA 4.0 rating or higher cannot join a C division. An applicant rated 3.5 or higher cannot begin in C-2 or C-3. Players already accepted into the league must immediately report a new or increased USTA rating of 3.5 or higher for re-evaluation.
A flag restricts a player to her assigned line. Three completed losses on that line allow the captain to request removal; they do not remove the flag automatically. A Line 1 restriction moves to a Line 2 restriction under the published process. Keep following the assigned restriction until Membership confirms the change.
Can a flagged player move lower as soon as she loses her third match?
No. Her captain must request the change through Membership and receive confirmation. Until then, her current flag still controls her position.
Can a new player join and play immediately?
Only after Membership gives specific approval. Sending an application or appearing on a proposed roster is not enough. New flagged players also cannot be added during the team’s final six scheduled team matches; a bye does not count as a team match.
Official source: Part I, Rules 1.C-F, pp. 3-5; Part II, Section A.7, p. 3
How far players and partnerships can move
Start with each player’s or partnership’s last completed match. An individual can move up or down two lines, but a player who won can move down only one. A partnership can move up or down only one line. The rulebook treats two players as a partnership when they played together in their last match.
Movement limits are only one check. Flags still apply, captains must arrange their own players by strength, and stacking is prohibited. A mathematically permitted move does not override those requirements.
Do defaults, retirements or rain makeups affect the movement reference?
Defaults and retirements count as completed matches. An unfinished rain-suspended match does not count until completed. A completed makeup counts when it is actually played, even if its original scheduled round was earlier. Movement follows the actual result, not a later penalty-point adjustment.
Official source: Part I, Rule 16.A-C, pp. 16-17
Substitutes, including the special C-3 rule
A team may use at most one individual substitute in a team match. The substitute must come from a lower C division or the Approved Sub List. A flagged or restricted player from another team must come from two divisions below the team using her. A substitute cannot play above a regular team member.
To borrow a rostered player, contact her captain rather than asking the player directly. Identify the substitute on the opposing scorecard and email the Recorder by 10 p.m. that night with her name, team and division. Substitute use is capped at 30% of the scheduled team matches; the rulebook’s 28-match example permits eight uses.
Who gets the only available permanent substitute when both C-3 teams need one?
Neither team may use that substitute. The captain unable to obtain a substitute must notify the other captain 24 hours before the team match. Line 5 is not played, its point is split, and both captains note the reason on their scorecards.
Can a player substitute while waiting for Approved Sub List acceptance?
No. Written approval and placement on the list must come first. The approval also specifies which division or divisions the substitute may play.
Official source: Part I, Rule 4.A-C, pp. 8-9
Sets, seven-point tiebreaks and ten-point match tiebreaks
A match normally uses the best of three sets. At 6-6 in a set, use a seven-point Coman tiebreak and win by two. The first server serves one point; subsequent turns are two points. Change ends after points 1, 5, 9 and so on.
A ten-point match tiebreak can replace the third set only with agreement from all four players. It uses the Coman procedure and requires a two-point margin. These WAIT C sections do not make the replacement automatic at a particular time of day.
Can one pair insist on a ten-point tiebreak instead of a full third set?
No. The published WAIT C format requires all four players to agree to the replacement. Confirm the agreement before using it; otherwise follow the normal best-of-three-set format.
Official source: Part II, Section B.1.A-B, p. 5; Section C.2, p. 16
Official source: Part II, Section B.1, p. 5; Section C, p. 16
Rain, suspended play and split points
Unless the captains have agreed otherwise and notified players, report to the venue ready to play. If conditions prevent the start after arrival, the rulebook sets 10 a.m. as the latest time to wait for a decision. If captains disagree about court safety, the facility professional makes the final determination.
For an unstarted cancellation, both captains may agree to split all five points. Once any line has commenced, completed, defaulted, retired and forfeited results stand. Incomplete lines can be split at half a point per team when agreed or required by the rain-date rules. A makeup depends on the scheduled rain date being available to both teams; do not assume any convenient date is allowed.
Do we reuse the original lineup for an unstarted makeup?
Exchange the makeup lineup on the day it is played. Positioning follows the match completed immediately before the makeup, not simply the original scheduled round. For a match already in progress, record the score, server and ends before leaving so play can resume correctly.
Official source: Part I, Rules 6 and 8, pp. 10-13
Score reporting and captain deadlines
The home captain must enter results by 10 p.m. on the evening of play. Canceled or suspended team matches must also be reported to the Recorder by 10 p.m., including any completed lines and their scores. The reschedule-or-split decision must be reported within 72 hours and made before the next regularly scheduled league match.
Keep signed scorecards through the banquet. If a dispute may need a formal protest, check the reporting steps immediately: the published process has a verbal notice within 48 business hours of the team match commencing and an emailed protest with supporting material within three business days of the team match.
Can a coach or spectator settle an on-court rules dispute?
No. Stop play and consult the rules first. If players cannot resolve the issue, follow the captain-consultation procedure. Captains should not be interrupted during their own match play.
Official source: Part I, Rules 8.C-E, pp. 12-13; 15.E and 16.D, pp. 16-17; 18.A, p. 18
Captain’s match-day checklist
- Check Membership approval, current flags and the correct player or partnership movement reference.
- Have ten eligible players or arrange an eligible substitute through the required process.
- Be ready for the regular 9:25 a.m. lineup exchange, 9:30 warm-up and 9:45 first serve.
- Keep the published Part II match-play rules available on each court.
- If play stops, record the score, server and ends, and keep completed line results separate from split points.
- Sign and retain scorecards; complete score, substitute and cancellation reporting by the relevant deadlines.
Use the linked rule references above when checking each item.
Official sources and scope
WAIT C 2026-27 Standing Rules Part I: Format and Procedure, published on the league’s TennisScores site. Checked November 3, 2026.
WAIT C Standing Rules Part II: Rules for Match Play, 2026-27
WAIT C published forms and rulebooks
Applies to the 2026-27 WAIT C league, including C++, C-1, C-2 and C-3. This is an independent explanation of WAIT C’s published rulebooks, not the WAIT A/B rules. League decisions and amendments govern. Both original PDFs are linked below.
Examples illustrate the published rules. They are not league rulings or statements about a particular player. Confirm amendments and disputed interpretations with your league before acting.