DOUBLES

Chapter 1 General Rules (Purpose)

Chapter 2 Court for Soft Tennis (Soft Tennis Court)

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A soft tennis court shall consist of Court, Outcourt, Net and Net Post and Umpire's Chair.
(Court and Outcourt)
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A court and outcourt shall be the same flat space which shall be maintained so as not to cause any hindrance to the play. For the out-door court, however, a slight slope for water drainage shall be allowed to be constructed to the extent that no hindrance to the play shall be caused. (Surface of Court and Outcourt)
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The surface of a court and outcourt shall be clay, sanded artificial grass, all-weather chemical or other appropriate materials for the outdoor court, and for the indoor court, the surface shall be wooden, sanded artificial grass, hard rubber, chemical or other appropriate materials. (Court )
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The court for doubles shall be a rectangular space, which shall be surrounded by lines (the lines are part of the court), of 23.77m in length and 10.97m two equal portions by the net, which is supported by the net posts, in the middle of the court. (Divisions of Court and lines)
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The names of the divisions of a court and the names and lengths of the lines on the court are as shown hereunder.
Names of lines Symbols Length
Sideline AC, BD 23.77m
Base line AB, CD 10.97m
Service Sideline EG, FH 12.80m
Service line EF, GH 8.23m
Service Center line MN 12.80m
Center Mark R, S 0.15m
(from the inner edge of the base line) (Color, Width and Length of line)
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The lines shall, in principle, be white in color and not less than 5cm and not more than 6cm in width. The width of base lines, however, shall be more than 5cm and not more than 10cm. (Out court)
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1. The out court shall be a space surrounding the court and the space shall spread, in principle, more than 8m from the respective base lines and more than 6m from the respective sidelines.
2. In the case where two or more courts adjoin each other, the distance between the sidelines of the adjoining courts shall not be less than 5m in principle. (Net Post)
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The net post shall be not less than 7.5cm and not more than 15cm in diameter.(Location of Net Post)
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1. The net posts shall be set up outside and in the middle of the sidelines on both sides of a court and fixed vertically at the equal distance from the side lines.
2. The distance between the two posts shall be 12.80m (measured at the outside of the posts) and the height of the posts shall be 1.07m from the ground. In the case where the facility conditions do not permit such a height of the net post as above, it shall be allowed to be less than 1.07m but not less than 1.06m. (Umpire's Chair)
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The umpire's chair shall be 1.5m in height in principle and be placed in an outcourt, 60cm apart (at the nearest part of the chair) from a net post.

Chapter 3 Equipment(Net)

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The specifications of the net shall be as undermentioned.
(1) Color : Black
(2) Height : 1.07m In the case where the facility conditions do not permit this height, the height shall be allowed to be less than 1.07m, but not less than 1.06m. (The net shall be put up tightly between the posts, horizontally on a level at the height of 1.06m to 1.07m measured at the sidelines.)
(3) Length : 12.65m
(4) Meshes : Not more than 3.5cm in square
(5) Metal Cord : 15m in length and 4.5mm in diameter, as standard specifications
(6) The top of a net and the metal cord shall be covered with a white cloth band of 5cm to 6cm in width.
(7) Both ends of a net shall be kept touching to the net posts and the lowest part of the net to the ground.
(Ball)
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The ball shall be rubber-made, air-filled, and its color shall be white in principle. The specifications of the ball shall be as undermentioned.
(1) The bounce of a ball shall be adjusted so that the highest point that the ball reaches after it bounced on the court comes to not less than 70cm and not more than 80cm (measured at the bottom of the ball) from the ground when dropped without putting any intentional force from a height of 1.5m from the ground upon the court where the match is to be played.
(2) Weight : not less than 30g and not more than 31g
(3) Diameter : 6.6cm with a allowance of plus or minus 0.1cm
(Racket)
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1 The racket shall be the one which is designed to achieve the same effect at its both faces with its flame strung with strings and its strung face shall be flat. The condition of strings after strung shall be practicably even.
2 The frame of a racket shall be allowed to be of any material and weight, and in any size and shape.
3 The strings shall be fixed to the flame of a racket and shall be crossed each other.
4 The strings shall not be of specifications which may provide a ball with excessive variations in flying.

Chapter 4 Competitions(Player's Conduct)

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Players shall mutually respect good manners and observe the code of conduct as under mentioned.
(1) Players shall not excessively yell out or make much noises which may cause discomfort for their opponent.
(2) Players shall play continuously from the start to the finish of a match, and the behaviors as under mentioned are prohibited. An allowance of one(1) minute shall be allowed before they get ready to start a next point or game after the completion of the previous point or game, when they change sides or before starting the final game or when they change sides after having finished 10 points in a short match as provided in Article 17.2 of this Rules ("Let's Play"). 1. A server intentionally delays delivering a serve, even when the receiver of the serve is ready to receive, and likewise, the receiver of a serve does not get ready to receive even when the server is about to deliver the serve. 2. A player intentionally acts to make the match drag on. 3. A pair of players in doubles make lengthy arrangements with each other or take a rest between points or games, thus obstruct the progress of the match. 4. A player does not get ready to start the next game within the allowed time after the previous game was completed. 5. A player takes a rest while changing sides in the final game. 6.A player repairs its racket during a match.
(3) Players shall follow the instructions given by the umpire in proceeding the match. (Match)
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1 Players shall always abide by this Rules and keep to a fair play throughout a match.
2 A doubles match is organized by 2 pairs and each pair consists of 2 players. Each player shall play with one racket throughout a match.
3 A ball shall be struck alternately by one or the other player of the opposing pairs.
(The Number of Games in a Match)
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1 A match shall be played by a 7 or 9 games system in principle.
2 Short matches like a 15-point match, a 3-game match or a 5-game match can be played. Long matches like a 3-set match or a 5-set match can also be played, wherein one set consists of 15 points or 3, 5, 7 or 9 games.
(Win or Loss of a Game)
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1 A pair who has first won four points in a game shall win the game. When both pairs won three points in a game, the score shall be called deuce, and the procedures as under mentioned shall be applied.
(1) The pair who has won one point after deuce gets advantage, and when the same pair has won the next point in succession, the game shall be scored for the pair.
(2) When, after the advantage for one pair, the other pair has won the following point, the score shall be called deuce again. The same procedures shall be followed as far as the same proceeding of a game as above continues.
2 When both pairs won three games in a 7-game match, the following 7th game shall be called the final game, and the procedures as undermentioned shall be applied. The same procedures shall be applied for 3-, 5- or 9-game matches, i.e. when both pairs won 1 game in a 3-game match, 2 games in a 5-game match or 4 games in a 9-game match.
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions in Article 18.1 above, the pair who has won 7 points in the final game shall win the game and the match.
(2) When both pairs won six points in the final game, the score shall be called deuce, and the provisions in Article 18.1(1),(2) above shall be applied.
3 For a 15-point match, the final game shall be played according to Article 32.2 of this Rules, and the pair who has first won 15 points shall win the game and the match. In the case where both pairs won 14 points, the score shall be called deuce, and Article 18.1(1),(2) above shall be applied.
(Win or Loss of a Match)
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1 In the case of a match of 3 or more odd games, the pair who has first won the majority of the games shall win the match.
2 In the case of a match of 3 or more odd sets, the pair who has first won the majority games of each set shall win the set, and who has first won the majority of the sets shall win the match.
(Serve)
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1 The play of serve shall start at the moment when a player who is going to deliver the serve has tossed (The word "toss" means for a server to leave a ball from its hand to deliver a serve. Hereinafter this word shall be used in the same meaning.) up into the air by hand and shall complete at the moment when the player has struck the ball with its racket before it drops on either of the court or outcourt. In the case where a server has failed to hit at ball in trying to deliver a serve, the serve shall be regarded as completed at the moment when the ball may have touched the racket of the server in serving. The judgment of this shall be made by the chair umpire.
2 A player who is limited to using only one arm/hand for the play shall be allowed to utilize its racket for tossing a ball.
(Time of Serving)
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A server shall deliver a serve following the chair umpire's call on scores, after confirming the receiver's readiness.
(Servers & Receivers)
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Each pair shall stand face to face with the net between them and the pair who delivers the serve shall be called Servers and the other pair who shall receive the serve shall be called Receivers.
(Position for Serving)
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A server shall deliver a serve from behind the base line and between the imaginary extensions of the center mark and the sideline.
(Player to Serve )
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1 A serve shall be delivered by one of servers, who shall deliver the serve to the diagonally opposite service court, starting from the right side of the center mark facing the net, and then from the left.
2 Each player of Servers whose turn it is to serve shall alternately serve for two consecutive points, and the initial order of service shall not be changed in the same one game.
(Fault in the Serve)
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1. The cases where the serve is defined as a fault are as undermentioned.
(1) A ball served has failed to fall directly into a proper service court, except for the cases of a let as provided in Article 26 of this Rules.
(2) A server did not struck a ball after having tossed the ball in the air for delivering a serve.
(3) Two balls have been tossed at the same time in delivering a serve, or one of the two balls for the serve has dropped from the server's hand while the other ball was tossed up but not yet struck for the serve.
(4) A ball has come into contact with the server's racket more than once in delivering a serve.
(5) A ball served has come under either of the provisions as undermentioned after the ball touched the net or the net post and before it hits the court, outcourt, fences, etc.
a. The ball has touched the server's racket (including a racket which had left from the server's hand), body or attire (including a cap or a hat, a face towel, glasses, etc. which the server was wearing).(Hereinafter the word "attire" shall mean the same.)
b. The server's racket (including a racket which had left from the server's hand), body or attire has passed over or touched the net or the net post, before the the ball hits the court, outcourt umpire's chair, fences, etc.
(6) A server has touched the base-line, sideline or center mark, or gone into the inside of the court while delivering a serve (Foot Fault). However, the case where the server has moved over the base line into the court but was still in space while delivering the serve shall not come under this clause.
2. The server, if the first serve turned fault, shall be allowed to deliver the second serve. (Let in the Serve)
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1 The cases where the serve shall be defined as a let shall be as undermentioned.
(1) A breach of Article 21 in this Rules has occurred, as judged by the chair umpire.
(2) A ball served has come under the provisions as undermentioned after the ball touched the net or the net post.
a. The ball has fallen into a proper service court.
b. The ball has touched the receiver's racket ( including a racket which had left from the receiver's hand), body or attire before the ball hits the court, outcourt, umpire's chair and fences, etc.
c. The receiver's racket (including a racket which had left from the receiver's hand), body or attire has passed over or touched the net or the net post.
(3) The receiver of a ball served has come under the provisions as undermentioned, as judged by the chair umpire, before the receive is completed.
a. The receiver's play has been interrupted by an umpire's erroneous judgment.
b. The receiver's play has been interrupted by unforeseen incidents or by a ball for a match at some other court or its own ball which had been picked up and thrown in by people with no direct relations with the ongoing match or acts of such people.
c. Incidents which cause to lose a point have occurred on both pairs at the same time.
(4) Other cases which the chair umpire has acknowledged as a let in the serve. 2 When a serve has turned a let, that serve shall be tried again.
(Loss of Point in the Serve)
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In the case where both the first and second serves have turned fault consecutively, the servers shall lose the point as double faults. (Receiving the Serve)
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In receiving a serve, the receiver shall return the ball legally served after its first bounce on a proper service court but before the second bounce. (Order of Receiving the Serve)
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The order of receiving the serve among the receivers shall be as undermentioned.
(1) Each of the receivers shall receive a serve at either of the right or left service court, and the order of the receiving thus initiated shall not be changed during a game.
(2) The receive shall start with the right service court and the receivers shall receive a serve alternately at the right and the left. (Loss of Point in the Receive)
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The cases where the receivers of a serve lose a point are as undermentioned.
(1) The receiver has failed to legally return the ball served.
(2) The ball served has directly touched the receiver's racket, body or attire ("Direct").
(3) The ball legally served has directly touched the racket, body or attire of the partner of the receiver before its second bounce on the ground ("Interfere").
(4) The partner of the receiver has touched the receiver's service court before the receiver completes the receive ("Interfere").
(5) A breach of Article 29(1) in this Rules has been found ("Interfere"). This shall be applied only to the point where the breach was found.
(Choice of Serve/Receive or Side)
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Serve/receive or side shall be chosen by competing pairs before the beginning of a match. (Change of Serve/Receive and Side)
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1 Servers and receivers shall alternate serving at the completion of each game, except for the final game, and they shall change sides at every time the odd games completed.
2 In the final game, the pairs shall alternate serving for every two points and they shall change sides after the first two points and then after every four points after that. The serve and receive in the final game shall be played as undermentioned.
(1) Each player of both pairs shall serve in rotation for two consecutive points.
(2) The player who serves for the first two points shall be either of the pair who has the right to be servers in accordance with the rules.
(3) Either one of the players who received the first serve in the final game shall serve for the third and fourth points, and either one of the players who served for the first two points in the final game shall receive the serve for the third point.
(4) The other one of the players who served for the first two points in the final game shall serve for the fifth and sixth points.
(5) The other one of the players who served for the third and fourth points in the final game shall serve for the seventh and eighth points.
(6) Thereafter, the orders of serve and receive shall revert to the order as provided in Items (2) to (5) above of this Article.
(7) The order of serve and receive in the pair shall not be changed during a game.
(Error in Order of Serve/Receive and Side)
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1 When an error in changes of servers or sides, as under mentioned, have been found, the correction of the error shall be made as at that point if it was before the point started. If an error was found after a point had started, the point in play shall be continued without suspension and the correction of the error shall be made as at the next point. Points already played before the finding of the error shall be effective.
(1) An error has occurred in changes of servers("Change service") and sides ("Change sides").
(2) An error has occurred in the order of serve between the partners ("Rotation Change").
(3) An error has occurred in the order of selecting a service court ("Rotation Change").
2 In the case where such errors have been found after a fault in the first serve, the errors shall be corrected at that instant, and the match shall be resumed with the first serve.
(Judgment of In or Out)
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1 The judgment of in or out of a ball shall be made at the landing spot of the ball.
2 The ball which has touched the court lines when it landed on the court shall be defined as in.
(Loss of Point In Play)
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1 The cases of loss of points in play shall be as undermentioned. However, the cases where a serve is a let or the first serve is a fault shall not come under this clause.
(1) The ball which was hit by a player has failed to directly fly over the net (no judgment call), and a ball has gone through a break of the net or a space between the net and the net post or under the net ("Through") shall come under this clause. However, the cases as unermentioned be excluded.
a. A ball touched the net or the net post, but has flied properly over into the opposite court.
b. A ball flied outside of the net post or touched the outside of the net post, but has landed properly on the opposite court.
(2) The ball returned has landed on an outcourt or directly touched the umpire, the umpire's chair or other fixtures and facilities for the ongoing match ("Out")
(3) A player has failed to hit the ball for a return before the ball bounces on the ground for the second time ("Two Bounces"). The case where the ball hit for a return has touched, before bouncing for the second time, the umpire, the umpire's chair or other fixtures and facilities shall also come under this clause. However, the case where the ball from the opponent landed properly on the court but rebounded to the net or the net post and the player has returned, before the ball landed the court again, the ball properly to the opponent shall be regarded as a good return.
(4) A ball has touched the body or attire of a player ("Body Touch").
(5) Such cases as under mentioned have occurred to the racket, body or attire of a player. However, the cases where the racket has crossed over the net or touched the opponent's outcourt from force of hitting a ball but that incident was not recognized as an apparent interference with the opponent's play ("Interfere") shall not come under this clause.
a. A player's racket has crossed over the net, the imaginary extensions of the net line or the net post in a failed swing of the racket in trying to hit a ball ("Over Net").
b. The racket, body or attire of a player has touched the net or the net post ("Net Touch"). The case where a ball hit the net or the wind moved the, thus the net touched the racket, body or attire of a player shall be included.
c. The racket, body or attire of a player has touched the umpire's chair or the umpire for the ongoing match ("Touch")
d. The racket, body or attire of a player has touched the opponent's court or the racket, body or attire of the opponent player ("Interfere").
(6) A ball has touched a racket more than once in striking the ball ("Dribble") or the ball has rested on a racket face ("Carry").
(7) A ball touched only the frame of a racket in trying to hit the ball, thus the player has failed to return the ball ("Tip").
(8) A player has returned a ball by the racket which had left from its hand ("Interfere")
(9) A ball in play has hit another ball on the court, including a ball which is used for the ongoing match and had been on one side of the court when the point started but moved in by the force of wind or some other reasons and rested on the other side of the court. However, in the case where such a movement of the ball was judged by the chair umpire as an intentional act against the opponent, this constitutes an interference. Also, the case where the ball hit players' things like a hat or cap or face towel, etc. which was lying on the court, thus the player has failed to make a good return of the ball shall come under this clause.
(10) The racket, cap or hat, face towel, etc. of a player left from the player and has directly touched the net or the net post ("Net Touch"). The case where a racket once dropped from the player on the ground and then has touched the net or the net post shall be included.
(11) When a player pushed away, by its hand, foot or racket, things like a hat or a cap or face towel, etc., excluding a ball, which was lying on the court or outcourt, they have directly touched the net or net post ("Net Touch"), or the umpire or the umpire's chair for the ongoing match ("Touch").
(12) The racket, cap or hat, face towel, etc. of a player has touched the racket or attire of the opponent player or gone over into the opponent court ("Interfere").
(13) Incidents which are an apparent interference with the opponent's play have occurred. ( called "Interfere") (No Count)
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A play shall be suspended with a "No Count " call on the ball in play in the cases as under mentioned and the play for the point shall be resumed by starting with the first serve. The cases of a let in the serve shall not come under this clause.
(1) A play has been interrupted by an umpire's erroneous judgment.
(2) A play has been interrupted by unforeseen incidents, a ball for some other match, a ball for the ongoing match which had left away but was picked up and thrown in by people with no direct relations with the ongoing match or the acts of such people.
The application of this clause shall be limited to those acknowledged by the the chair umpire.
(3) Incidents where the both pairs lose the point at the same time have occurred.
(4) Other cases which the chair umpire has acknowledged as those for no count.
(Time)
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Time shall be allowed for players during a match in the cases as undermentioned.
(1) A player has turned disable to continue the play by physical problems and the chair umpire has acknowledged the situation.
In this case, the time allowable for a player shall be not more than 5 minutes per one occasion and a maximum of two occasions allowed for one player in the same one match.
(2) Other cases which the chair umpire has acknowledged as necessary.
(Prohibitions)
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1. A player shall be prohibited from receiving any advice and physical treatment from any people other than their partner during a match, except for the cases approved by the chair umpire as necessary after discussing it with the referee.
2. Any people other than the players for the match, the umpires and those who are allowed for the specific reasons shall be prohibited from entering the soft tennis court during the match.
(Withdraw)
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A pair who comes under the items as undementioned shall be treated as the one withdrawn from the match, and their opponent shall be declared the winner of the match. Points & games so far won by such a loser shall be effective.
(1) An entry for the competition had been made but the pair did not actually participated.
(2) An application made by a pair for withdrawal from the competition for some special reasons has been accepted by the referee (or responsible officials of the completions)
(3) Time was allowed for a pair for physical problems of either player of the pair, but the player has not recovered within the allowed time limits.
(4) Either player of the pair applied for withdrawal from the match for its physical problems and the chair umpire has accepted it.
(5) A pair has turned unable to play a match under the conditions as described in Article 11 of the Rules for Operations of Competitions. (Prohibition of Protest and Other Related Acts)
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1. Players shall be prohibited from protesting against the umpire's proceeding of and its judgments in a match or discontinuing a play on purpose on the ground that such judgments are objectionable.
2. The provision as above, however, shall not prevent the players from inquiring of the umpire about its judgments and others. However, once the explanations have been delivered, then the provision of the proceeding Article 40.1 shall be applied.
(Warning)
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In the cases where apparent violations of Articles 38 and 40 have been recognized, the chair umpire shall give a warning to such pair ("Yellow Card"). (Disqualification)
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1. When the referee has found any violations of the conditions for participation provided in the guide to the championships, the referee shall declare the disqualification of such pair after consulting it with the responsible officials of the completions.
2. In the cases which come under the clauses as undermentioned, the chair umpire shall disqualify such pair and declare the winning of its opponent.
(1) A pair who was called to a court for a match has not appeared.
(2) The number of warning issued has come to 3 in total to the same one pair during the same one match ("Red Card"). (Appeal)
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1. A pair shall be allowed to appeal to the referee if a misinterpretation or misapplication of the Rules for Competitions have been recognized in the judgments of the umpire.
2. A pair shall not be allowed to appeal for the second time against the ruling made by the referee.
3. A pair shall not be allowed to make any appeal after the greetings for the completion of the match have been exchanged. (Suspension and Resumption of a Match)
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1. In the case where a match was suspended or postponed because of the weather condition or others, the match shall be resumed, in principle, as from the next point to those so far completed.
2. In the case where the match is resumed at a tennis court than the current one or on a later day, the side of the court shall be selected by the pair who had the right to select it in the current match. However, in the case where the match is resumed at a later time on the same day and the same court as for the current match, the same sides as at the time of the suspension of the match shall be maintained.
(Treatment of Other Questionable Issues on Rules)
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In the cases where issues which are not specified in this Rules have occurred in a match, the chair umpire shall rule them after consulting them with the referee.
SINGLES (Purpose)
1 The provisions hereunder shall aim to specify the matters required to conduct soft tennis competitions (singles). The rules for doubles shall be applied for the matters not specified in the rules for singles. (Court)
2 A court for singles shall be a rectangular space, which is surrounded by the service sidelines with their extensions to the base lines and the base lines, of 23.77m in length and 8.23m in width. (Divisions of Court and lines)
3 The names of the divisions of the court and the names and lengths of the lines are as shown hereunder. Names of lines Symbols Length
Sideline IO, JT 23.77m
Base line IJ, OT 8.23m
Service Sideline EG, FH 12.80m
Service line EF, GH 8.23m Service Center line MN 12.80m
Center Mark R, S 0.15m (from the inner edge of the base line) (Serve and Receive)
4 1) Except for the final game, the opposing players shall deliver the serve alternately for each of the games in a match, starting to deliver the serve in each game to the right, diagonally opposite service court and then to the left, and the other player shall receive the ball served.
2) In the final game, each of the players shall deliver the serve alternately for two consecutive points, starting with the player who has the right to be be a server in accordance with the rules, and the other player shall receive the ball served. (Match) 5 The number of games in a match shall be 7 in principle.

Chapter 1 General Rules(Purpose)

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The provisions hereunder shall be intended to specify the matters concerning umpiring for soft tennis competitions. Chapter 2 Jury (Jury)
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1 The jury for competitions shall consist of referees and umpires.
2 The referees shall be more than 1 and less than 5 in number, and one of the referees shall be appointed as chief referee who shall supervise the other referees and umpires.
3 The umpires shall be 4 in number in principle for one court for competitions. However, the total number of commissioned umpires can be reduced at a discretion of the host/managing organization for competitions in the case where the guide to the competitions provides that the participating players shall conduct umpiring for competitions.
4 The host/managing organization for competitions may place a court supervisor at respective courts as required.
(Referee)
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The referee shall give directions and advice to umpires. Also, in the case where an appeal has been made to the referee about an umpire's judgment on the ground that the judgment involves a misunderstanding or misapplication of the Rules of Soft Tennis for Competitions (Hereinafter called the "Rules for Competitions" and the Rules for Umpiring for Competitions (Hereinafter called the "Rules for Umpiring", the referee shall get a good grasp of the content of the appeal and rule the case. (Court Supervisor)
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The court supervisor shall promote the proceeding of competitions at the court in charge, and give directions and advice to umpires as required. (Umpire)
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1 chair umpire and 1 vice umpire, in principle, shall be placed for a match. However, the vice umpire may be dispensed with if appropriate. Also, 2 linesmen may additionally be placed, if required. (Duties of Umpire)
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1 An umpire shall promote the smooth proceeding of the play and make fair and quick judgments according to the Rules for Competitions.
2 The chair umpire shall perform its duties of proceeding with a match on the umpire's chair and make judgments on the designated areas of judgment. Regarding the judgments on the areas which the other umpires are responsible for, the chair umpire shall confirm and respect their signs and/or calls on their judgments, call its ruling clearly and enter the result in a score sheet.
3 The vice umpire and linesmen, who place themselves at the designated positions as provided in Article 9(2) or(3) of this Rules, shall make judgments on their responsible judgment areas, and also assist the chair umpire.
4 The vice umpire and linesmen shall notify their judgments to the chair umpire by signs when the judgments are related only to lines, and for the judgments on the other responsible judgment areas, the notification shall be made by calls together with signs.
Chapter 3 Umpiring(Required Attitude of Umpire)
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The umpire shall well acquaint itself to the matters as undermentioned to conduct a fair and smooth preceding of a match.
(1) The umpire shall be well versed in both the Rules for Competitions and the Rules for Umpiring, and conduct appropriate applications of them.
(2) The umpire's attire shall be those that are normally worn for soft tennis competitions, except the case where the host/managing organization for competitions has designated the attire.
(3) While umpiring, an umpire shall observe the items as undermentioned.
1. An umpire shall prepare for its duties at a court in charge well in advance of players' appearance. If necessary, the umpire shall urge the players to appear on the court in time.
2. An umpire shall make an effort to maintain an appropriate behavior.
3. An umpire shall make an effort to conduct a smooth and fair proceeding of a match.
4. An umpire shall make an effort to make a fair and timely judgment.
5. An umpire shall make a loud and clear call on its judgment according to Article 10 of this Rules.
6. An umpire shall give a clear sign of its judgment according to Article 11 of this Rules.
7. An umpire shall keep a good coordination among its colleague umpires for the match.
8. Umpires shall not violate the authorities of their colleague umpires on their respective responsible judgment areas. (Division of Judgment Area)
ㆍ8
The division of the responsible judgment lines/items for the respective umpires is as under mentioned. (see the attached chart of the judgment areas ):
(1) The division of the responsible judgment lines : Chair umpire AC, EG, MN, XY B Y D Vice umpire BD, FH, EF, GH, XY linesman AB, CD F H
(2) The division of the other responsible judgment items Chair Umpire: two bounds, dribble, carry, direct, interfere, body touch, touch, tip, net over, net touch, through, no count, foot fault Vice umpire: two bounds, dribble, carry, direct, interfere, body touch, touch, tip, net over, net touch, through, let, no count, foot fault linesman : foot fault, direct, body touch, tip
(3) In the case where the vice umpire and linesmen are dispensed with, their judgment areas/lines shall be covered by the chair umpire. (Position of Umpire)
ㆍ9
The positions of umpires during a match shall be as undermentioned:
(1) The chair umpire shall be seated on the umpire's chair.
(2) The vice-umpire shall place itself out of the sideline on the opposite.side to the the chair umpire, and 60cm apart outward from the net post. When judging a serve, the vice chair umpire shall move to the imaginary extension of the service line, inside of the side line on the receiver's court. After judging a serve, the vice umpire shall return to the initial position immediately and keep watching rallies.
(3) The linesman shall be seated on a chair which is placed not less than 5m out of the sideline on the opposite side to the chair umpire's seat on the imaginary extension of the base line.
(Call)
ㆍ10
(1) How to make calls for judgment and score-counting shall be provided on the attached sheets, glossary of Umpire's Terms and Score Counting.
(2) Calls for point and game counting shall be made by the chair umpire, starting from those for the servers' side.
(3) When the play is to be resumed after time, the chair umpire shall call "No time".
(Sign)
ㆍ11
The signs given by umpires and their posture during a match shall be as under mentioned.
(1) An umpire shall not give any signs, in principle, when a ball is " in ". In the case, however, where the ball was in, but in or out of the ball looks unclear to the players, the umpire in charge shall hold out its arm and hand forward with the palm facing downward as the sign of " in ".
(2) The chair umpire shall not give any signs in principle. If required, however, the chair umpire may give signs in the same manner as those given by the vice umpire.
(3) The signs given by the vice-umpire and its posture when judging a serve shall be as under mentioned (see the attached illustrations).
1. The vice umpire's posture in judging a serve is forwarding a foot (at the receivers' side) and lowering its position and placing its hand (of the side where the foot forwarded) on the knee, as shown by the attached illustration A. To indicate the fault of a serve, excluding a netted serve which is out of its responsibility for judgment, the vice umpire shall raise its arm with fingers stretched out while keeping the posture as described above, as shown by the attached illustration B-1.
In the case of a let in a serve, the vice umpire shall stand upright and raise one arm upward with two figures stretched, upward for a let in for a let in the first serve, and with one finger for the second serve, and make a call "Let", as shown by the attached illustration B-2.
2. When a ball in a rally has turned out to be out, the vice-umpire shall take a position directly facing the landing spot of the ball and raise its one arm upright with all fingers stretched, as shown by the attached illustration C.
3. In the case of a point lost related to the other judgment items, the vice umpire shall point with one arm to the player of the point lost and make a call applicable to the judgment item, as shown by the attached illustration D.
4. When giving the sign of "no count" to the chair umpire, the vice umpire shall move its arms crossing in front of its face and make a call "No count", as shown by the attached illustration E.
5. Concerning "time", the vice umpire shall raise both of its arms upright with the palms facing toward the chair umpire, and make a call "Time", as shown by the attached illustration F.
(4) The signs given by the linesman shall be the same as those of the vice umpire. (Verification of Judgment)
ㆍ12
In the case where an umpire is not confident of the ball's "in", "out", or fault in its responsible judgment area, the umpire shall be allowed to make the judgment after checking the trace of the ball's landing on the ground. The chair umpire shall be allowed to request the vice umpire to check the trace, and if the vice umpire can not be confident of its judgment, the chair umpire shall be allowed to come down from the umpire's chair and confirm the trace for itself to make the judgment. (Coordination in Making Judgments)
ㆍ13
In the case where an umpire can not be confident of its judgment in its own judgment area, the umpire shall be allowed to ask for opinions from the other umpires to verify its judgment. (Final Judgment)
ㆍ14
In the case where an inquiry about a judgment is made from a player during a match, the umpire in charge shall confirm the judgment and inform the result to the chair umpire, who shall declare the final judgment. After this process, any further inquiries about the final judgment shall be regarded as protests against the judgment, which shall be handled in accordance with the provisions of Articles 41 and 42 in the Rules for Competitions. (Error in Judgment)
ㆍ15
In the case where the judgment made by an umpire is recognized as an apparent error on the part of the umpire, the chair umpire shall be allowed to correct the judgment on that point. (Suspension of Play)
ㆍ16
In the case where an umpire has given a sign or a call to suspend a play erroneously while a ball in play, the chair umpire shall suspend the play at that instant. In the case where the erroneous sign or call was judged by the chair umpire to have caused a hindrance to the play, the point shall be a "no count ", or a "let" if it was before the completion of a receive. (Error in Score Counting )
ㆍ17
In the case where any apparent error in point or game counting has been recognized, the umpire shall correct the count with a call "Correction" at the time when the first serve has turned fault or at the time of making a call on the next point. Even if the error has been found while a ball is in play, the play shall not be suspended and the point shall be effective. (Default/Retirement)
ㆍ18
In the cases where a player or pair has come under the provisions as undermentioned, the player or pair shall be treated as default on or retirement from the match and the victory of the opponent shall be declared. Points and games so far gained by such loser of the match as above shall be effective.
(1) An entry for competitions was made but the actual participation has not been made.
(2) A player or pair applied for default on or withdrawal from a match for some special reasons and the referee or the responsible competition official has accepted it.
(3) A player was allowed a time due to physical problems, but the player has failed to recover within the allowed time limits.
(4) A player applied for retirement from the ongoing match for physical problems and the chair umpire has accepted it.
(5) The competition has turned unable to be continued under the provisions of Article 11 in the Rules for Operations of Competitions.
(Arousing of Attention)
ㆍ19
The chair umpire shall be allowed to arouse the attention of people concerned (players, pairs, managers and teams) to their acts and others, if they are recognized as a hindrance to the smooth proceeding of a match. (Warning )
ㆍ20
In the case where the chair umpire recognized that a player, pair or manager in the case of an team event, has committed an apparent violation of Articles 38 and 40 of the Rules for Competitions, the chair umpire shall issue a warning (yellow card) to such people as above. The warning shall be issued by showing the card. (Disqualification )
ㆍ21
1. In the case where the referee found the violation of the conditions for participation described in the guide to competitions, the referee shall consult with the responsible competition official and, with a consent of the official, declare the disqualification of the player, pair or manager in the case of a team competition in question.
2. In the cases as under mentioned, the chair umpire shall consult with the referee and, with a consent of the referee, disqualify the player, pair or team in the case of a team competition in question and then declare the victory of the opponent.
(1) A player or pair who was called to appear on the court for a match, but has not appeared.
(2) Players did not compete the matches in a team competition in accordance with the order which had been submitted in advance.
(3) A player or pair has received warnings for 3 times during the same one match (Red Card). (Prohibition of Replacement of Umpire)
ㆍ22
The replacement of an umpire shall not be allowed, except the cases as under mentioned.
(1) The continuation of its duties has turned impossible due to physical problems.
(2) Participating players are umpiring and that situation is anticipated to make a hindrance to the proceeding of the competitions. Chapter 4 Proceeding of Match (Proceeding of Match)
ㆍ23
The proceeding of a match shall be conducted in such manners as undermentioned under the guidance and directions of umpires.
(1) Both of competing players or pairs shall stand behind and in the middle of the respective service lines, facing toward the net.
At this time, the chair umpire and the vice umpire shall stand outside the sideline on the side where the umpire's chair is placed, with the net between them. The linesmen to be in charge shall separately stand side by side and alongside the chair and vice umpires respectively.
(2) Following Item (1) above, the players shall proceed to the net by the chair umpire's signal. At the same time, the umpires shall also move toward the service center line along the net.
(3) At the net, the greetings shall be exchanged, firstly between the competing players and then with the umpires.
(4) After the greetings, the chair umpire shall identify each player for the match.
(5) In a team competition, all players of both competing teams shall line up behind the respective baselines, facing toward the net. By the chair umpire's signal, the two teams shall proceed to the net and exchange greetings. The managers of the teams, if applicable, shall stand nearest to the umpires. After the greetings by all of the two teams, each of the matches in a tie shall be played one by one, just in the same manner as in the matches for individual events.
(6) After the greetings before the start of a match, the vice umpire, or the chair umpire if the vice umpire is dispensed with, shall show both of side A and B of a coin to each of the competing players and toss the coin up in the air. In the case where the side A of the coin came on the upper side when dropped on the ground, the player or pair at the right side of the chair umpire shall be given the preemptive right to choose serve or receiver side, and in the case where the side B of the coin came on the upper side, the player or pair at the left side of the chair umpire shall be given such preemptive right. The opposing player or pair to the owner of the preemptive right shall be given the right to choose among from the remaining options. For the convenience of an easier proceeding of competitions, the decision of serve/receive or side may be conducted in advance of a match of the match at some other place than the court for the match.
(7) In the case where the choice of a kind of ball is applicable, the player or pair who has been given the preemptive right as provided in the preceding Article 23(6) shall be qualified for the ball selection. In the case of a team competition, the kind of ball which was decided by the representatives of both teams shall be used.
(8) After servers, receivers and sides were decided, the players shall exercise a warm-up practice before the start of the match. During this process, umpires shall take their respective, designated positions. The duration of the warm-up session shall usually be not longer than 1 minute. The referee shall be allowed, after consultation with the responsible competition official, to reduce or omit the duration of the warm-up session, depending on the progress of competitions. Such decisions, once made, shall be informed to the umpires in charge.
(9) When the time allowed for a warm-up has elapsed, the chair umpire shall make a call "Ready" and urge the players to get ready for the start of the match.
(10) When the players are in a ready position for the start of the match, the chair umpire shall let the players start the match following calls like "Service side, Mr./Ms. ------- of ----- (Club) and Mr./Ms. ------ of ----- (Club), Receive side, Mr./Ms. ------- of -----(Club) and Mr./Ms. -------- of ----- (Club), (Seven) game match, play ball !".
(11) Umpires shall proceed with a match from the start and finish accurately and smoothly in accordance with the provisions of the Rules for Competitions and this Rules.
(12) When the match was completed, the chair umpire shall call "Game set ". Then, the chair umpire shall get down from the umpire's chair and move along the net to the center of the court, together with other umpires, while calling the players to come to the net. Then, the chair umpire shall declare the result of the match by calling, for example, " This match to Mr./Ms. ------ and Mr./Ms. -------, with the score 7 to 4." Following this, the greetings shall be exchanged between the competing players and then with the umpires, and then they shall be dismissed.
(13) For a team competition, after all the matches in the tie are completed, all the players of both teams shall line up behind the baselines as they did before the start of the tie, and then proceed closer to the net. Then, the chair umpire shall declare the result of the tie by calling, for example, "This competition to -------- , with the score 2 to 1". Then, the greetings shall be exchanged between the two teams and then with the umpires, and they shall be dismissed. (Entering in Score Sheet )
24 The designated form of score sheet shall be used in principle for recording match results and filled in by the chair umpire during the match in accordance with the data entering manual. In the case, however, where a sufficient time is not allowed to complete the score sheet after a "Game set" call and before the exchange of the final greetings with the players, the chair umpire shall make an effort to complete entering in the score sheet as soon as possible after the greetings. Score Sheet Filling Guide
(1) The chair umpire shall fill in a score sheet accurately.
(Columns of Event, Court Number, Round, and Names of Players shall be entered in principle by the staff in charge in advance. The chair umpire shall confirm them and, in addition, shall enter the names of umpires in charge.)
(2) When the server(s)/receiver(s) are decided, the initials of S (for server) and R (for receiver) in the applicable columns shall be circled.
(3) In POINT columns, the mark "O" shall be entered for points won in the small squares and the mark "X" for points lost, starting from the upper left to rightward in the respective game columns.
(4) When a game is completed, the respective total points won for the game shall be entered in the central SCORE columns provided for each game, and the number of points won by the winner of the game shall be circled.
(5) When a match is completed, the respective total number of games won for the match shall be entered in the SCORE column which is provided between the columns for the names of competing players in the upper part of the form and the number of games won by the winner of the match shall be circled.
(6) In WARNING columns, the kinds of warning issued shall be entered by circling the initials of Y (for a yellow card) or R (for a red card) in the respective columns provided for competing players in the lower part of the form and remarks shall be filled in for reference to the warning issued . If applicable, warnings issued to a manger in the case of a team competition shall also be noted in these columns.
(7) In Time columns, the figure 5 (minutes) shall be circled for the respective players at each time "time" occurs for physical problems.

Operations of Competitions Chapter 1 General Rules (Purpose)

ㆍ1
(1) This Rules shall be intended to provide the matters required for operations of soft tennis competitions
( hereinafter "Competitions").
(2) A managing organization which is entrusted with operations of the Competitions by a host federation and a managing federation (hereinafter called the "host/managing organizations) shall conduct the operations based on this Rules in principle. (Guide to Competitions)
ㆍ2
The host/managing organizations shall prepare a guide to competitions and inform them to all the participants in advance. The contents of the guide to competitions shall be as follows in principle.
(1) Name of Competition
(2) Name of Host Organization
(3) Name of Managing Organization
(4) Name of Cooperative/Supporting Organizations
(5) Period of Competitions
(6) Venue
(7) Place of Competition
(8) Items of Event
(9) Schedule of Competitions
(10) Qualification of Participants
(11) Method of Entry (including Changes of Players after Entry)
(12) Rules for Competitions & Supplementary Regulations
(13) Method of Competitions and Determination of Ranking
(14) Preparation of Draw
(15) Conditions for Participation
(16) Balls and Other Equipment/Facilities
(17) Doping
(18) Medical Care
(19) Security
(20) Commendations
(21) Expenses for Participants
(22) Managers' Meeting

Chapter 2 Competition Facilities(Competition Facilities)

ㆍ3
The competition facilities shall be as follows in principle.
(1) The competition facilites shall include soft tennis courts and othe facilities (net, net posts and umpire's chair) and equipment (fences, benches, score boards, seats for spectaors, lavatories, players' waiting rooms, changing roos, seats for competition officials, distinguished guests, reporters and medical care, court brushes, line brushes, flag poles, showers and drinking water tanks, etc.)
(2) One court of the courts shall be designatd as the main court. The main court shall preferably be independent from the othe courts and have spectators' seats
(3) The surface of court and out-court shall be clay, sanded artificial turf (grass) or all-weather chemical for outdoor courts, and wooden board, hard rubber or chemical for indoor courts. It shall be so written in the Guide to the Competitions.
(4) The courts shall be suffucient in number to complete all competitions depending on the scale of competitions or expected schedule.
(5) The place of benches in the courts shall be set in the outcourts to the extent that no hindrance to the play shall be caused.

Chapter 3 Competitons(Items of Event)

ㆍ4
The events of the competitions shall be decided by the host/managing organizations among from the events provided below and shall be written clearly in the guide to the competitions.
(1) Individual doubles for men and women
(2) Indicidual singles for men and women
(3) Individual mixed doubles
(4) Team competitions for men and women (Schedule of Competitions)
ㆍ5
The schedule of the competitions shall be decided by the host/managing organizations and shall be written clearly in the guide to the competitions. (Qualifications for Participation)
ㆍ6
The qualifications for participation shall be decided by the host/managing organizations and shall be written clearly in the guidlines to the competitions. (Entry)
ㆍ7
1. The method of entry shall be decided by the host/managing organizations and shall be written clearly in the guide to the competitions.
2. Change of player(s) after entry shall not be allowed in principle except for the case where its approval is given by the host/managing organizations. In this case, the host/managing organizations shall clarify this in the guide to the competitions. (Special Cases Applicable to the Rules for Competitions)
ㆍ8
The competitions shall be operated by the Rules for Competitions of Soft Tennis (hereinafter called the "Rules for Competitions") and the Rules for Umpiring of Soft Tennis (hereinafter called the "Rules for Umpiring") in principle, but the host/managing organizations may set up spacial cases as provided below. In this case, however, the host/managing organizations shall write so clearly in the Guideto the competitions.
(1) Concerning the Rules for Competitions and the Rules for Umpiring, in the case where the domestic rules (so called "local rules") stipulated by the national association are available, such domestic rules may be applicable to the national competitions, etc.
(2) In the team competitions, one manager or coach shall be included in a team. In this case, the manager or the coach shall be regarded as one of the players of the team.
(3) In the team competitions, members of the team may enter into the permitted place in the court and may give advices or certain treatments for the phisical accident under the conditions provided in the Rules for Competitions. (Method of Competitions)
ㆍ9
1. The competitions shall be performed by one of the methods provided below, and it shall be decided by the host/managing organizations and be written clearly in the Guide to the competitions.
(1) Tournament System (The final winner in the knockout system shall be the first place winner and the subsequent winners shall be determined in the same method.)
(2) Round Robin System (All players or pairs shall compete each other and the ranking shall be decided by the method stipulated separately)
(3) Conbination of both systems of the tournament and the round robin (Combination of the two systems of (1) and (2) above, depending on the scale of participantion)
2. The method of team competitions shall be as provided below:
(1) In either of tournament or round robin systems, the matches in the odd number shall be played in the order submitted in advance and the team which has won more wins has won more than the opponent shall be the winner of the tie
In this case, a tie shall consist of matches of singles or doubles or the combibnation of these two, and all the matches of the tie shall be played in principle. However, by the decision of the host/managing organizations, there may be the case where the team which has won more than one half of the matches in the tie shall be determined as the winner and the remaining match(es) shall not be played.
(2) In case of causing shortage of team members in a team, if the team can play more than one half matches of the tie, the team can take part in the competition with approval by the referee and the responsible competition official. In this case, however, the matches shall be played starting with first match in accordance with the order submitted in advance, and the match(es) which can not played because of the player shortage shall be dealt with as default.
3. The number of games in a match shall be decided by the host/managing organizations and it shall be informed clearly to the participants in the guide to the competitions, etc. (Ranking in Round Robin Competitions )
ㆍ10
The decision of ranking in the round robin shall be made by the methods as follows:
(1) Where two teams have the same win ratio, the winner of the competition between the two shall be ranked higher..
(2) Where three or more teams have the same win ratio, their rankings shall be determined by a comparison of the win ratios in the competitions between the three or more teams, and the team which has gained a higher win ratio shall be ranked higher.
(3) Where the method in (2) above cannot be implemented, rankings shall be determined by a comparison within the competitions between the teams with the same win ratio, firstly of the number of games won minus the number of games lost, secondly of the number of points won minus the number of points lost and a player or a pair who has gained a larger positive differential shall be ranked higher. In the tem competition, rankings shall be determined by a comparison, firstly of the number of matches won minus the number of matches lost, and secondly of the total number of games won minus the total number of games lost, and thirdly of the total number of points won minus the total number of points lost, and the team which has gained a larger positive differential shall be ranked higher.
In the case where such results of two teams are the same, Item 10(1) above sahll be applied.
(4) Where the method (3) above is not applicable, the host/managing organizations shall be allowed to determine the rankings by draw or other appropriate method. (How to Deal With Default in Round Robin Competition)
ㆍ11
In the case where player(s) or pair(s) has(have) retired before the completion of the round robin in a team compeetition, the treatment shall be as undermentioned. In the case, undermentioned. In the case, however, where some other method decided by the host/managing organizations in advance is in place, the decision by this shall be applied firstly.
(1) In the case where more than one half of the players in a team have retired, the team shall not be able to to continue the competition. In this case, all the results of the preceding matches shall be disregarded, resulting in the team's loss of the tie by a zero score retroactive to the first match of the tie. In the case, however, the retirement has been detemined under Articles 39 of the Rules for Competitions and 18 of the Rules of Umpiring, the results so far made in the tie shall be kept effective.
(2) In the case where less than one half of the players in a team have retired in a tie, the team shall be allowed to continue the competition with an approval of the referee and the responsible competiton official. In this case, the match(s) not played because of the retirement shall be regarded as lost by by a zero score.
(3) In the case where a player or a pair is not able to continue the match for some reason before the completion of all matches in the round robin in the individual competition, the result of all the preceding matches shall be regarded as lost by a zero score. Iin the case, however, where the retirement has been determined under Articles 39 of the Rules for Competitions and 18 of the Rules for Umpiring, the results so far made before the retirement shall be kept effective.
(4) In the case of coming back to the competition again after the retirement in the individual competition, the player or pair shall be allowed to continue the competition with an approval and directions of the referee and the responsible competition official. In this case, the result of match(es) not played shall be regarded as lost by a zero score. (Retirement)
ㆍ12
In the case applicable to Articles 39 of the Rules for Competitions and 18 of the Rules of Umpiring, the opponent shall be regarded as won the match. In this case the points and In this case, points and games so far won by the loser shall be kept effective. (Disqualification)
ㆍ13
1. In the case applicable to Articles 42 of the Rules for Competitions and 21 of the Rules of Umpiring, the disqualification shall be applied retroactively to the first match of the competitions. The ranking gained by such a disqualified player shall be kept vacant.
2. A team whichccomes under the preceding article in a team competition shall be disqualified.
3. In a tournament system, a player, pair or team defeated by the disqualified player, pair or team shall not be able to come back . (Draw)
ㆍ14
The draw shall be decided fairly by the host/managing organizations in accordance with the following criteria in principle.
(1) Tournament System
a. In the case where the number of participants is the n'th power of 2 like 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 , the draw and the seeds shall be determined as shown below. determined as follows:
b. In the case where the number of participants is not the number of n'th power of 2 (base number), the base number which is the nearest larger number to the number of participants minus the number of participants shall be the number of byes, and the number of participants minus the numbers of byes shall be the number of the first round players. In a draw chart, the number of participants shall be divided into two, four or eight, and in the case of the odd number of participants, the odd number of participants shall be allocated to the block for . to a block with a higher seed. In the case where one block consists of three participants, a player seeded higher in the block shall be allocated a bye.
(2) Round Robin System
a. Participants shall be divided into two or more blocks depending on the number of participants, if appropriate.
b. The seeding of all participants and a draw shall be decided in the same manner as in the tournament system and the applicable number of participants for each block shall be decided according to the draw. In the case where 16 participants, for example, are devided into four blocks, the seeding shall be arranged as follows: Allocation By Block of the Seeded
1st Block 1 16 9 8
2nd Block 4 13 12 5
3rd Block 3 14 11 6
4th Block 2 15 10 7
c. Order of Matches in Round Robin System
* 3 Participants per Block 1-2, 2-3, 1-3
* 4 Participants per Block 1-2, 3-4, 1-3, 2-4, 2-3, 1-4
* 5 Participants per Block 1-2, 3-4, 2-5, 1-3, 4-5, 2-3, 1-4, 3-5, 2-4, 1-5
* 6 Participants per Block 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 1-3, 2-5, 4-6, 3-5, 2-6, 1-4, 3-6, 2-4, 1-5, 2-3, 4-5, 1-6
The order of matches as above shall be finalized by the host organization of competitions. (Note) In the case where the participants belonging to the same federation are allocated to the same block, a match between them shall be proceeded over the other matches regardless of the order of matches as above. (Recording of Match Results in the Program, etc.)
ㆍ15
The host/managing organizations shall describe the record of matche scores in the program in a manner as follows:
a. Game scores shall be described for individual competitions.
b. Match scores shall be described for team competitions.
c. Regarding retirement, an initial 'R' shall be noted on each comlumn of the retired in the program, etc. together with their effective scores.
d. Regarding disqualification, an initial 'D' shall be noted in the programs, etc. on the apllicable round column in the tournament and on all the applicable match columns in the round robin.
e. In the case where any player, pair or team has changed since the completion of the program, the correction shall be made accordingly. (Conditions for Participation)
ㆍ16
All of the participants shall observe the conditions for participation decide by the host/managing organizations and specified in the guide to competitions. (Balls for Competitions)
ㆍ17
The host/managing organizations shall inform the kind of balls to be used in the competitions in the guide to competitions. (Doping Test)
ㆍ18
Implementation of the doping test at competitions, as applicable, shall be notified to the participants in the guide to competitions and the participants shall take the doping test in accordance with the provisions specified in the guide to competitions. (Medical Care)
ㆍ19
The host/managing organizations shall take into consideration to the extent possible a medical care for players and other people concerned, and shall prepare for providing the first aid treatment in case of emergency. (Commendation)
ㆍ20
The host/managing organizations shall inform the contents of commendation in the guide to competitions. (Expenses for Participation)
ㆍ21
In the case where the expenses for participation are to be charged to the participants, the detailed information on it shall be notified in the guide to competitions. (Representatives' Meeting)
ㆍ22
In the case where the representatives' meeting is to be held before the competitions in order to realize a smooth operation of the competitions, the host. managing organizations shall inform the time and date, purposes and required attendants etc. of the meeting in the guide to competitions. (Competition Officials)
ㆍ23
Competition officials shall be organized by the host/managing organizations in order to realize a smooth operation of competitions, by refereeing to the 'Manual for Organizing Officials for Competition' which is provided separately. (Jury)
ㆍ24
1.The Jury consists of referee(s) and umpires and shall be organized by the host/managing organizations.
2. The referee(s) shall direct the umpires in conducting their fair judgment, and make an appropriate interpretation and application of the Rules for Competitions and the Rules for Umpiring.
3. In the case where there are more than one referees, one of them shall be appointed as the chief referee.
4. Umpires shall consist of one chair umpire and one vice umpire in principle and shall be organized with not less than 4 umpires in total for one court to be used for competitions in principle. The total number of umpires may be reduced, as appropriate, in the case where the host/managing organizations have decided not to place a vice umpire or to have participating players function for umpiring.
5. Court supervisors shall be allowed to be placed, as required.

Chapter 3 Other Miscellaneous Matters(Security)

ㆍ25
The host/managing organizations shall try to keep smooth operations of and security in the competitions by issuing ID-cards to players, officials and other people concerned in principle. (Admission Fee)
ㆍ26
The host/managing organizations shall be allowed to collect the admission fee for competitions. (Sponsors)
ㆍ27
The host/managing organizations shall be allowed to have sponsors. In this case, all the matters concerning sponsors shall be decided by the host/ managing organizations.