League FAQ

What are the rules?
The Walnut Creek Racquet Club Leagues were founded as competitive leagues intended to provide players with a venue outside of USTA to play league tennis. In general we ask players to comply with The ITF Rules of Tennis. In addition, players should apply The Code to all situations requiring resolution.

Do I have to be USTA rated to play?
You do not have to be USTA rated to play in the Walnut Creek Racquet Club leagues. We do ask that you rate yourself fairly on the USTA scale. If you are unsure of what your rating should be please Contact Us and we will help you determine what your approximate USTA rating should be.

WARNING: If it is determined that you are not rated in USTA and you are playing lower that what would be considered a fair USTA rating you are subject to league disqualification. In addition The WCRC reserves the right to adjust players either up or down at any time during the league independent of their published USTA rating. These adjustments will be made by WCRC board consensus.

Is there an age limit?
The minimum age for players in the Walnut Creek Racquet Club leagues is 18.

Who do I play?
Use the Player Tools section of the website to contact opponents to play within your league. You can filter opponents by preferred time to play and court preferences.

Where are we supposed to play?
It is up to you and your opponent(s) to find a mutually agreeable location to play. Most players will try to find a meeting point either in the city of Walnut Creek which has paid (Heather Farms) and free options (all other courts) or will find a meeting point somewhere within the Diablo North area. Visit Our Courts page for court information and directions.

Who provides the balls?
Each team brings a can of balls to the match. One team opens their can of balls for the match. The winning team takes the unopened can of balls home.

Can we play a super-tiebreaker?
Super-tiebreakers will be determined by league and tournament Directors and stated at the beginning of each season and prior to each tournament.

Who puts the score in?
The winning team is expected to input the match scores but the other team may be do so it the winners do not. .

Can I take a default if my opponent(s) are late or do not show up?
We generally do not allow defaults for no-shows or late arrivals, however if you need the match at the end of the season to qualify for the end of season tournament you may take a default by notifying the opposing team and the league coordinator.

How do I enter a retirement or a default?
A default should be entered as 6-0, 6-0. A retirement should be entered for the winner during the time of the retirement. For example, if a team retires at 3-3 in the first set the score should be entered as 6-3, 6-0. If they retire at 6-3, 1-0 in the second set the score should be entered as 6-3, 6-0.

Can I switch partners if my partner gets injured or is not available anymore?
You can switch partners anytime throughout the season by contacting the league administrator. Depending on when during the league you switch partners, the minimum number of matches to qualify will be determined by the league coordinators.

Can I get a refund if I'm injured or move?
The WCRC will process a refund up to 60 days from the start of a league for injury or for individuals that move out of the region. Refunds will only be processed for players or teams that have played 0 matches. Please contact the league administrator to request a refund.

Can I play at more than one level?
Our leagues are setup to accommodate players at multiple levels. You may play at more than one level for a given season provided you are playing at USTA rating (or equivalent if not rated) or higher. Playing at a lower level than your rating or skill level is only permitted with the pre-approval of the league coordinator. Play at different levels for the tournament will be decided by league Director prior to tournament.

STEPS FOR SENDING OUT A COMMUNICATION / LOOKING TO PLAY A MATCH

Hover over WCRC Leagues from top menu.

Select My Leagues submenu.

Select the specific league you want from your Active League.

Scroll down to the Contact Opponents section of the page.

Individually select the player or players that you want to email or use the select all to email all participants in your division.

Select the Email Selected Opponents button.

Type the message you would like to send into the dialogue box on the email editor that opens.

Select Submit button when you are ready to send email.

A confirmation of the email you transmitted will be sent to your email.

Note: You can email any/all of the players listed to set up a match on your schedule. Players have had the most luck by suggesting 1 or 2 specific times or time windows, and then hopefully someone will respond if that schedule works for them. If you don't get any takers the 1st time, try again later. Sometimes you may find that no one responds, while other times there will be several people that respond.

STEPS FOR ENTERING A SCORE RESULT AFTER A MATCH

Hover over WCRC Leagues from top menu.

Select My Leagues submenu.

Select the specific league you want to enter a score from your Active Leagues.

Scroll down to Contact Opponents section of the page.

Locate the opponent you played with the list of players.

To the right of the player’s name is the score column.

Select the pencil icon in the righthand corner of the score column.

A score entry box will open.

Change the date of the match if needed. To change, select the date box and then use the calendar tool to select the correct date.

Enter the score. There are three set score boxes available for your use. Use as many as needed.

Enter the score from your perspective.

If you won a set enter the score with the highest number first (E.g. 6-2).

If you lost a set enter the score with the lowest number first (E.g. 2-6).

Note: Sets that were decided by tiebreak (7 point; first to 7 winning by a minimum of 2 points) must be entered 7-6 (if you won) or 6-7 (if you lost). Additionally, you must enter ONLY the number of points the loser scored during the tie break in the TB box. Entering the winner’s point score is not necessary as it is assumed that it was the max required score of 7 or two points more than the loser when the tiebreak continued beyond the minimum required score. (E.g. If you won a tie break with a game score of 7 points to 1, that is entered in the score box as set score of 7-6 TB 1. If you won a tie break with a game score of 11 points to 9, that is entered in the score box as set score of 7-6 TB 9.

Note: Matches that were decided by a third set super tiebreak (10 point; first to 10 winning by a minimum of 2 point) in lieu of a third set must be entered as 1-0. Enter as 1-0 (if you won) or 0-1 (if you lost). Additionally, you must enter ONLY the number of points the loser scored during the tie break in the TB box. Entering the winner’s point score is not necessary as it is assumed that it was the max required score of 10 or two points more than the loser when the tiebreak continued beyond the minimum required score. (E.g. If you won a tie break with a game score of 10 points to 4, that is entered in the score box as set score of 1-0 TB 4. If you won a tie break with a game score of 13 points to 11, that is entered in the score box as set score of 1-0 TB 11.

Please Contact Us for questions or rules not addressed on this page.