Club Rules
CLUB RULES and CODE OF CONDUCT – MAY 2019
RULES
Members: Membership shall not be refused on the grounds of race, creed, colour, national origin,
political or religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship or
disability excluding those who belong to groups that espouse intolerance, racism, hatred or violence.
A “Member” shall be considered “in good standing,” if he or she is not in arrears of fees nor has
acted against following the objects of the clubs, nor has been suspended nor otherwise sanctioned
for violation of the club’s bylaws, rules and regulations, nor has acted against the general interest of
the club resulting in suspension.
Tennis Attire: Players shall wear tennis clothing and tennis court shoes. Clothing with offensive
wording or logos, and soiled clothing are not allowed. Any shoes that may damage the courts may
not be worn - to be determined by the court attendant or, the club pro or a board member. Shirts
shall be worn at all times. The Court Managers shall refuse playing time to Members and Guests
who are not properly attired and specifically not wearing tennis court shoes.
Clubhouse: Pets, bicycles, in-line skates, smoking, and alcohol are not permitted in the Clubhouse
or on the courts. Smoking of any type is not permitted in the Clubhouse on club grounds, or within a
9 metre radius of the tennis club. No Member, Guest or employee shall bring into the Clubhouse or
club grounds any beer, wine, or spirits, nor shall he or she consume any beer, wine, or spirits in the
Clubhouse or on the clubhouse grounds except as authorized for licensed events.
Liability for lost or stolen property: The club is not responsible for tennis racquets, equipment or
personal effects stored in the Clubhouse or lockers, or left on the premises.
Pets: Well behaved pets are allowed, however, any pet that disturbs any member by barking etc
must be removed with forthwith. All pet waste must be removed and discarded.
Announcements: All communication including bulletin board postings, mailings and/or flyer
distribution for the benefit of the membership shall be administered and managed by the
Communications Director.
Guest Attendance: Members may bring Guests to the Club. All Guests shall pay a $15.00 Guest fee.
Court Managers shall maintain a Guest Log. A guest can play for a maximum of 3 times a month.
Rules regarding conduct and attire apply to Guests.
Conduct and Discipline
Conduct: Members and Guests will conduct themselves on the premises in a courteous and
responsible manner. We strive to preserve a pleasant and respectful environment both on and off
the court, so that all members can use and enjoy the club’s facilities to the fullest extent. The
highest level of sportsmanship, courtesy, respect for others, and fair play is expected. The following
are expectations to which all club members, guests/visitors, tennis professionals, and parents must
adhere to with fellow members, staff and coaching professionals:
Respect toward others regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, race, culture or religion.
Respect for all Club property and facilities, including but not limited to courts, nets, teaching
equipment, grooming equipment, furnishings, supplies, and appliances.
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of fellow players, coaches, attendants and spectators.
Members do not have the authority to instruct employees on duties or job performance or to
discipline employees of the Club.
The conduct of an employee or member shall not be made the subject of personal reprimand by
a member or their guest. The Club encourages open and respectful dialogue about the Club and
its operations. Comments, suggestions, and complaints regarding the Club’s betterment, its
members and employees are welcome; however, the Club requests that members refrain from
making (whether verbally or in writing) any unprofessional, inflammatory, or disparaging remarks
about the Club, its members, guests, or employees. Complaints or disputes arising from the
interpretation, application, and enforcement of the house and sports rules shall be
communicated, in writing, to the Board of Directors.
Refrain from conduct, which could be regarded as sexual or other discrimination, harassment or
bullying towards fellow players.
Respect the talent, potential and development of fellow players and competitors
Inappropriate language and/or aggressive behaviour or any form of bullying will not be tolerated
Any statement or behaviour that is reasonable for an individual to interpret as a threat to use
physical force that would or could cause injury will not be tolerated and may result in immediate
loss of court privileges, removal from the premises and further sanctions described below.
Harassment will not be tolerated. Harassment is defined as engaging in a course of vexatious
comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome and may
result in immediate loss of court privileges, removal from the premises, and further sanctions
described below.
Pictures are only to be taken by consent of the subject
Please follow the direction of the club attendant with regards to club rules, court usage and
tennis attire
Members are responsible for ensuring that their guests follow this Code of Conduct, and are
responsible for ensuring that the guest fees are paid.
Anyone who fails to follow the Code of Conduct as judged by a majority of the Board of Directors
may lose their good standing at Cottingham Tennis Club and be sanctioned. The Board of Directors
will at its discretion determine the appropriate sanction(s), which may include but is/are not limited
to:
Suspension of playing privileges or membership, either for a prescribed period or permanently on
such terms as the Board of Directors shall determine and with no refund of fees
Corrective action (warning) in writing
In the case of non-members, failure to abide by this Code of Conduct may result in a requirement
to vacate the premises and prohibition from returning either for a prescribed period or
permanently, on such terms as the Board of Directors shall determine.
Any sanction imposed may be appealed, in writing, to any member of the Board of Directors. The
Board’s decision in matters of discipline or policy is final.
A complaint by any member / staff against another member, visitor, guest, parent or tennis
professional alleging a failure to follow the Code of Conduct must be made in writing (or email) to
the President, or any other member of the Board of Directors, following the Reporting Process
shown below.
Complaint/Incident Reporting Process:
Any complaint should be made as soon as possible after the incident while the details are still fresh
in your mind, and should include the following information:
-
Your name, phone number, email address
-
Date and time of incident
-
Names of any witnesses
-
Name of offender(s)
-
Full details of the incident including what led up to the incident, who was involved, and the
outcome
-
Date incident report is being submitted
If no written complaint is received by the board, the board will not take action
Members, Club Employees, and Board Members should provide a written report outlining the time,
date, place, specific nature of the actions and person(s) involved to the board as soon as practical
after the incident. Verbal reports of such incidents are acceptable, and must be followed in writing.
Discipline:
1. The board consider complaints against Members and Employees.
2. The board will immediately consider written report of the incident which may result in immediate
temporary suspension of club privileges without written notice.
3. The alleged Member will be given notice in writing by e-mail, (and the complainant blind copied),
outlining the time, date, place and specific actions alleged.
4. The alleged Member shall respond within 5 calendar days of the date of the letter received so
that the board may review the allegations.
5. The board will send a copy of its decision with reasons and its actions to the alleged Member by e
mail (and the complainant blind copied).
6. The Board will use its discretion to suspend, terminate or restrict the alleged Member’s privileges
and where applicable, grant partial refunds less administration fees.
7. The board, in its discretion, may hear oral evidence.
8. A member may only appeal a decision which effectively terminates that member’s
club membership. All other decisions are final.
9. All decisions of the board shall take effect immediately upon notification of the person
concerned, unless otherwise specified by the board.
10. No minutes of the board regarding a discipline hearing ,or the fact that same occurred, shall be
reflected in the minutes where the complaint did not result in a finding of misconduct. The
person concerned and the complainant shall be notified by email as to the result. Board minutes
shall only reflect that a hearing was held and no misconduct found. No member ‘s name shall be
mentioned.
11. Where a finding of misconduct is made, the board shall keep a record of same. The said finding
may be used by the board in determining a further sanction if there is a subsequent misconduct
hearing for the same member.
12. Where a finding of misconduct is made, the minutes available for circulation to the membership
shall only reflect the nature of the complaint, the board’s finding , the penalty and the member’s
name.
Hours of Operations:
The Club operation hours are from 7 am to dusk on weekdays and 8 am to dusk on weekends and
holidays. The club will be closed during inclement weather and when the courts are correspondingly
out of play due to weather. The club is open to the public from 10 am – 12 pm and 2 - 4 pm
Monday to Friday for a fee of $15.00.
Court Change Times: The clock in the Court Manager’s Office is the official time. The playing period
is forty (40) minutes with at least two (2) courts changing every twenty (20) minutes. Courts that are
reserved for Lessons, Round Robins, etc. may have sixty (60) minute periods.
Schedule Events: Tournaments, Ladder, teams, Lessons and Round Robins play take precedence
when scheduled. Dates and times of such events shall be posted in advance. Members reserving
courts immediately following such events shall (i) inherit time not required for the event, or (ii)
donate extra time needed to complete the event. When a block of courts has been reserved for
events, no courts within the block shall be used for regular play until all matches within the block
have been completed.
Court periods following Public time shall inherit any interim between the close of Public play and the
beginning of Permitted Hours of Operation. See “Permitted Hours of Operation”, Three (3) courts
shall remain available to the Members at all times.
Court Reservations: Members shall report in person to place their tag onto the Reservation Board.
Members shall choose the next available period on a given court or the Court Manager shall
recommend pairings. A Member who has reserved a period shall not reserve another until the initial
period has expired. Members must be on-site to maintain their reservations. Court time shall not be
reserved for Members that are not present. If a tagged Member is unable to play, that tag shall be
removed from the Reservation Board. A Member who is not tagged up or is inappropriately dressed
shall forfeit playing privileges for the period. Those Members who reserved the preceding time
period, until other Members tag up shall inherit courts that are not reserved. Both players ust be
present at the court reservation time; at 5 minutes past the time of the reservation the court shall
be forfeited.
Waiting Member: A Waiting Member is any Member whose tag is not on the Reservation Board or
on the Reservation Board in the next time period(s) and qualifies to play. A Playing Member is any
Member whose tag is on the Reservation Board in the current time period or immediately preceding
time period.
Bumping: Courts that are not reserved by Waiting Members, shall be inherited for the next time
period by those Members who reserved the preceding time period on that court, subject to the
following conditions: The Playing Member’s tags are to be moved to the new time period. Playing
Members must be present at the Court at the start of the new time period to request the movement
of their tags to the new time period. If the Playing Member’s tags are not moved, the court is
deemed to be open and available for reservation. It is the responsibility of the Playing Members to
have their tags posted on their court for the current time period.
In the event of many players requesting use of the court at the start of a new time period, priority is
given first to Waiting Members, then to the Playing Members who were tagged on that court in the
preceding time period, then to other Playing Members of the preceding time period. Courts shall be
selected based on how long the previous players were playing.
Doubles play takes priority when there is only one court available OR when courts are busy.
When courts are busy, we ask that members who have already played give precedence to others
who have not, so that all members arriving at the Club have an opportunity to use the courts.
Members will respect the court attendant when guiding the court selection
Professional coaching by Club-designated pro only; the Club Pro has use of Court 5 for lessons.
A limit of three balls per court. Exceptions include court 5 when lessons are in progress, and on
court 5 only for practice if adjacent court is empty (at discretion of the Clubhouse attendant.)
Members can use ball hoppers on courts other than court 5 only if there is no one playing beside
them.
Rainouts: Playing on wet or damp courts shall not be permitted.
Court Etiquette:
Access to Courts 2, 3, 4 and 5 via north side only; use first gate north of Court 1
Wait until a point is over before walking behind a court where a match is in progress or opening a
gate.
To retrieve a ball from another court or to return a ball to another court, wait until the players
have completed a point.
If there is any doubt as to whether a ball is out or good, you must give your opponent the benefit
of the doubt and call the ball as good. You should not play a let.
It is your obligation to call all balls on your side, to help your opponent make calls when the
opponent requests it and to call against yourself any balls that you clearly see out on your
opponents side of the net
Any “out” or “let” call must be made instantaneously, that is, made before either an opponent
has hit the return or the return has gone out of play, otherwise the ball continues in play
Do not enlist the aid of spectators in making line calls
If you call a ball out and then realize it was good, correct your call
To avoid controversy over the score, the Server should announce the set score before starting the
game, and the game score prior to serving each point
If players cannot agree on the score, they may go back to the last score, on which there was
agreement and resume play from that point
Foot faults are not permitted. If an opponent persists in foot faulting after being warned not to
do so, the Referee should be informed
Turn-off all pagers, beepers and cellphones so that noises shall not disturb or distract other
players.
Refrain from loud talking or laughter on or near the courts, and retain pets away from the courts,
so those players shall not be distracted by noises
Community:
If your ball goes over the fence into a backyard, please ask the homeowner to return the ball or
request permission before entering their yard.
Members should keep noise to a minimum in consideration of neighbours, particularly on courts 1
and 5.
Parking:
During non-school hours, and only after 4:30pm, the Cottingham Public School parking lot is
available for use by Cottingham members. When parking on Cottingham Street, or on any of the
surrounding streets, please avoid obstructing residents’ driveways, obey the overnight parking ban
and any other parking restrictions.
Cottingham Tennis Club