First Season Players
First season players are new members or any past member who has not competed in more than two years.
A first season player or "rookie" is not considered fully verified until they have completed one full season in the league. At this point, they have established a valid track record and a meaningful rating.
First season players who end the regular season with the following rating criteria are considered "under-rated" and will be ineligible for the playoffs. These players however will still be eligible to win their division and receive division winner prizes.
- Atlanta and Tampa Bay (markets with 13 skill levels) = +5.0 rating or greater
- California, Texas and South West Florida (markets with 8 skill levels) = +6.0 rating or greater
First season players are not allowed to play below their USTA rating if applicable. Any First Season player found to be playing below their USTA level is subject to being removed from the league during the regular season as well as during the playoffs.
This rule ONLY applies to players in their first season of play. Players in their second season and beyond are eligible for the playoffs regardless of how high their rating may be.
Exceptions- This rule does not apply to "Open" level events. An "Open" level event is any event, 5.0 and above, that historically is the highest skill level offered in a market.
- This rule does not apply to players in the inaugural season of a new league city.
The League Standings page displays ineligible players with a red x next to the players name and a "yes" under "rookie" column.
This rule was established to protect existing players from new members whose initial skill level did not reflect their true playing ability. This rule is overwhelmingly supported by our membership.
We understand that 97% of ineligible players are not intentionally sandbagging and have unknowingly entered the league at the wrong level. Even though we go to great lengths to rate new members accurately before they enter the league, no rating system can account for all the variables.
For example, players who have had extensive tennis experience and then taken several years off are very difficult to rate. These players can start a season at one level and by the end of the season have improved several skill levels. It would be unfair to allow these players to compete in the playoffs until their skill level has stabilized.
As stated in our players agreement during registration, Ultimate Tennis is in no way responsible for players who are ineligible for the playoffs because they have entered the league at the wrong level. Each new member is responsible for accurately self rating themselves. Our verification system greatly helps skill level accuracy but is not a license to compete in the playoffs. Your registration fee does not include the right to play in the playoffs. New members must earn the right to compete in the playoffs by completing one full season of play at the correct skill level. To find out more read our First Season Theory