WORLD TEAM TENNIS RULES AND GLOSSARY

TEAM

Each team has a coach and four players; two men and two women (five players if there is a marquee player on the team). Teams may name local alternates and substitute those players should a regular team member become injured during a match. Players are permitted to play in three sets per match.

GAME

Game scoring is no-ad (first team to win four points wins the game). Should the game reach deuce (three points each), the receiver chooses the side from which he/she will receive serve. In mixed doubles, the serve is always gender to gender at deuce. Each game counts as one point in the team’s cumulative match score. Players change sides after every four games. Lets are played and either partner may return the let serve.

MATCH

A match is a contest between two World Team Tennis teams and consists of five sets plus overtime, if any, and Supertiebreaker, if necessary. The events/sets are men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

OVERTIME

Overtime eliminates the possibility of the final sets becoming exhibitions. If the team ahead in the cumulative score wins the final game of the last set, then that team is the winner. If, however, the trailing team wins the final set, the match is sent into overtime and continues until the leading team wins one game, or the trailing team ties the match score. If the score becomes tied, the match is decided by a Supertiebreaker.

SUPERTIEBREKER

In the event of a tied match at the conclusion of five sets or if the trailing team ties the score in overtime, a 13-point Supertiebreaker, involving the same fifth set event, decides the outcome of the entire match. A coin toss determines the choice of side, server and receiver. Players change sides after six points. The first team to win seven points is awarded a single game and the match.

EVENT

Each event is won by the first team to reach five games. Should a set be tied at 4-4, a nine-point tiebreaker is played.

TIEBREAKER

If a set reaches 4-4, a nine-point tiebreaker is played to decide the winner of the set. A tiebreaker is won by the first team to reach five points. Players change sides after four points. The tiebreaker counts as one game and decides the outcome of the set.

SUBSTITUTION

A coach may substitute one player, per event, per gender at the conclusion of a point. If a player is substituted for, he/she may not return to the match in that same set.

ORDER OF EVENTS

The coach of the home team chooses the order of events/sets.

COACHES CHALLENGE

Similar to instant replay in the NFL, the Coaches Challenge will allow teams to challenge three calls during a match. If the call on the court stands, the challenging team will be penalized the loss of one challenge. The team that challenged the call will not lose a challenge if the challenge is correct and the call is overturned.

FRANCHISES

The 2007 season includes 11 teams: Boston, Delaware, Houston, Kansas City, New York Buzz, New York Sportimes, Newport Beach, Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Springfield.

WTT CHAMPIONSHIP

The top two teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences will advance to the WTT Championship Weekend July 27-29, when they will compete for the King Trophy. The Championship match will be held on Sunday, July 29.

— Source: WTT.com