Rules
1. Name and Objective
The Club, founded in 2013, shall be named Brixworth Tennis Club and shall have for its objects the provision of lawn tennis and social facilities for its Members.
2. Constitution
The Club is constituted by these Rules as a non-profit making Members’ Club. In no circumstances during the continuance of the Club, nor after its dissolution, shall any assets or surplus funds be distributed to any Member or other person nor to any organisation which is not itself either constituted as non-profit making or as a charity.
3. Membership
The types of member are:
Adult
Under 18/student
Family
Prospective new members are welcome. Membership capacity shall be decided by the Committee and will be agreed by the Annual General Meeting.
Junior members may only play during designated Club times if their playing standard is accepted as adequate by the Committee.
Junior members up to the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
4. Subscriptions
The subscription year runs from 1 April to the 31 March.
Subscriptions at the given rates are payable to the Treasurer by 30 April. Any member not paying by 1 May will not be entitled to benefits of membership until he/she has paid, and if he/she has not paid by 31 May shall cease to be a member.
Subscription enables members to:
- Play without further Court fees at any time, except matches,
- Participate in all Club activities and tournaments,
- Represent the Club in matches.
Subscription rates shall be reviewed annually and changes proposed for the ensuing year shall be approved by the Annual General Meeting.
With the exception of junior group coaching, anyone using the courts must be a member.
No refunds will be provided.
5. Accountancy Year
Except for the purposes of subscriptions, the Club’s Financial Year shall run from 1 November to 31 October and the accounts submitted to the Annual General Meeting shall be prepared accordingly.
6. Management
The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee consisting of a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and at least two other members to be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting. Three members shall form a quorum. In the event of equality of voting the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
The Committee shall make and revise the Club’s regulations, and shall decide upon any matter not provided for in these Rules, and the current Regulations. The Committee shall meet at least four times per year.
7. General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting will be held every year, where previous meeting minutes, Committee reports, Treasurers Audited accounts for the year are presented, and officers elected for the ensuing year.
Any member may propose a resolution at the AGM by sending a copy to the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
Junior Members are entitled to be present at the AGM but are not entitled to vote.
An extraordinary General Meeting can be called by the Committee, with one month’s notice, or by a submission to the Chairman of a point for discussion if signed by 25% of voting members.
In the event of any tied voting situation the Chairman will have the casting vote.
Only fully paid up Members may vote at an AGM or EGM.
8. Suspension or Expulsion
The Committee shall have power to terminate or suspend the membership of any Member or to exclude any Member or Visitor whom it considers guilty of a breach of these Rules or of misconduct or offensive behaviour to any other Member, Visitor or Employee, whether on the Club’s premises or elsewhere.
9. Visitors and Temporary Members
Visitors may be introduced by any Member but only one visitor per member is allowed at any one Club session. Each adult membership category entitles members to bring a visitor up to four times per subscription year per household. i.e. a Family membership entitles that family to bring a visitor up to four times per subscription year. Any visitors must also be accompanied by an adult member.
10. General Affairs
Any matters relating to the Club Affairs or Rules must be referred to the Committee for discussion and adjudication.
11. Injury and Loss of Property
Members or Visitors leaving unattended vehicle’s, rackets, clothing or other property at the Club do so at their own risk, and the Club shall not be liable for any loss, damage or injury resulting from this or any other cause.
12. Rules and Regulations
A copy of these Rules and Regulations are available here [HM1] and all members shall be deemed conversant therewith. The Rules shall not be altered except at a general meeting after due notice, and then only provided that two-thirds of those present and voting are in favour.
13. Data Protection
We ensure that we use your data safely and in line with GDPR, for our full policy click here[HM2]
Regulations
1. Tennis Dress
Players must wear correct tennis dress at all times. In order to preserve the court surface, it is important that correct tennis foot wear is used at all times.
2. Club Play
Players are expected to mix in at all times.
In the event of a score of five games all, a tie break procedure will be followed a procedure for which is given below.
The Club has use of the courts, only at the times shown below, for club sessions. At other times, the courts should be booked via the booking system.
Tuesdays 5pm to dusk (over 18 members only)
Fridays 5pm to dusk (all members)
Sundays 10am to 1pm (all members)
The tie-break normally comes into play when the score reaches 6 all, but at Club times shall be played at 5 all.
At the start of the tie-break, the player whose turn it is to serve next serves one point from the Deuce (right-hand side) court. The players then serve in rotation in the same order that they have been serving in throughout the set, with each player serving for two points, first from the Advantage court and then from the Deuce court.
The tie-break is scored in single points i.e. 1 love, 2 love etc. And the players change ends after every six points.
The tie-break ends with one side scoring a predetermined number of points (usually 7), with a two clear points lead.
At Club sessions, the winner is the first to seven points, a two point lead is not required.
When playing a tie-break during matches, at the end of the tie-break the player or pair who served first in the tie-break receive serve in the next set.
1. MEMBERSHIP
1.1. Players use the facilities entirely at their own risk and the Club accepts no liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused.
1.2. The Club cannot be held responsible for the safety of Juniors using Club facilities, at any time, whether they are attending a supervised session or not.
1.3. Members are expected to wear appropriate tennis clothing at all times, and in particular tennis footwear in order to avoid damage and marking of the court surface. Shirts must be worn at all times. Players who are considered by the committee to be improperly attired may be asked to leave the court.
1.4. Members must comply with any information or signs that are displayed at the courts and/or in the clubhouse regarding suitable footwear.
1.5. All members should display their shoe tag at all times, clearly and visibly. Without it you will be considered a non-member and will be asked to leave the court or pay a non-members £3 fee.
1.6. For reasons of safety and in order not to distract players, non-players are not permitted on court.
1.7. The playing season will extend throughout the year, subject to the courts being fit for play.
1.8. The Committee reserves the right to refuse or terminate membership of any member who is deemed prejudicial to the interests of the Club, in line with the Club Constitution.
2. SUBSCRIPTIONS
2.1. Annual subscriptions are due on 1 April.
2.2. Players are not permitted on the courts unless their Club subscription has been paid and their shoe tag is appropriately displayed.
3. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
3.1. Adult – anyone 18 or over and not a student
3.2. Family – couple or partners including all children in full-time education all living at the same address
3.3. Couple – two adults living at the same address
3.4. Junior Age – anyone over 4 and under 18 years old on 1st September
3.5. Student – between ages 18-25 in full-time education, college/university.
4. NON-MEMBER & VISITOR POLICY
4.1. Adult Club members are allowed to bring no more than three times a year visitors to play at the Club subject to the following conditions:
4.2. Visitors over 18 years old must pay a fee of £3 per visit
4.3. Visitors under 18 years old must pay a fee of £1 per visit
4.4. Visitors may play at the Club on a maximum of three occasions after which they must decide either to join the Club or not.
4.5. Visitors are only allowed to play at the Club in the presence of a Club member.
4.6. Visitors, with a view to joining, are welcome to attend up to one organised session, eg. Club Night or Junior Club, but only by prior arrangement with a Committee member.
4.7. Members can pay the Guest/Visitors fee on the Club website.
5. COACHING
5.1. Visitors receiving coaching must pay the non-members visitor fee of £3 on top of the coach’s fee.
5.2. Visitors can receive up to two (2) coaching sessions at which point they must join the Club before receiving any further coaching.
6. COURT PRIORITY
6.1. Courts must be booked by Club members on the website or app.
6.2. League matches will be booked from the start of the seasons (Summer and Winter). However these dates may change due to rescheduling of matches as a result of bad weather, injuries etc. This may result in a non-match booked court being cancelled but, if at all possible, this will be avoided.
6.3. Certain dates may be allocated by the committee for organised events, eg tournaments. All members will be notified either by e-mail, WhatsApp or poster in the clubhouse.
6.4. Members who have booked a court through the Club website or app will have priority over the court and can play the full time slot they have pre-booked even if they are playing singles.
6.5. When courts have not been pre-booked on the website/app and all courts are occupied with games and further members are waiting, play on unbooked courts should be limited to one short set ie first to six games, not lasting more than 30 minutes. Players waiting to go on court may enquire about stage of play and request that the rules above are implemented if appropriate. Singles may not be played on unbooked courts when members are waiting. Singles players must finish the game, not set, and either play doubles or vacate the court, with the exception of Club Tournament games.
6.6. During Club Nights, all players should change partners/opponents with players on other courts after one short set, usually 4 games but sometimes 6 games.
Where certain activities only take place for a specified seasonal period, at all other times of the year, shared priority between adults and juniors is given, unless otherwise stated.
ADULT NIGHTS. Juniors may play if courts are vacant but they must be prepared to relinquish the court if Adults are seen to be subsequently waiting. They may finish the game, not set, that they are playing.
JUNIOR NIGHTS. The same system applies to Adults on Junior priority occasions.
We would ask, in all cases, that players willingly vacate the court, rather than waiting to be asked to do so.
Members that have booked a court have priority at other times.
7. LEAGUE MATCHES
7.1. Players are only eligible for team selection if they are fully paid up members.
7.2. All members wishing to be considered for the team will be invited to attend at least ONE try out session.
7.3. Club Captain(s), in conjunction with Committee will decide the number of teams to be entered for each season.
7.4. A match fee is required to be levied, with the approval of the Committee, and this fee will be collected by the team captains. This match fee is to cover the cost of match balls, refreshments and League fees.
7.5. Junior matches must have an adult in attendance and fees for these matches will be set as appropriate to cover the cost of balls and refreshments. The junior team captain is responsible for providing squash and biscuits.
7.6. The Match Fee will be set at the start of each Summer & Winter League.