Club Rules

The Club’s atmosphere is friendly and inviting. In order to allow for smooth operation as well as to ensure an enjoyable season for all members and visitors, the Club asks that a few simple house rules be respected. These are listed below.

Failure to follow these rules may result in membership suspension or termination.

Attire and Footwear

• Tennis attire. Proper tennis attire is always recommended and expected. White tennis clothes are not obligatory.

• Footwear: All players must always wear proper tennis shoes while on court.  Only flat-soled tennis  shoes are allowed as these do not have excessive tread and will not damage the Har-Tru clay courts. Other shoes, running shoes, cross-trainers, basketball, badminton etc, do serious damage to the courts and are not permitted.

Sanitary

• Sanitary rules are found on the Club’s website and are subject to change.  Members will be advised through Balle Jaune messages and/or email when sanitary rules change. 

Court Booking

• Court time is booked through the Balle Jaune app/website or by calling the monitor on duty.

• A booking can be made up to 4 days in advance, starting at 7:30 AM, until closing (by phone) or midnight (Balle Jaune website).

• Bookings are limited to one per day.  A second booking can be done after the first booking playtime is completed.  The monitor on duty may assist with the second booking.

• By courtesy for other members please cancel bookings at least 24 hours prior. 

• Repeat offenders for last minute cancellations and no shows will be subject to suspension.

• If booked partners change, members are to cancel and redo their reservation or, prior to arrival to the Club, call the Club and request the monitor to change the name(s).

• Parties who are not on the booked court five (5) minutes after their court time start may lose their court to other members present on the premises waiting to play.

Club Monitors

• Club Monitors will be on duty during Club Operating Hours to assist members and guide them in all planned Club activities.  They operate the kitchen and maintain the Clubhouse as well as the courts in the morning, afternoon and closing. 

• Members are always required to follow monitor instructions.

Clubhouse & patio

• Players leaving the tennis courts are asked to use the shoe brushes to remove Har-Tru from their shoes prior to accessing the patio and Clubhouse.

Smoking

• Under no circumstances is smoking permitted on Club grounds.

Complaints

• Should a member feel that another member, guest or employee is not respecting the House Rules, they may immediately inform Club staff who will take the appropriate and necessary steps to remedy the situation. 

• Members or guests are asked not to personally reprimand the poor conduct of a fellow member, employee or guest.

• If the situation has not been remedied, all formal complaints should be brought to the Club’s Executive Committee, ideally in writing at the email address dorvaltennis@gmail.com.  

• All such complaints will be reviewed by the Executive Committee.

Code of Conduct and Etiquette

• All members should show courtesy and consideration for others while on and off the courts. 

• Correct behavior should be displayed at all times.  Members whose behavior is deemed inappropriate may be asked by the monitor on duty to leave the Club and may have their membership privileges suspended. 

• Please follow these guidelines as outlined in the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct of Tennis Canada. It is the obligation of every player to learn, know and understand the rules. 

• Dangerous or violent racquet or ball throwing, loud vulgar language and similar behavior will not be tolerated. Unsuitable etiquette may result in playing privileges being revoked.

• While on court cell phones should be muted.

• Grunting should be kept at a reasonable level such to not bother players on adjacent courts

• Abusive treatment of tennis partners or coaches (including parent-child relationships) will not be tolerated 

• Always try to arrive in good time to get onto the court. Wait until it is your time before entering the court. 

• NEVER walk across another member’s court while play is in progress. Wait until the point is over and then proceed quickly behind the baseline to your court. 

• If a ball rolls onto your court, return it as soon as is possible by directing it to one of the players so that it reaches him/her on the bounce. Do not flip it back without caring where it goes. If you are in the middle of a point either, stop play, return the ball and play a “let” or return the ball as soon as the point is over. 

• If your ball rolls onto another court, wait for the other members to return it to you. DO NOT run onto the other court to retrieve it. Wait until play stops before asking for your ball. 

• Avoid any possible disagreements regarding the score by calling the game score before your first serve and by calling the point score each time you go to serve thereafter. If there is a disagreement about the score and a consensus cannot be reached, as a last resort, spin a racquet or replay the point(s). 

• Do not keep up sustained conversation in person or on a phone on the court. This may bother other players around you. 

• Always clearly signal “out” balls even if you see them as obviously out. It may not be so obvious to your opponent and eliminates any possibility of misunderstanding. 

• Never call “good” or “in” during a rally. Say nothing unless the ball is out. 

• Never stall. Play with deliberation but at your normal speed. Taking more than 30 seconds between points constitutes stalling. 

• On the court, spin the racquet first to decide service and ends and then warm‐up for 5 minutes. Practice your serves during the warm‐up, never as it becomes your turn to serve (this is against the rules of tennis). 

• Call the lines fairly and generously. 

• Play within the spirit of the best traditions of the game and have fun!

Tennis Canada's Rules of the Court

Tennis Canada's Rules of the Court is a resource that can be consulted by players, coaches, tournement administrators and officials as an additional source of information.