Club Rules and Regulations
- Introduction
- Court Booking
- On-Court Conduct
When playing in Club or league competitions.
When playing in Ladder challenges.
When playing in an official league, or team practice as notified.
Two Juniors playing Senior Ladder challenges, or in other Senior events, do not assume Senior status.
- Competitions and Leagues
- Clubhouse Etiquette
- General Conduct
- Enforcement
These rules are designed to ensure fair, safe, and enjoyable participation for all club members. The Committee encourages respectful play, equitable court use, and adherence to club policies to maintain a positive environment for everyone.
The Committee has established these court booking rules to ensure fair and equitable access for all club members. The objective of the Committee is to prevent the need for stricter measures, such as restricting bookings to one hour, as practised by other clubs.
2.1. Courts can be reserved for up to 90 minutes of play, up to four days in advance. The booking system allows reservations to be made exactly 96 hours before the desired time.
2.2. The names of ALL players using the court must be included in the booking. The booking system includes a field for capturing the names of all players and it is the responsibility of the person making to booking to ensure that all players are captured.
2.3. Courts can only be reserved if the entire required time slot is open. It is not allowed to continually rebook a court at shorter intervals until your preferred time becomes available on the system. For example: If you want to reserve a court from 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Tuesday, you may do so starting at 7:00pm on Friday or later. You cannot first book from 4:15pm to 5:45pm and then keep shifting your reservation by 15 minutes at a time until you eventually reach the 7:00pm slot.
2.4. Courts are to be reserved exclusively for matches in which all participants have confirmed their availability. Booking a court before confirming players and subsequently seeking participants through WhatsApp groups is not permitted.
2.5. If a player is unable to participate in a scheduled match, the court must be released immediately. Holding onto a court while looking for a replacement player is not permitted.
2.6. Details of cancelled bookings should be notified to the All Members WhatsApp group as soon as they are released.
2.7. All bookings must be either fulfilled or cancelled in advance. Failure to attend a scheduled booking is not permitted. Courts should not remain unoccupied when there is an expressed demand. The Committee will continue to monitor court usage, especially during peak times, and appropriate action will be taken for repeated violations, which may include the suspension of court privileges.
2.8. Adult members can bring guests to the club during off-peak times on a green fee basis for €10 per hour per guest up to a maximum of €20 per court per hour. Members bringing guests must get the approval of a Committee Member in advance of their court booking time. Members are fully responsible for the conduct of their guests.
2.9. Junior members are not permitted to bring guests, and guests under 18 are not permitted.
2.10. PEAK TIMES - 6pm-9pm, Monday to Friday, have been designated as Peak Times for court use. The following additional rules apply to the booking of courts during Peak Times.
2.11. Members may use the courts for up to 90 minutes during Peak Times, including practice sessions. If you register for a practice session during Peak Times, you cannot book an additional court on the same day in that period.
2.12. Courts may be reserved for a single match only. Booking multiple courts simultaneously for organised play involving more than one court is not permitted. For instance, groups exceeding four players are not allowed to reserve multiple courts at the same time, even if reservations are made under different names.
2.13. Bookings for non-members (members bringing guests) are not permitted during Peak Times.
2.14. Ball machines are not permitted during Peak Times.
2.15. Members who do not comply with the above rules on court bookings may have their booking privileges revoked.
3.1. Appropriate tennis attire and non-marking footwear are mandatory at all times.
3.2. Players shall vacate the court promptly at the conclusion of their allocated time.
3.3. Members must allow players to complete ongoing points before entering or leaving a court.
3.4. Players shall refrain from crossing courts while a point is in progress.
3.5. Members are prohibited from entering other courts during active play.
3.6. Balls may only be retrieved from adjoining courts once play has ceased.
3.7. Excessive noise or disruption of play is not permitted.
3.8. Mobile telephones must remain in silent mode. Calls may only be taken away from the courts.
3.9. Players are responsible for removing all used balls, cans, and personal belongings from the court after play.
3.10. During play, all items not in use in play must be secured away from the playing area.
3.11. All members are expected to play fairly, refrain from racket abuse, and avoid the use of offensive or abusive language.
3.12. Night Play: For safety reasons, floodlights must be used for all play from dusk onwards on the court that is being used. It is not permitted to rely on floodlights from an adjacent court for facilitating play.
3.13. Non-tennis-playing children are not allowed on court or to roam around courts while parents/guardians are playing.
3.14. Children under 14 years (whether members or not) should not be left unsupervised on the courts or in the vicinity of the courts /clubhouse at any time.
3.15. Junior members under 14 years of age must vacate the courts at 7.00pm.
3.16. Seniors playing with Juniors assume the status of Juniors except:
4.1. Leagues and Opens
4.1.1. Courts will be booked in advance for all leagues and open matches. Such events may include Dublin Lawn Tennis Leagues, Provincial Towns Cup, Provincial Towns Leagues, Inter-club League (including Morning Ladies League), Leinster Challenge Cup, open tournaments, Inter-provincial events and international matches.
4.1.2. Generally, 4 courts are booked for each fixture. Members should note that the times for league matches are designated by the league organisers, such as the Dublin Lawn Tennis Council and Tennis Ireland. To facilitate league matches, courts must be booked for the designated times, or sanctions may be imposed on the Club. Unfortunately, this means that scheduled practice sessions will be affected throughout the year.
4.2. Club Championships
The Club Championships are managed by their own set of rules. The rules below explains how the tournament generally impacts club members.
4.2.1. The Club Championships are generally held in September of each year and can run from 3-4 weeks during that month.
4.2.2. Entrants to the Club Championships are open to members aged 14 and over.
4.2.3. Any member who played Summer League for another club as a named player, or as a sub in the same calendar year is not eligible to participate in the Club Championships.
4.2.4. Most scheduled sessions will be cancelled for the duration of the tournament.
4.2.5. Except for league and junior coaching, court priority will be given to Club Championships matches throughout the tournament, and there will be court management in place during peak times.
4.3. Other Club Competitions
The Club will also hold other competitions from time to time, some of which may involve players from other clubs. This may include the annual Christmas Charity tournament. Courts will be booked out for these events.
5.1. Members shall maintain cleanliness in locker rooms, showers, toilets, and all other shared facilities.
5.2. Food and beverages may only be consumed in designated areas.
5.3. Alcoholic beverages may be consumed solely during Club events or in areas specifically authorised by the Committee.
5.4. All Club equipment must be used responsibly, and any damage shall be reported immediately to the Committee.
5.5. Bicycles should be placed in the stands provided and must not be brought onto the courts or chained to the fencing.
5.6. All refuse should be placed in the bin(s) provided.
6.1. All Club users must be treated with respect at all times.
6.2. Harassment, bullying, or discrimination of any form is strictly prohibited.
6.3. Coaching on Club premises is permitted only by coaches approved by the Committee.
6.4. Children under the age of 14 must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
6.5. Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside the Clubhouse or on the courts.
6.6. Members shall not monopolise Club facilities, including courts and the practice wall.
6.7. Club members agree to being the subject of photographs and video recordings for Club promotion only. All other photography and video recording is permitted only with the consent of all players involved. In the case of junior members, explicit parental consent is required.
6.8. Play must cease immediately in the event of an injury, and appropriate assistance must be sought.
6.9. Glass bottles are prohibited on the courts for safety reasons.
6.10. The possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on the courts is strictly forbidden.
6.11. Members must comply with all Club safety and emergency procedures.
7.1. Breaches of these Rules may result in disciplinary action, including verbal or written warnings, suspension, revocation of privileges associated with membership or termination of membership.
7.2. All disciplinary matters shall be determined by the Committee, which may convene a Disciplinary Sub-Committee for investigating, arbitrating and recommending the application of sanctions.
7.3. The decision of the Committee is final on all matters.