Rules: Long Version

BRATTLEBORO TENNIS CLUB MEMBERSHIP RULES
Updated 2/3/24
2023-2024 PLAYING SEASON
Long Version

These pages constitute the BTC Membership Rules (Long Version), which includes the rules most frequently and generally applicable to most members (as found in the Short Version) and also the rules that apply in more specific situations. The rules are divided into sections to make it easier to refer to a specific rule.

Sections

I. A Few Bylaws
II. Court Usage
III. Associate Members
IV. Reservations and Cancellations
V.  Guests
VI. Lessons
VII. Clinics
VIII. Leagues and Teams
IX. Club Events
X. Youth Activities
XI. Buildings and Grounds
XII.  Penalties and Enforcement

Section I – A Few Bylaws.  Like most organizations, the BTC has bylaws that govern Club affairs. Here are several important ones.

  1. PRIVILEGES: Each membership shall entitle persons who are within a membership unit and their guests to use the corporation’s facilities, in accordance with the by-laws and any rules adopted thereunder. All bylaws and rules apply equally to shareholders and to those renting playing rights from a shareholder.
  2. MEMBERSHIPS: Each membership shall be entitled to one playing right which consists of not more than two adults living in the same household and any unmarried children under 23 years of age living in that same household. (When the word family is used in this document, it refers to a single membership group as defined in this section.)
  3. RULES: The Board of Directors shall from time to time adopt and revise rules governing use of the courts and other facilities by members and guests.  Such rules shall be subject to approval by the members at the next annual meeting of members.  In the event of a dispute, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to interpret and apply the rules as the Board, in its discretion, deems appropriate and in the best interests of the Corporation and its members.

Section II – Court Usage.  The following shall apply to the usage of the courts:

  1. Anyone not fully vaccinated against COVID19 must wear a face covering at all times.
  2. The name of every player using the courts (members and guests) is to be entered in the logbook before play.
    a. The sign-in must include the legible first name (or initial) and last name of each player.
    b. Guests’ names must be so indicated, along with the host member who is responsible for the guest.
    c. If a lesson is being given, the word “lesson” should be included in the sign-in.
    d. If you are walking onto an open, unreserved court, please write “walk-on” so it is not counted against your allowed court appearances.
  3. Only clean, dry tennis shoes with non-marking soles are permitted on the courts. We recommend that you have a separate pair of indoor tennis shoes and put them on after entering the club rather than wearing them outside the club.
  4. Only water in a closed, non-glass container is permitted on the courts; no other beverages.  No food or chewing gum is to be taken on the court.
  5. All seating is to remain on the protective mats provided.
  6. The court walls may not be used as a backboard.
  7. Pets are not allowed anywhere in the BTC building.
  8. An adult must accompany children under age 14 when using club facilities, and the adult is responsible for the children while they are at the club. No child under the age of 14 may use the club’s exercise equipment unless directly supervised by an adult.
  9. Players waiting to go onto the courts should remain off the courts and out of the doorway until it is time for them to take the court. The door onto the courts should be kept closed until the previous playing period has ended. Oncoming players may then notify the previous players of their presence and readiness to play.

At the end of each play period, players must leave the court promptly if anyone is waiting to play. Please pay close attention to the time. It is your responsibility to end play, regardless of the score.

Section III – Associate Members Associate memberships may be made available each playing year by action of the Board of Directors. If in a given year there are unrented, full playing rights available for rent, then associate membership shall be restricted to those who have not already held associate membership for two years.

    1. PRIVILEGES: Associate members, after paying the fee for associate membership set by the Board, may use the courts from 8:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. They may use the reservation website for making bookings between those hours. Associate members are subject to all other club rules just as are other members.
    2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS AS GUESTS: Associate members may play during other hours as a guest of a member no more than four times a month for a guest fee of $10. Also for club-sponsored doubles (currently Monday night and Saturday morning) regular members get priority, but if associate members are added to the roster, those appearances will not count against the four monthly court appearances.

Section IV – Reservations and Cancellations.

         1. PERIODS OF PLAY: The time periods of play are set by the Board and may be changed from time to time. Available playing times can be found online at the reservation website. (See below.)  Members making reservations shall have the exclusive right to use the court at that time.

         2. ONLINE RESERVATIONS:
Reservations are made online at Your Courts.Com.

a. Courts may be reserved up to seven days in advance.
b. A person may reserve a court only in his or her own name.
c. When a given membership already holds three reservations, a reservation cannot be made for the newly opened day, i.e. one week hence.
d. When reserving a court for a lesson, please also enter “lesson” on the Web page.
e. When reserving a court for use of the ball machine, please include “ball machine” as one of the players. This is important to let others know the ball machine is taken for that time slot.

        3. PLAYING LIMITS – In order to permit access to the courts for all, there are limits as to how often members may play on a reserved court :

Players from a membership group (i.e. a family or household)
        a. May play no more than six times in a week.
        b. May play no more than twice a day.
        c. May play no more than three times in a given week on weekdays between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

These limits apply:
d. Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
        e. Any time a person plays on a reserved court, regardless of who made the reservation.
        f. To the total membership group (i.e. family or household), not to each individual within a household.

Between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on a given day, an individual club member may play only one time for each membership held.

  1. LIMITS ARE COMPREHENSIVE: These limits apply each time a person from a given membership group is part of any court reservation, no matter who makes the reservation. All court usage based on a reservation counts, including clinics, lessons, team play, matches, etc.
  2. FAMILY MEMBERS PLAYING TOGETHER: Two or more family members playing on the same court at the same time shall constitute one playing period for that membership group, unless they have separate memberships, in which case each player shall be charged with an appearance.
  3. WALK-ON PLAY: The above limits apply to all play on a reserved court, but not to walk-on play when there is an empty court, or if someone is a last-minute replacement for an absent player. In these circumstances, write “walk-on” on the sign-in page next to your name, in order not to be charged with a playing time. Same day reservations (made after 6:00 a.m. on the day of play) may be counted as walk-on appearances.
  4. FORFEIT: Reservations are valid until fifteen minutes after play is scheduled to begin. If no one is present at that time, the reservation is forfeited and the court is considered open.
  5. ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: Courts may be reserved in advance for special events such as team or league play or for scheduled clinics. Advance reservations require permission of the board and require an advance reservation fee of $10 per playing period. Please see the relevant sections of these rules for additional information (Sections VII and VIII).
  6. CANCELLATIONS: When a reservation is canceled at the Web site, it should be done at least 24 hours in advance to permit someone else to reserve the court. Penalties may be imposed for a reservation that is not used or is canceled less than 24 hours in advance. If the cancellation is unavoidable due to unforeseen circumstances, please let the club president know by email in order to avoid a penalty.


Section V – Guests

  1. GUEST PRIVILEGES AND LOGIN: Guests are allowed only when playing with a member.  The name of every player using the courts (members and guests) must be entered in the logbook before play.  It is the responsibility of the member to see that the guest is observing all club rules.
  1. FREQUENCY: A guest is permitted to play twice a month except for Keene Racquet Club members and Associate Members as noted elsewhere. 
  1. GUEST FEES: The guest fee is $20 for each court at all times, with the exceptions made elsewhere for family members, Associate Members, Keene Racquet Club members, and USTA events. Members are responsible for the fees of their guests. There are envelopes and a drop box provided at the sign-in station for guest fees.  Fees are to be paid prior to play. 
  1. FAMILY MEMBERS: Members’ children and grandchildren who do not hold playing rights (e.g. living elsewhere or over age 23) may use the club facilities at 1/2 the regular guest fee if playing with a family member who has BTC playing rights. If not playing with a family member, regular guest fees apply.
  1. RECIPROCAL PRIVILEGES: The BTC has reciprocal guest privileges with the Keene Racquet Club. Keene Racquet Club members may play twice a month at our facility at no charge.  Keene Racquet Club members may play an additional two times a month and pay a $10 guest fee on those occasions.

Section VI – Lessons.

  1. INSTRUCTORS: Anyone wishing to give paid lessons at the BTC must first contact the board, complete the required forms, and provide documentation of a liability insurance policy covering tennis instruction. In addition, the club assesses fees for instructors who charge for lessons. Either a) the instructor must hold a playing right specifically for instructional purposes or b) the instructor must have a regular playing right and pay $5.00 for each lesson given. When reserving a court for a lesson, the word “lesson” must be included in the reservation.If instruction by a guest instructor is planned, please inform the club president well in advance to permit appropriate screening.
  2. STUDENT OR INSTRUCTOR IS A GUEST: If any student or instructor is not a holder of playing rights, all rules pertaining to guests shall apply, including payment of guest fees and limitations on the number of playing periods per month.
  3. CONTENT OF LESSONS: The BTC makes no representation as to the content, quality, safety, or appropriateness of any lessons or instruction. Players desiring instruction must decide for themselves how best to pursue this goal, in all respects.

Section VII – Clinics

  1. SCHEDULING AND PARTICIPANTS: All requests for scheduled clinic time must be approved in advance. It is expected that all clinics shall have at least four participants, in addition to the instructor(s). When proposing a clinic, please include a brief summary of the focus of the clinic and the types of players for whom it would be most appropriate.
  2. ADVANCE RESERVATION FEE: There is a $10 advance reservation fee for each pre-scheduled play period, to be paid by the person requesting the reservation. (See Section IV.8 – Advance reservations.)
  3. CONTENT OF CLINICS: The BTC makes no representation as to the content, quality, safety, or appropriateness of any clinic instruction. Participation is purely voluntary and at the discretion of the participant.
  4. PLAYING PERIOD: For each participant in a clinic, each clinic period shall be considered as one playing period for the day/week.
  5. PARTICIPANT IS A GUEST: If the instructor or any student is not a holder of playing rights, all rules pertaining to guests shall apply, including payment of guest fees and limitations on the number of playing periods per month.
  6. CANCELLATION OF CLINICS: If a clinic is canceled for any reason, the organizer of the clinic shall notify the Club as soon as this change is known, so that court reservations may be opened up for others to use.

Section VIII – Leagues and teams. 

  1. INTRA-BTC AND OTHER NON-USTA LEAGUES. Requests for advance reservations for non-USTA league play must be submitted to the Board for approval (see Section IV.8 – Advance reservations). Advance reservation fees, when applicable, shall apply to any leagues not initiated by the club itself. Those interested in organizing a non-USTA league should consult the board concerning how players have access to the league.
  2. USTA TEAMS. Requests by USTA teams to schedule court time must be approved by the BTC president in advance. Teams must specify the dates of home matches requested. A spokesperson may present this information on behalf of multiple teams, and a captain’s meeting may be scheduled to consider and confirm dates of play.The Board recognizes the importance of USTA teams and their need to reserve courts in advance, in balance with the interests of other members. In general the Board supports USTA reservations as follows: One event consisting of three doubles matches will be approved for each weekend. Additional playing times may be scheduled on weekdays if needed. Tri-level matches (consisting of only a single match) are permitted.Other USTA matches, for example those involving both singles and doubles, must be specifically approved in advance by the president and/or the board.Each player from the home and visiting team must pay the current USTA fee to the BTC. The team captain is responsible for collecting and depositing fees into the BTC guest fee box. Because each player is already paying the current USTA fee to the BTC, there is no additional advance reservation fee for USTA teams.
  3. GUEST RULES APPLY: USTA players who are not club members and are participating in USTA league play (including team practices), or in non-USTA leagues, remain subject to the rules governing all guests. Regular guest fees apply to practices; for an actual USTA match, the USTA fee shall apply. The team captain shall be responsible for submitting all fees to the BTC.
  4. ACCESS TO TEAMS: Teams wishing to use BTC courts for their home matches should be open to all holders of playing rights who are rated at the team’s level. If a team roster is full, a waiting list may be established.
  5. BTC MEMBERSHIP ON TEAMS: At least fifty percent of the members of a team must be holders of BTC playing rights in order for the team to be able to make advance reservations on BTC courts.
  6. SHOULDER SLOTS: A shoulder slot is the playing period either immediately before or immediately after a scheduled match. Team members are not permitted to reserve either of these as a warm-up period (before matches) or an insurance period (after matches). Teams must adhere to the time limits of their advance reservations, and may not extend the time on either side by making additional reservations.
  7. TIMING AND DURATION OF MATCHES: USTA events must begin at the beginning of a normally scheduled playing time, in order to minimize disruption of the club’s usual schedule. Each match is limited to two hours, which can be accomplished through expeditious play and the use of tie-breakers. In any case, when your time is up, it’s up.
  8. CANCELLATION OF RESERVED COURT TIME: Any courts reserved in advance that will not be used must be canceled as soon as possible to permit others to reserve the court. If indoor courts are reserved for weather-related back-up purposes, it is expected that team captains will track the weather forecast and cancel the team’s advance reservation as soon as it is clear it won’t be needed.

Section IX  – Club Events

Members may propose special events, which may require advance reservations to be successful.  The following parameters apply:

  1. The proposal must be approved by the BTC Board.

  2. The event(s) must be open and publicized to members of the club.

  3. Sign-up is on a first-come-first-served basis, with a waitlist offered.

  4. At least 80% of the final roster must be BTC members; non-members must pay guest fees.

  5. There is no pre-booking fee if the BTC Board approves the activity.

  6. The organizer must cancel unused courts in a timely manner.

Section X – Youth Activities.
The BTC board believes the club has an interest in encouraging young people to take up tennis and learn to play in a skillful and respectful manner. The board may therefore set aside playing time for youth development programs. Anyone wishing to establish a youth development program should apply to the board for approval. Participation by non-club members apart from the usual rules pertaining to guest privileges may be considered by the board.

The amount of playing time devoted to such programs will be in keeping with the overall mission of the club to provide playing time to its members. If advance reservations are permitted for a youth development program, advance registration fees apply.

Section XI – Buildings and grounds.
Courtesy and consideration mean taking care of the Club’s physical facilities, too. Please keep all areas clean and neat, and free of extraneous materials. This includes stray balls behind the curtains. 

  1. UPSTAIRS VIEWING AREA: Members are asked to pick up after themselves, leaving the area as it was found. Please be sure that all small appliances are unplugged after use. Parents are responsible for cleaning up after their children. 
  1. COURT AREAS: Please pay attention to picking up after play, eg. ball cans and other paraphernalia. For everyone, but especially clinics, lessons, and ball machine users, please go behind the curtains and pick up stray balls when you’re done playing. We ask coaches and instructors to support these practices. And ball machine users, please also use the court sweeper (located in the storage room with the ball machine) to clean up the ball fuzz produced during your session.
  1. NO SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the BTC building.
  1. SECURITY: Doors should be closed and locked whenever the last person leaves the building. A key will be given to each household.  Additional keys can be purchased from the clerk who will keep a record of the additional keys. All keys must be returned when a share is sold or a playing right is transferred.
  1. REPORTING A PROBLEM: When a problem develops with the facilities at the Club, please report it in writing. Email is a good option, and you will find a whiteboard for reporting problems in the sign-in area. Phone calls are fine, but have more of a tendency to get lost or neglected. If there is an urgent problem requiring immediate attention, contact the president or another Board member right away, using the contact information below.

Section XII – Penalties and Enforcement.
In the event of a violation of club rules, the club may take the following steps:
First occasion – Written notification;
Second occasion – $10 penalty;
Third occasion – $25 penalty;
Fourth occasion – Loss of playing rights for one week;
Fifth occasion, or failure to pay a penalty within two weeks of the date of notification – Loss of playing rights for one month.

If you wish to report a violation to the Board, doing so in writing is by far the preferred method. An email to a board member is an easy method, which can then be forwarded to the president or the entire board as needed.

Current Board Members – A list is available from the front page of our website

Thanks for your attention and for your participation in our efforts to provide a fair and equitable framework for the use of our shared facility. We look forward to seeing you on the courts. 

Detailed Versions: Short / Long