UTR Verified Rules

Thanks for your interest in becoming a Verified UTR Event Organizer, Club, College, or High School (collectively referred to as “UTR Organizations/Organizers” below) which will allow you to run Verified UTR Events. Results from Verified UTR Events count towards a player’s Verified UTR (see “What is a Verified UTR”).
The UTR community - and the tennis community worldwide- count on the integrity and accuracy of the Verified UTR Rating. UTR takes strict measures to diligently evaluate, approve and monitor Verified UTR Organizations in order to a) protect the integrity and accuracy of the Verified UTR Rating and b) provide the best experience for players, coaches, organizers and the greater community.
In order to become a Verified UTR Organizer or Organization, you must agree to the following Verified UTR Terms (note that you are referred to as the “Organizer”):
    Last modified on 12/15/20
  • General
    • Organizers must be
      • In good standing with UniversalTennis (UTR) (i.e. not suspended).
      • At least 18 years old and no longer in high school.
      • Associated with tennis in one of the following ways: a teaching pro, a tennis facility manager, college or high school tennis coach, a member of USPTA or PTR, or you have experience as a sanctioned tournament director.
    • For each Verified UTR Event
      • Organizers must clearly communicate to players that the event they are playing in will count for their Verified UTR.
      • Events and/or venues owned by the Organizers must be disclosed in the event description.
    • UTR provides the tournament management software platform which organizers must use throughout the entire event. Organizers are responsible for all other administrative duties involved with running an event (creating draws, posting scores, collecting entry fees, communication with participants, officials/court monitors, health and safety, etc.).
    • All events-related liability is the sole responsibility of the Organizer as per our Terms of Service.
    • If UTR is used as the Official Rating System of any federation, UTR will coordinate with that federation for the scheduling of “Verified UTR Events”.
    • If the Organizer does not follow the specifics of these Terms, UTR has the right to revoke the Organizer’s Verified status and remove posted results from its previous Verified UTR Events.
    • UTR actively monitors all events and posted results for fraudulent activity. If the Organizer commits any type of abuse or fraud, UTR will remove results from all its past events and revoke access to UTR’s platform in perpetuity.
    • For authorization purposes, and to best ensure the safety of the events, UTR will run an ID verification and digital authentication check on all Organizers who run Verified UTR Events. UTR is also in discussions with the Center for Safesport and other associations to develop methods to incorporate SafePlay (or similar protocols) into its Verified Events process.
  • Event Scheduling and Registration
    • Every player must register for the Event, including paying entry fees if appropriate, on the UTR platform.
    • There must be a minimum of 8 players registered for the Event
    • Each Event should have a clear start and end date and cannot last longer than two weeks. Creating an Event on the UTR platform with elongated or continuously extended end dates for the purpose of reporting results from a singular event with multiple weeks or multiple separate events is not allowed. Once registration has opened, the event end date cannot be extended by more than a week.
    • The Event must have at least one on-site official. The UTR Event Organizer(s) can play in their own Event(s) but cannot simultaneously act as the Event Official in a division he/she is participating in for the duration of the event.
    • Registration End must be at least 48 hours before the Event starts. Organizers can allow late registrations at their discretion until the Event starts.
  • Scoring and Reporting Results
    • Score format for singles must be best 2 out of 3 regular sets or 2 out of 3 FAST4 sets (http://www.fast4tennisrules.com/)
      • Scoring for FAST4 must be based on actual games won. If the set reaches 3-3, a 7-point tiebreaker will be used to decide the set, and the score will be reported as 4-3.
    • Score format for doubles must be best 2 out of 3 sets, an 8 game pro-set or a regular set. Third set super tiebreak and no-ad scoring is allowed.
    • Score format for high school matches, if different from the above, can be the official scoring format of official high school matches.
    • Reporting of scores must be verified and accurate. UTR actively monitors all Verified events for fraudulent results, including soliciting feedback from everyone who participated in the event.
    • An Event Official must be designated who is responsible and accountable for all scores reported and submitted. The Event Official cannot be a referee for any Event in which family members are registered.
    • Results must be submitted within 48 hours of the event end date. Corrections to previously submitted scores may be submitted after this period.
    • If additional matches are arranged after players have been formally eliminated from an event (such as happens often in fall intercollegiate or interscholastic tournaments) these matches may also be submitted in the same event to receive UTR credit. Score posting for matches that are not part of the event must not be posted.
    • Organizer must report withdrawals for scheduled matches, regardless of the reason for the withdrawal.
    • Organizer must report retirements from matches in progress with the accurate score at the time of the retirement.
    • Results must reflect actual scores of games and sets from playing on court. Scores cannot be used and changed as an incentive or punishment for certain behaviors (e.g. withdrawals).
  • Sportsmanship and Feedback
    • Organizers must ensure the events are conducted with the highest level of sportsmanship and fair play.
    • If these guidelines are not followed in any way that detracts from the quality of the event or the participants’ experience, we reserve the right to take appropriate actions.
    • At any event, Organizers and Players should report anything of concern to UTR. Following an event, players can submit a ticket to provide feedback on their experience.