Competition can be great fun for all levels of player. A number of formats and scoring systems exist that are perfect for starter players. These formats offer the chance to meet and play with other players of similar abilities in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Clubs and coaches can tailor competitions to the needs and lifestyles of players, including time constraints, by using:

Short sets (1st to 4 games)
Tie break instead of a 3rd set
No ad scoring
Combination of all 3

Instead of using single elimination formats, it is recommended to use formats that involve players playing more than one match (round robin/feed in events/compass draws etc.)

For young players and adult starter players who cannot play on a full court with a normal ball, tournaments should be organised using the slower red, orange or green balls. Mini Tennis players will also benefit from playing mainly team-based formats.

Below is a competition formats grid to help you select appropriate formats for your starter players:

CHALLENGE FORMATS:

Challenge formats are competition over long periods of time (eg a season or a year) where club members can challenge each other to matches. Challenge formats traditionally use a league or pyramid format where winners move up and losers move down.

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ELIMINATION FORMATS:

Elimination formats are traditional knock-out events like those used on the ATP and WTA Tour. They are popular as prize money events, but not so good for beginners or for players who want lots of matches.

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GROUP FORMATS:

Group formats are competitions which can be used for groups of players. Different rotation formats and round robin can be categorised as group formats. Such competition is excellent for club players, especially if a social element is required.

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ROTATION FORMATS:

Rotation formats are events where players move round to play matches against different players. Such events can be singles or doubles. The advantage of rotation formats is that everyone gets to play the same number of matches, a feature which makes them well suited to club players.

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TEAM FORMATS:

Team formats such as Davis Cup and Fed Cup are a very popular type of competition, because players enjoy the different challenge of playing tennis as part of a team. Team formats are especially popular with starter players, including Mini Tennis.

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ARTICLES ON FORMATS:

This is where you will find short articles on the various competition formats.

• Adapting Competition Formats - Article
• Adding Themes to Competition - Article
• Advice for Challenge Competitions. - Article
• Alternative scoring systems. - Article
• Challenge Competitions. - Article
• Competitions Workshop. - Article
• Mini Tennis Competition Workshop. - Article
• Scoring Formats to Suit Starter Players - Article
• Team Tennis Implementation Guide - League Team Tennis/Pee Wee Team Tennis/Bantam Team Tennis is presented with the kind permission of Tennis Canada.
• Time Controlled Round Robin Tournament. - Article