2017 Official Rulebook - WTA Tennis

1 2017 Official Rulebook Copyright 2017 WTA Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved WTA and WTA Tour are registered trademarks of WTA Tour, Inc. Printed in the United States of America TABLE OF CONTENTS. THE WTA. I. INTRODUCTION 7. A. DESCRIPTION 7. B. ADMINISTRATION 7. C. RULES 7. D. TOURNAMENT ACCEPTANCES 8. E. TOUR YEARS 8. F. WORLD CHAMPION 8. G. WTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 9. II. TOP 10 PLAYER LIST 11. A. COMPOSITION AND ORDER 11. B. MINIMUM COMMITMENT REQUIREMENTS 12. C. COMPENSATION 13. D. COMMITMENT DEADLINES AND RULES 13. E. INCENTIVE PAYMENTS 16. F. SUSPENSION RULE 17.

2 G. CALCULATION AND PAYMENT 20. H. ADDITIONAL RULES FOR TOP 10 PLAYERS 20. I. YEARS OF SERVICE 21. J. FUNDING OF BONUS POOL 21. III. ENTRIES/WITHDRAWALS/DRAWS/SCHEDULING 23. A. ENTRIES AND ACCEPTANCES 23. B. WITHDRAWING FROM A TOURNAMENT 32. C. DRAWS 43. D. SCHEDULING 82. IV. PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES/ON-COURT RULES 91. AND PROCEDURES A. DIAMOND ACES POLICY 91. B. MEDIA/SPONSOR/PUBLIC RELATIONS 100. RESPONSIBILITIES C. CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT 111. D. TOILET/CHANGE OF ATTIRE BREAKS 119. E. WTA MEDICAL RULE 120. F. CODE OF CONDUCT 120. G. DELAY OF PLAY 121.

3 H. HINDRANCE RULE 121. 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. DEFAULTS 122. J. FINE APPEALS 123. V. TOURNAMENT CATEGORIES 125. A. GRAND SLAM EVENTS 125. B. WTA FINALS AND WTA ELITE TROPHY 125. C. WTA TOURNAMENTS 125. VI. PLAYER COMMITMENT AND PRIZE MONEY POLICY 129. A. PLAYER COMMITMENT FORMULAS 129. B. TOURNAMENT MISSED PLAYER COMMITMENT 130. C. TOURNAMENT NOTIFICATION OF PLAYER 130. COMMITMENT D. INTERNATIONAL PRIZE MONEY POLICY 130. VII. WTA TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS 133. A. WTA CALENDAR 133. B. APPLICATION FOR A NEW TOURNAMENT 133. C. CONDITIONS OF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP 135.

4 D. ANNUAL PROCEDURES FOR AN EXISTING 136 TOURNAMENT E. REASONS FOR REJECTION 138. F. TOURNAMENT PRIORITY 139. G. NO RELEASE 140. H. TERMINATION OF TOURNAMENTS 144. I. TOURNAMENT OWNERSHIP 145. J. TOURNAMENT MINIMUM INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS 156. VIII. WTA TOURNAMENT RESPONSIBILITIES/BENEFITS TO WTA 157. A. WTA SPONSOR PRODUCT CATEGORY EXCLUSIVITIES 157. B. COMMERCIAL BENEFITS GRANTED TO WTA 157. C. FAILURE TO PROVIDE COMMERCIAL BENEFITS 165. D. SPONSORSHIP RESTRICTIONS 165. E. PRE-TOURNAMENT RESPONSIBILITIES 165. IX. WTA FINALS AND WTA ELITE TROPHY 167.

5 A. WTA FINALS 167. B. WTA ELITE TROPHY 167. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. X. PRIZE MONEY 169. A. DISTRIBUTION 169. B. AMATEUR EXPENSES 171. C. DEFAULTS, WITHDRAWALS AND BYES 172. D. SINGLES AND DOUBLES CANCELLATIONS 175. E. PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWNS 175. XI. PRIZE MONEY FORMULA 177. A. PRIZE MONEY FORMULA 177. B. ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION 183. C. DEFINITIONS 183. D. PMF COMMITTEE 188. E. REPORTING SYSTEM 191. F. ACCOUNTING RULES 192. G. AUDITS 194. H. COMPLIANCE 196. I. EXPIRATION 196. J. AMENDMENT 197. XII. TOURNAMENT FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS 199.

6 A. TOURNAMENT FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS 199. B. TOURNAMENT FINANCIAL COMMITMENT 199. C. FINANCIAL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 201. D. TOURNAMENTS PAYING PRIZE MONEY IN 203. EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM PRIZE MONEY LEVEL E. CONDITIONS 204. F. LATE PAYMENTS 204. XIII. WTA FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO TOURNAMENTS 205. A. COMMERCIAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS 205. B. PAYMENT DATES 205. XIV. WTA RANKING SYSTEM 207. A. GENERAL 207. B. GENERAL RULES 213. C. WTA SPECIAL RANKING RULE 218. D. RETIRING FROM THE WTA 225. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS. XV. AGE ELIGIBILITY AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 227.

7 A. AGE ELIGIBILITY RULE 227. B. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 238. C. PLAYER PENALTIES 246. XVI. CODE OF CONDUCT 247. A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES 247. B. DEFINITIONS 248. C. APPLICABILITY, AVAILABILITY, AND RECIPROCITY 249. D. RULES AND PENALTIES PLAYERS 251. E. EXHIBITION/NON-WTA EVENT RULE 262. F. DISHONORABLE OR UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT 264. OF TOURNAMENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL G. PROCEDURES FOR PLAYER AND TOURNAMENT 265. SUPPORT PERSONNEL VIOLATIONS H. PROCEDURES FOR PLAYER SUPPORT TEAM 269. MEMBERS AND CREDENTIALED PERSONS XVII. STANDARDS 275. A. TOURNAMENT STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE 275.

8 B. WTA REPRESENTATIVES 316. C. MEDICAL SECTION 321. D. ON-COURT SIGNAGE 343. E. COURT MEASUREMENTS 348. F. LIGHT MEASUREMENTS 349. G. ELECTRONIC REVIEW 350. H. ON-COURT COACHING 353. I. INTERNATIONAL MEDIA RIGHTS POOL 357. J. WTA TELEVISION BROADCAST STANDARDS 366. K. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR officials 381. XVIII. FINAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION 383. A. ARBITRATION 383. B. CONFIDENTIALITY 383. C. INVALIDITY 383. 4. TABLE OF CONTENTS. APPENDICES 385. A. WTA PLAYER MEMBERSHIP 385. B. 2017 WTA CALENDAR 393. C. WTA CONTACT INFORMATION 395. D. ROOF POLICY 397. E.

9 WTA PLAYER AND TOURNAMENT FINES 399. F. GLOSSARY 403. G. ITF RULES OF Tennis 407. H. ANTI-DOPING CONTROL STATION 443. I. Tennis ANTI-CORRUPTION PROGRAM 445 INDEX 463. 5. 6. INTRODUCTION. THE WTA. I. INTRODUCTION. A. DESCRIPTION. The Women's Tennis Association or WTA is an international award competi- tion open to all women Tennis players. The tournaments comprising the WTA ( WTA Tournaments ) are connected by a points system in which players earn ranking points based on a tourna- ment's category and the player's performance. B. ADMINISTRATION. The WTA is administered and governed by the WTA Tour, Inc.

10 (referred to here- in as WTA Tour or WTA ), a US registered corporation whose members are the players, its recognized Premier and International tournaments worldwide, and the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ). The Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of the WTA Tour is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the WTA. The Board of Directors of the WTA Tour is comprised of three (3) Player Board Representatives, three (3) Tournament Board Representatives, one (1). ITF Board Representative and the CEO. The Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the long-term strategic plan for the WTA.