Eastern

USTA Eastern

Junior Tournament Pathway

February 23, 2023
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2023 Information

 

 

Junior Tournament Pathway

Once you have completed the Net Generation Orange and Green levels or turn 11, USTA Junior Tournaments are the next step on the USTA Eastern Competitive Pathway. With junior tournaments, USTA Eastern strives to provide quality competitive opportunities for players to contest and develop their skills against others. ADVERTISEMENT Participating in USTA Junior Tournaments can propel your game to the next level and prepare you for competition in high school, college or even the pros.

 

USTA Junior Tournaments are offered in a variety of formats, including individual, team, non-elimination and elimination. 

 

Levels of Tournaments

The USTA tournament structure utilizes seven levels of events, ranging from Level 7 (Intermediate) to Level 1 (National Championships), as well as a national ranking system that will distribute points consistently across the country. Level 1-3 National events are included on the USTA National Junior Schedule and sanctioned by the USTA National Office. Sectional Level 3 - 7 and 10 & Under events are sanctioned by the USTA Eastern Section. 

Watch a video on the new junior tournament structure.

 

10 & Under

Learn more about 10 & Under competitive opportunities on our 10 & Under page.

 

L7 Tournaments - Open Intermediate Sectional Events

1-day event; 2-match minimum, 4-match maximum. These events are open to anyone. If there is a limited draw, a bottom-up selection process will be used for this level, which means players with no ranking will be selected first. The 12U division will offer green and yellow ball events.  

 

L6 Tournaments - Open Intermediate Sectional Events

Up to 3-day events; 2-match minimum, 4-match maximum, and open to anyone.  Selection process for this level is based on ranking.

 

L5 Tournaments - Open Advanced/Intermediate Sectional Events 

Up to 3-day events; non-elimination and open to anyone. Up to 36 L5 events will be sanctioned in the Eastern section. Selection process for this level is based on ranking.   

 

L4 Tournaments

Up to 4-day events; Open and Closed events, with Closed events limited to Eastern Section players. Selection process for this level is based on ranking. 

 

L3 Tournaments

3+ days National or Sectional events; L3 tournaments will be Closed events limited to Eastern section players. Selection process for this level is based on ranking. 

 

L2 Tournaments -National L2 and Section/Intersectional Team Competition

3+ day National events. Selection process for this level is based on ranking.

 

L1 Tournaments - National Championships, National Team Events and selected ITF events

 4+ day National events. Selection process for this level is based on ranking.

 

How to Register for a Tournament

Players will find and register for tournaments at playtennis.usta.com/tournaments.  By registering for USTA Eastern tournaments players acknowledge that they know and understand, as well as agree to abide by all rules and regulations detailed in Friend at Court.  For more tutorials on the new tournament registration platform, click here. 

 

Age Divisions and Eligibility

USTA Eastern tournaments are offered in the 10 & Under (10U), 12U, 14U, 16U, & 18U divisions.  Players become ineligible to play in an age division on the first day of their birthday month, the year they turn 11, 13, 15, 17, or 19. 

 

Rankings

Ranking Points are earned by winning singles and doubles matches at all L1-L7 tournaments and designated ITF tournaments. Extra Ranking Points are earned for winning singles matches over highly-ranked players. Ranking Points earned by winning singles and doubles matches are combined for a player’s Ranking Point total and players are ordered based on this total.  For more specific information on how many tournaments are counted and what percentage is from doubles events, read the Juniors Ranking FAQ.   

 

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is defined as ethical, appropriate, polite, fair, and generous behavior while participating in a game or athletic event. Demonstrating exemplary sportsmanship is imperative for all athletes in the USTA Eastern section. Learn more about Eastern sportsmanship initiatives.

 

Regulations and Grievances

As set forth in Friend at Court, USTA Regulations control all play in all USTA sanctioned tournaments and sanctioned matches. All players participating in USTA Eastern Section Events agree to abide by USTA Regulations, including but not limited to the Player Responsibilities and Conduct Regulations set forth in USTA Regulation IV, which is also outlined in Friend at Court. Grievances may be filed by any person witnessing or having personal knowledge of the alleged violation, the Chairperson of the Grievance Committee, Eastern staff, or any tournament official. Grievances MUST be filed in writing using this form. To learn more about the grievance process click here.

 

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