Tennis Box Leagues

We run competitive all-year-round box leagues for both singles (adults and juniors) and doubles (adults only) and which is a great way to play more tennis and meet other members.

Everyone is mutually responsible for contacting the other players in their box and arranging their match fixtures. 

In order to participate in the box leagues you will need to ensure that you are opted in to be searchable in the password protected members area.  (To check, see if you can find your own contact details using the Search Members feature member/search_members . If you can't - then please contact tennissinglesleague@bltsrc.co.uk or the Club Managers to have this option changed!).

Club social play takes priority over box matches so busy club nights (e.g. early Tuesday evenings) are not good times to play a match! An hour and a half is usually comfortably enough time to play a match (including a 5 minute knock up).

All applicants must be paid-up playing members of the Tennis section of the Club.  We promise to get you in for the next round providing the league isn't at maximum capacity. Juniors 14 yrs+ are permitted to enter the leagues.

Singles Box League

We run a tennis singles box league of around 30 boxes at BLT & SRC and each round runs for approximately 5-8 weeks. The tennis boxes are organised by Dan White and any queries, requests to join or leave the boxes should be directed to him at tennissinglesleague@bltsrc.co.uk.

Joining the singles box leagues

If you are interested in joining the league please use the address above to email your name (plus parent name for a junior) and suggested approximate box entry level - we suggest you ask your coach (if you are having coaching), or find out by playing other members during club nights etc.

Viewing the singles box leagues 

To view the current ADULT singles box leagues online click on this link.

To view the current JUNIOR league click here.

Firstly select the correct round/date and then scroll down to find your box (or, with most desktop browser versions, more quickly by Ctrl-F and entering part of your surname in the ‘Find’ box). When you find your box you will see that the contact details for the other players are shown. You will also post your own match scores (see section below) via this same web page using the pull down menus adjacent to each of the score squares in your box.

Playing your matches

The approved match format to be used is the ‘Two Short Sets’ format:

Play two sets, until one of you reaches 5 games, unless you reach 4-4 in which case play a standard tie-break to decide the set. A standard tie-break winner is the first to 7, or higher until gaining a 2 point lead.

If after the two sets you are one set all, then play a championship tie-break ie. the first to 10, or higher until gaining a 2 point lead.

Recording your match result

After the match, if you won, you are responsible for posting the match score on the system. You do this online via the Tennis League Boxes page .

If you were the losing player, please try and find the time to visit the box leagues web page sometime soon afterwards to verify that the correct score has been posted!  If it’s wrong, let us know and we can correct it.

Note: The system does not handle individual set scores so the winner of a completed match should always post 10. The loser simply scores the total number of games they won throughout the course of the match. So, for example, if you won 5-2, 1-5, 1-0, you would record this on the system as 10-7, i.e. 10 for you, 7 for your opponent.

Post the match score carefully in the score box: enter the number of games you won in your row, and in your opponent’s column. Then enter the number of games your opponent won in their row, under your column. Unless all the completed score squares appear in a symmetrical pattern either side of the diagonal of blank squares – someone has entered a score in the wrong square!  Check that it all looks correct before pushing the 'Save' button.

For full details and rules governing how the Singles box league operates please see our Tennis Singles League Details   download.

Leaving the singles box leagues

It is not possible to be removed from the League while a round is in progress - if you are going to be unable to play your remaining fixtures, then for each one, please post a score of ‘Injured’ for your score, with ‘Walkover’ for your opponent.  Then, to leave the League, click on the ‘Remove from Next Round’ button at the top of the Tennis League Boxes page .  You may wish to follow up with an email to the Organiser.

Doubles Box League

Doubles league playing rules

2 full sets, if you go to 6-6 you will need to play a tie-break to 7 points (need to win by 2 clear points).

If the score is 1-1 in sets, then you will need to play a championship tie break to 10 points (need to win by 2 clear points).

There are 4 pairs in each box.

At the end of each round, the top pair from each box will be promoted and the bottom pair will be relegated (subject to new joiners and leavers).

For entering the score you will need to go to the lta website:

www.competitions.lta.org.uk

Joining and leaving the doubles leagues

If you and a partner are interested in participating (please send your LTA number) or want to leave in the next round, please contact the doubles box league organiser Bobby Mercandino at tennisdoublesleague@bltsrc.co.uk .

Junior Box League

We are delighted to announce that as of November 2021, we have launched our new junior box league!

The junior league will run alongside the adult box league with the same format and scoring - see Operation of the Junior Box League. These box leagues will give our junior members an ideal opportunity to start competing and playing matches on a regular basis against players of similar age and ability. 

These leagues will be singles boxes played with the yellow ‘full ball’ tennis ball. Matches will be the approved ‘Two Short Sets Format’ Two sets up to 5 (Standard Tie-break game at 4-4: i.e., first to 7 points). Then if you reach one set all: play a single ‘Championship Tie-break’ first to 10 points. To start off with players will be grouped according to age and ability and will then move up/down depending on their league position every 6-8 weeks. There will be a note with all the box league rules sent out prior to the league starting. All match results will be exported onto the UTR platform which in time will give our juniors a universal rating of their tennis level.

Here is a link to the Junior Boxes web scoring pages:

 Junior Singles Boxes

For more information or to join the league, please email Olly Culwick at oliver@berkhamstedtennisfit.com.