General:

When does the competition framework take effect?

The framework will take effect from 1st September 2007, soyou can expect competitions from this date to be organisedaccording to the new framework in terms of age group, balland court. There will be a phasing-in process for age groupsover 2 years so that players aren’t forced back e.g. a 7 yearold in year 1 can compete with an orange ball but not in year2 and a 10 year old in year 1 can compete with a yellow ballbut not in year 2.

Do other countries operate a similar system?

Similar systems operate in a number of major tennis playingnations. In France and Belgium the structure for 10&Ucompetition has been in place for a number of years withgreat success. It is also widely recognised that to haveplayers competing at the right age, with the right ball and onthe right sized court has a huge benefit on the technical,tactical, mental and physical development of their game.

Why can 8 year olds play in red and orange ball competitions?

It is less clear when a player should progress from red toorange than it is from orange to green ball competition as itdepends on when they started playing. A player that startsred ball competition at 6 may be ready to move to orangeball at 8 rather than 9. Once in orange ball competition thisdifference is not as relevant.

Players and parents:

How will players benefit from this new framework?

Players will have access to well organised, meaningful andfun competition, which is consistent across Great Britain.They will have the opportunity to regularly compete againstplayers of the same age in an environment which willdevelop their game technically, tactically, mentally andphysically. They will also be able to build their own playerprofile and see their results online.

How will parents benefit from this?

In addition to parents knowing their children will be playing inwell organised, meaningful and fun competition they will alsoknow when, where and how long each competition will last,allowing for more convenient planning. Players and parentswill receive better communication and support through thetalent ID and coach network.

How do I know what age group to play in?

Currently a player’s eligibility to compete is based on the yearin which they are born, e.g. from 1st September 07 a playerborn in 1998 is eligible for 10&U age group competition.Various options are open to all sports to determine whether aplayer is eligible to compete in a given age group, however,there is no firm evidence which proves the argument one wayor another. As a result, there will be no change to the currentage eligibility rule, the LTA will continue to keep a close eyeon changes in tennis and in other sports in order to ensure allplayers have access to appropriate competition.

Will any players be allowed to ‘play up’ an age group?

All players are expected to compete in their own age group,‘playing up’ is only allowed in exceptional caseswhen players are issued with a passport to ‘play up’ as wellas in their own age group. There will be conditions in placefor this:• If a player has exhausted the competition opportunities in their own age group category• If a player has a track record which proves they have no appropriate competition within their own category• A passport to play may be approved by the Head of Talent Management in conjunction with the relevant TalentPerformance Manager for the area and will becommunicated to the National Competitions Departmentand local competition organisers.

What happens for 11 and 12 year olds?

We realise that with more competition taking place for10&U’s there needs to be appropriate competition for theseplayers when they move into 11/12&U competition. With this in mind we are looking to:

• Provide more competition opportunities at all grades for 11 and 12 year olds

• Ensure players are fully communicated with so they know where to go to get appropriate competition after theyprogress from green ball competition

• By registering all players earlier, the LTA can better monitor participation numbers by age group to ensure appropriatecompetition provision.

Coaches:

How will coaches benefit from this?

Coaches will be supported by a competition frameworkwhich will have a huge impact on the technical, tactical,mental and physical development of their players. They willbe able to see their players develop through a simple andconsistent structure which measures their performancesagainst other players on an equal playing field within theirpeer group. 

Should coaches progress players through red, orange and green in line with the competition framework?

Yes. Coaches are advised to use the appropriate ball andcourt size at the relevant ages as recommended in thecompetition framework.

Competition Organisers:

How will competition organisers benefit from this?

Competition organisers will have an easy to understand andconsistent framework to deliver. They will be provided withsupport packages to help organise meaningful and funcompetitions in which formats and scoring are consistentthroughout British Tennis.