Tournament & House rules
68th Canadian Embassy / Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tennis Tournament
Tournament Rules
1. The tournament is open to:
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Members and employees of the Royal Household
The diplomatic staff of the Diplomatic Missions and international or EU institutions
based in The Hague, such as: the International Court of Justice, the International
Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and The Hague Conference on
Private International Law, Europol, Eurojust, European Patent Agency, STL, PCA.
There is a maximum of 6 participants per Organisation.
All employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
All employees of the Canadian Embassy
Spouses are most welcome to participate. Children may only participate in doubles.
1. There will be six events: ladies' and men's singles, ladies' and men's doubles and
mixed doubles. In 2014 on a trial basis a “Senior’s league” (50+) will be introduced.
2. Since the tournament is always heavily subscribed, players may enter for a maximum
of two (2) out of three (3) possible events only. The total number of persons
participating is limited to one hundred. If the number of participants exceeds one
hundred, the Committee is entitled to refuse participants on the basis of the principle
'first come, first serve', but also taking into account a fair distribution between the
different categories of players to whom the tournament is open. In the unlikely event
of a person being refused / not being allowed to play, the Committee will inform him
or her one week in advance.
3. All matches will be played in pools, followed by knockout matches for the winners
and, depending on the number and composition of the pools, a number (to be
determined by the Committee) of best runners-up of the pools.
4. In the doubles, couples may ask the committee for permission to use a substitute for
one player for one match only from the ranks of eligible organisation. This rule may
only be applied once per couple in the course of the tournament. Substitutes are not
allowed to play in the finals.
5. Each participant will be informed by the committee of his/her first fixture five days
prior to the first day of play. To ensure the tournament proceeds smoothly, the
committee will set the next fixture as soon as the players for the next match are
known. The match schedule will be posted in the tennis pavilion on the grounds of the
Canadian Ambassador's residence during the tournament.
6. All matches, except for finals, last 50 minutes. Matches start at ten past each hour and
end on the hour. By this time, the courts must be made available to the next party for
their warming-up. The clock on the grounds, provided by the tournament committee,
is the official tournament clock. The tournament clock is decisive. All matches, except
for the finals, will be played until one player or couple has won ten games (e.g. 10-2,
10-9), or until the allotted 50 minutes have elapsed. At a score of 9-9, a tie break will
be played to decide the winner, irrespective of the 50 minute time limit.
7. All finals will be played on the basis of the best of three sets. At a score of 6-6, a tie
break will be played, also in the final set.
8. The tournament will be held from the Saturday in the Whitsun weekend to the next
Saturday. Matches will be scheduled from 09.00h to 21.00h during the long Whitsun
weekend (Saturday to Monday), and during the week (Tuesday to Friday) from 18.00h
to 21.00h. On the final Saturday matches can be scheduled starting 09.00h.
9. The Monday of the long Whitsun weekend is the only possible no play day, when it is
a regular working day for the player in question.
10. Play will be either on the courts on the grounds of the residence of the Ambassador of
Canada or on the courts on the grounds of the residence of the Ambassador of Mexico.
Only the tennis committee may designate alternative courts.
11. Participants will report for play 15 minutes prior to the time scheduled for their match.
12. All participants will respect the privacy of the Canadian and Mexican residences and
help keep the grounds around the courts tidy. Cars are not permitted on the grounds
and should be parked well away from the gates. Entry to the grounds is by the side
entrance to the right of the gates. Please do not use the bell at the main gate.
13. The tournament committee can be contacted at any time at 06-52503024 (prior to the
opening day between 12.00 and 14.00 on weekdays only).
House Rules
Canadian Residence Tennis Courts / Mexican Residence Tennis Courts
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Dress
Tennis clothes, preferably "whites", must be worn at all times. Tennis shoes are
mandatory, and "running shoes" are not acceptable.
Access
Access is through the pedestrian gate to the right of the vehicles gate. Players must
ensure that the pedestrian gate is well latched on both entry and departure.
Parking (Canada)
Cars must be parked across the street from the Residence, not in front of the gate or
along the property fence.
Parking (Mexico)
There is a parking area for around 10 cars inside the gate of the residence.
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Courts
Players must sweep the court after play. The sweepers must be hung back on the court
fence after use.
The courts cannot be used for several hours after heavy rain, and players must wait
until the courts have dried up before starting.
Pets
Pets are not allowed on the property.
Gardens
Players must remain in the area of the tennis courts and must not wander through other
areas of the property grounds. The Mexican residence will be closed on tournament
days.
Liability
The Canadian and Mexican Embassy and the MFA do not accept liability for loss or
damage to personal property or for personal injury suffered on the premises.
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Access to the Canadian courts
Access is through the garden gate located at the right hand side of the Parking area.
This entrance will be indicated. Walk through the garden and you will find the court
among the trees. The garden door must remain closed at all times.
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Security
There will be no security personnel provided for the participants.
Services
For security reasons, the residence of the Mexican Embassy will be closed during
tournament days. Therefore water and toilet services will not be available.
Garbage
You are kindly requested to leave garbage in the dust bins next to the tennis court.
Matches
The court can only be used for tournament matches officially scheduled by the
organizing committee. Matches will take place only at scheduled times.
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