New Nightly Play Procedure

Effective Tuesday February 22

We have all seen the enormous growth of our attendance lately.  Our long-term procedure for playing on club nights has become bogged down.  Our current procedure of going to doubles for all tables, is probably not the best way to operate except in extreme cases.  We have experienced this case on at least one session.

This results in the following dilemma:
Several people want to play singles only.
We do not have facilities for everyone to play singles.
We are obligated to provide play for everyone.

We recently tried a fairly complicated procedure in hopes to solve the problem.  It did not work well.

The solution seems to be to allot some tables to singles and others to doubles. This is also difficult to administrate because the conditions vary from a slow start, through a more busy period, and again to a slow ending.  For this reason our procedure must have some flexibility during each session.

Here is what we will do for now:

·      At the start of our playing session, until the number of players exceeds more than twice the number of tables set up, all tables will be available for either singles or doubles.  This system is based upon eight tables.
·      As soon as the number of players exceeds more than twice the numbers of tables, the first four tables, beginning at the entrance, will be reserved for singles only.  The other four tables will be reserved for doubles, provided enough players with a desire to play doubles are present.  If not, singles may be played on any table until enough doubles players are present to fill the four reserved tables. If fewer tables are used, play will be proportioned as shown above.
·      Whenever the total numbers of players exceed 24, we will have to decrease the numbers of singles players and/or set up an additional table(s).
·      When changing from singles to doubles, no match should be interrupted; rather the table of the first singles match finished should go to doubles, then the second,  etc.
·      Remember, we can set up 9-tables in the gym if necessary.
·      For those wishing to use the robot when all tables are occupied, we can probably set up the robot in the practice room.  We will have to leave that room as we find it.
·      We have to do our best to accommodate everyone’s wishes, so lets be reasonable and flexible about this.

Thanks,

Bill Neely