SSIPA circuit events are managed by tournament directors with oversight from SSIPA. This document outlines roles, responsibilities and guidelines to be used for SSIPA events.

Registration and Fees:

• All entrants must be current USAPA and SSIPA members or pay a one tournament temporary SSIPA membership fee of $5.00.

• Arizona tournament players will not be eligible for the temporary membership fee and must be a full member of SSIPA beginning in 2019.

SSIPA Logo:

• The following SSIPA logo’s will be used in advertising the event and indicate that the tournament and tournament director will follow the guidelines outlined below for SSIPA Circuit Events, Regional
  Tournaments and International Tournaments.

SSIPA Circuit Event

SSIPA Regional Points Event

SSIPA International Circuit Event

LISTED BELOW ARE THREE SEPARATE GUIDELINES FOR

(1) INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS, (2) REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS AND (3) SSIPA CIRCUIT EVENTS.

                                                     (1) INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

• International tournaments qualify to be a SSIPA International Circuit Event by offering competition for 60+ age groups.

• International tournaments are encouraged to follow the SSIPA Planning Tool and Guidelines/Procedures to the maximum extent possible.

• Tournaments will be identified as: SSIPA INTERNATIONAL EVENTS.

• There are no fees or SSIPA player fees charged to an International tournament for being a SSIPA International Circuit Event.

• Players in international tournaments that are SSIPA members (annual or higher) will receive points for medaling in these competitions.

• SSIPA board will make final determination regarding international tournaments.

                                                         (2) REGIONAL TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

                                             USAPA Regional Tournament Guidelines for a SSIPA Point Event
 

1. SSIPA will charge no fee for a regional tournament to be a SSIPA Point Event.

2. SSIPA will require no memberships in SSIPA for entrants in any regional tournament.

3. Regional tournaments will follow the guidelines established by the USAPA for regional tournament operations.

4. SSIPA members that medal in a regional tournament will be awarded points according to the SSIPA Circuit Point System.

5. SSIPA will be given access for a day to the regional tournament results by PT.com staff for determining point awards for SSIPA members that participate in a regional tournament.

6. The SSIPA Point Event logo will be used on the PT.com listing for the regional tournament and may be used in any advertising or promotion of the tournament.
    

               Adopted by the SSIPA Board 11/6/2019

                                                           (3)  SSIPA CIRCUIT EVENTS GUIDELINES

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Player - Membership Requirements

• Participants in SSIPA events must be a SSIPA member.

  1. Memberships are available in annual, 3-year, 5-year and lifetime terms.

•  Non-members can pay a $5 temporary tournament membership fee in lieu of membership, except for tournaments in Arizona.

• Only SSIPA members are eligible for points leader’s competition.

Event Formats

   Events

• Events will be held in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.

• Singles events are encouraged, but are at the tournament director’s discretion.
   

 Age Groups

• Events will be held in age groups 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 & 80+.

 Bracket Sizes

• Bracket sizes 5 and larger would be preferred for SSIPA circuit events.  This can be achieved by combining skills or having players play down one age group to maintain a common skill level.  In certain cases, it will be necessary to have brackets that contain 3 or 4 entries.
   

 Skill Levels

• Age groups will be divided into Age/Skill levels when there are 3 or more entries in any Age/Skill event.

1. Example:  60-64, 3.5, 3 or more entries would constitute a bracket.  However, this group might be combined with another group based on the number of entries following the next guideline below.

• If there are fewer than 3 entries in any Age/Skill level, the following guidelines would be followed:

1. 3.0 and 3.5 skill level entrants would be combined within an age group.

2. 4.5 and 5.0 skill level entrants would be combined within an age group.

3. 4.0 could be combined with a) or b) above depending on the total number of entries within the age group.

4. 3.0 and 3.5 will not be combined with 4.5 and 5.0 in age groups 60+, 65+ and 70+.

5. Players may choose to play down into any age group to play with players at their same skill level.
    

 Match Formats (as approved by the USAPA for sanctioning)

• 3 or 4 entrants – Round Robin.

• 5 entrants – Round Robin or Double Elimination.

• 6 entrants and up – Double Elimination.
   

 Exceptions

• When there are not enough entrants to make an event bracket in any of the five SSIPA age groups and/or skill levels, the following guidelines will be followed:

  1. Players will be placed into a lower age bracket using the guidelines outlined above.

  2. Players will be responsible for monitoring the registration of the groupings for the events they enter.  Any event where players are being combined down in age due to a limited number of entries will constitute a possible request for a refund by a player either for the event or the entire entry.  Players requesting a refund prior to the closing of registration will be provided a full refund minus any service charge previously stated by the tournament management.  Tournament Directors will allow these refunds after tournament registration closes.

• If there are a limited number of players in the 75+ and 80+ age categories in a SSIPA circuit event, Tournament Directors will combine all teams, regardless of skill levels into a single bracket for each event. The two age groups would be combined also. In this case, all age/skill levels would be medaled separately. Remember, players can ALWAYS play down in age to stay in their skill level.

• Note: Any player who "elects" to play down in age, or up in skill, when their age/skill brackets are already available, will only medal in that bracket they choose.  For example, if in MS, a 75-79 player elects to play down in 70-74, and there is a 75-79 bracket available, then that player, if he finishes 4th out of 4 players, gets no medal.  This does NOT apply to those "combo" brackets that the TD has combined.  This only applies to those players who volunteer to play down in age or up in skill. Additionally, if a player registering for an event at a higher skill level or lower age group with 2 or more entrants for the purpose of winning a medal or gaining SSIPA points is not acceptable and is grounds for removal from the points system competition and forfeiture of the medal to be awarded. (PT.com flags these entrants in the system for simple recognition and review during the registration process.)

• SSIPA will continue to separate medal age and skill groups that have been entered according to the regular age group and rating system (UTPR – USAPA Tournament Player Rating).