NJSHPA 2024 STATE FORMAT AND RULES
Eligibility:   NHPA membership card required of all entrants

Sign-In:   Players must signed in 1/2 hour before the time shown on the tournament schedule. Pre-registration is suggested.

Entry Fee:   $20 for all adult classes. Juniors may pay entry fee even if competing in an Adult Class. Adult Class pay out
with a Junior entered will be minus that entry if junior does not pay entry fee. (Ex: 8-man round robin with Junior, payout is
based on 7-man payout; etc.)

Shirts:   Recommend professionally lettered sleeved shirts w. name & hometown on the back. Required for the State
Championship Tournaments.

Round Robin Classes:   Eight players per class if possible. A 4-man class plays a double round robin.

Pit Preparation:   Clay in the pits shall be watered (if necessary) and leveled to the top of the platforms before a game starts.
Each contestant is responsible for one pit.

Practice:   Once both players are on the court NO MORE THAN 8 PRACTICE SHOES (down and back, twice) unless you
are coming off a bye.

Games:   All games will be Cancellation Scoring

Scratch:
Games may be Point Limit or Shoe Limit / or a combination of Point Limit and Shoe Limit at the discretion of the
Tournament Director (rule 8 sectionA, 1-3).
Tie games will be broken by a 2 inning tie breaker (down and back twice), in the event of another tie, use the same procedure.
NOTE- at the completion of ANY extra inning and a contestant reaches the point limit, they are the winner (rule 8 section b, 2)

HANDICAP
Games must only be played to a Shoe Limit (redbook). HANDICAP (80%, 40 shoe games) - will be used when there is
10% or more difference in average between top and bottom seed.
Tie Game: Each contestant will receive 1/2 win and 1/2 loss (rule 8, section b, 1).

DOUBLES

A pitcher cannot communicate in any way (voice or signals), the position of their teammates shoes prior to the completion
of an inning

10 Minute Time Between Games:   During tournament play, each game shall begin within 10 minutes after the last score
sheet for each round is turned in to the Tournament Director. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of game for the player
or players.

Forfeits:  Any player who forfeits by either not completing a game or does not finish all scheduled games, including playoffs,
must give a reason to the tournament director before leaving the courts. The Tournament Director will report this to the
NJSHPA President, (State Tournaments only).

Playoffs:  Ties based on Win/Loss record for 1st place must be settled by a playoff. Playoffs must be started within 10 minutes
of finish of regular play.
Three-way playoff:   2 vs. 3 and the winner plays 1.   Four-way playoff:   1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3; winners play for 1st, losers play
for 3rd.   Five-way playoff:   (Round 1) - 4 vs. 5;   (Round 2) - Round 1 winner vs. 1, and 2 vs. 3.   (Round 3) - Round 2
winners play for 1st;   Round 2 losers play for 3rd.

TIES OTHER THAN FIRST PLACE:
SCRATCH:
Ties will be broken in this order (1) ringer %, (2)who beat who, (3) highest above/closest to their entering ringer average
(rule 11, section b, 2).
HANDICAP:
Ringer % shall not be used (rule 11, section f). Ties will be broken in this order: (1) who beat who, (2) highest above/closest to
their entering average.

Prizes:   Payouts for classes are as shown on the table below.

Rain Outs:   If all players in a class have finished 1/2 of the games and the tournament is rained out, it will be considered an
official tournament. RAIN DATES will be published.

Disputes:   Any problems or disputes should be presented to the Tournament Director for resolution.

State Championship:   To be eligible for the State Singles Championship you must complete 4 NJSHPA sanctioned
tournaments between August 15, 2022 and August 13, 2023. State Doubles require only 2 sanctioned tournaments in this same
time. In either case, one average may be a sanctioned club/league
average based on 200 or more shoes. 2 tournaments are required for Juniors

PROHIBITED:   No tobacco products, alcoholic drinks or cell phones are allowed on the courts. No Open Toe Shoes or
Flip Flops allowed on courts.Please, no inapproriate Language!