​​​​​​​REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE BROWNING SHIELD COMPETITION Updated August 2023


  1. Canterbury Country Tennis shall promote and control a Competition in which all Sub Associations affiliated to Canterbury Country Tennis are eligible to compete. The winner of the Competition shall be the holder of the Browning Shield for the ensuing year.


  1. The competition shall consist of four (4) teams, made up of combinations of the four (4)

current Sub Associations i.e.  North Canterbury, Malvern, Ellesmere and Mid Canterbury. West Coast is not a Sub Association but could combine with a team depending on resources.

  1. No person shall play for a Sub Association unless he or she is a member of an Affiliated Sub Association and has played not less than one match in the competitions of such Sub Association unless playing for a Sub Association Team in the Town (Tennis Canterbury Region Inc) Competition in the current season.


  1. The round-robin competition shall be held on a weekend during the tennis season, on a date and at venue(s) to be determined by a meeting of delegates of Sub Associations prior to the season’s start.


  1. The draw will be, based on the seeding on the previous year’s results:


Round 1 – 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3.  Round 2 – 1 vs 3, 2 vs 4.  Round 3 – 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4.


  1. Teams shall consist of 6 men and 6 women, but a squad of a maximum of 12 men and 12 women is permitted for each tie.  Players can be used for specific matches during a tie i.e. singles or doubles or mixed doubles only. Players must be nominated on score sheet prior to start of play of each tie.


  1. Each team to provide 18 cans Wilson tennis balls –to be put in Tournament Office at the start of play on the first day for collection with score sheets for the start of each tie.


  1. Play shall commence at 9.00am sharp - weather permitting.


  1. Day one – All matches in first tie, then second tie doubles and mixed doubles matches.  Day two – Second tie singles matches, then third tie all matches.


  1. Canterbury Country will provide a lunch both days for players.


  1. Singles and doubles matches shall be 2 Tie Break Sets with a Match Tiebreak (first to 10 points) played at one set all.

Mixed doubles will be best-of-17 games i.e. first to 9 with a Normal Tiebreak (first to 7 points) at 8-all.

Doubles and mixed doubles will be no-ad deuce.  Doubles – receiver’s choice, and in mixed doubles female serves to female and male serves to male.



In singles matches the players must play in order of Match Hub points Ranking as at mid month update.  In men’s and women’s doubles matches the top points ranked player in Match Hub must play in the top doubles.

A number one man or number one woman must play top mixed doubles.


  1. Tie Results

The side winning the most matches shall be the winner of a Tie, but in the event of a tie in matches the event shall be decided on sets, while if there is a tie in sets the event shall be decided on games. Should there be a tie in games the result shall be a draw.

Draw Standing (overall results):

The overall winner shall be the team with the most tie wins.

It two teams are on the same wins then it is decided on the head to head result between those two teams.

If three teams are on the same wins then overall sets won/lost will decide the winner, if even on sets then games won/lost.


  1. In the event of a player being injured while a match is in progress, the match being played must be defaulted, the losing team being credited with games won up until the match was stopped. The injured player may be replaced with a player of same ranking or below for un-played matches. This replacement must be in the squad of 12 for that tie.


  1. Tennis NZ Code of Behaviour and Self-Umpiring Rules apply to this event.


  1. If possible, a neutral referee/match controller to be engaged for the weekend.


  1. The event will be run on League Planner, tie sheets will be provided before each tie and results will be collected and loaded into the program progressively throughout the event.  The link for results can be found through TNZ Tournaments site.  Results go to Match Hub.


  1. In the event of play being held up due to weather conditions, by mutual agreement between team captains the scoring of matches may be permitted to be shortened.


  1. Anything not covered in these Rules, the Committee has the power to act.