HitCourt 10s

B.1 The Nine Levels

Red 3, 4, 5 Star → Orange 3, 4, 5 Star → Green 3, 4, 5 Star. A child always holds exactly one level; Red 3 Star is the first step, Green 5 Star the last.

B.2 Age Caps

Red until 31 December of the year the child turns 6; Orange until the year they turn 8; Green until the year they turn 10. A child over age for their colour moves to the next colour's 3 Star (and to the bottom of that colour's ladder). After Green, the child plays Under-12.

B.3 Starting Level

A new child starts at Red 3 Star, or at the 3 Star of the colour their age allows. The Referee may set a different starting level when a coach or parent shows the child already plays at it; the reason is recorded.

B.4 No Going Back

Once a child has moved to a new colour they do not return to the old one. Option: the Circuit Owner may allow up to two more tournaments in the old colour after a move up.

C.1 Thresholds

To move up, a child needs both numbers, played at their current colour since the date they reached their current level: Red 3 Star 25 matches / 5 wins; Red 4 Star 15 / 5; Red 5 Star 10 / 5 to Orange 3 Star; Orange 15 / 5, 15 / 5, 10 / 5 to Green 3 Star; Green 15 / 5, 15 / 5; Green 5 Star plays on and may enter Under-12 events. A Circuit Owner may adopt other numbers.

C.2 What Counts as a Match

A match counts when it was decided on court: a completed match or a retirement counts; a walkover, a bye, or a match abandoned, not played or left to finish does not. Every event of the child's colour counts — colour events and Star events, singles and doubles, group and knockout matches, and ladder matches.

C.3 Moving Up

HitCourt shows Ready to Move Up when both numbers are reached; the Referee confirms, the new level starts that day and the count starts again. The Referee may promote early on a coach's or parent's request, with the reason recorded. A move up is only taken back to correct a mistake.

D.1 Events

Under-10 events are 6 & Under, 8 & Under and 10 & Under (Boys, Girls and Mixed). At launch each gets its Ball Level: a Colour Event open to every Star of that colour (default: 6 Red, 8 Orange, 10 Green), or a Star Event limited to one level. A child of another colour is flagged, not refused; the Referee decides.

D.2 Format

Round-robin groups of 4 or 5 first, then a knockout for the group winners (and runners-up if the Referee wishes). No seeds and no qualifying; groups drawn by lot, separating children of the same club where possible. Sign-in on the day is allowed. A one-day event of 2–4 hours is the aim for Red and Orange.

D.3 Scoring

The Referee's choice per event and round. Recommended: Red — first to 11 points (or 7); Orange — one short set to 4, No-Ad, 7-point tie-break at 3-all; Green — one set to 4, No-Ad (groups), two short sets to 4 with a 10-point match tie-break (knockout); timed matches where courts are short.

D.4 Doubles

Welcome at Orange and Green. A pair plays at the colour of the higher partner. Doubles matches count for both partners; a circuit may count singles only.

D.5 No Rankings by Default

HitCourt recommends no ranking points and no ranking list for Under-10s. A circuit that wants a ranking may still publish one; it then appears on the HitCourt Rankings page under the circuit's own name. A child's Stars never depend on a ranking.

D.6 Recognition

A participation certificate for every child who plays, a Level Certificate at every move up, and the parents' My 10s Pathway card.

E.1 Three Ladders Side by Side

A circuit (or a club within it) runs Red, Orange and Green ladders at once. A child is on one ladder at a time: the ladder of their colour.

E.2 Joining

A new child joins at the bottom of Red; a child who already holds a level joins at the bottom of their colour's ladder; a child over age moves to the bottom of the next colour's ladder.

E.3 Challenges

One-Up: challenge the child directly above (the range may be widened at launch). Win as the challenger and you take the place, your opponent moves down one; lose and both stay. One open challenge at a time; 7 days before challenging the same child again; play within the deadline set at launch (default 7 days, shown on the Factsheet). A child who does not play in time may be treated as losing by default — the Referee decides. The Referee records every ladder result.

E.4 The Top-of-Ladder Move

A child who reaches position 1 and holds it for 21 days moves to the bottom of the next colour's ladder and takes that colour's 3 Star (the Circuit Owner may set 14–28 days). The hold counts only while the child accepts challenges. Everyone below moves up one place. At the top of Green the child stays and may enter Under-12 events.

E.5 Both Routes Together

A child who changes colour by Stars joins the bottom of the next colour's ladder; a child who moves up by the Ladder takes the next colour's 3 Star and their count starts again. The ladder decides the colour; the Stars move only by matches and wins.

E.6 Ladder Season

A school term or 3 months by default, or continuous. The circuit may recognise the children who played the most different opponents — rewarding playing, not just winning.

Circuit Owner — chooses HitCourt 10s, keeps or changes the defaults, runs the ladders across the circuit.
Referee (Technical Committee) — gives each Under-10 event its Ball Level, records every result, confirms moves up and over-age moves, sets starting levels, decides defaults.
Parent / Player — sees the child's level, matches, wins and ladder position; does not enter scores.

A Circuit Owner or standalone Referee adopts HitCourt 10s as-is, or adopts it and adapts the provisions. The provisions — three colours of three Stars, matches-and-wins promotion confirmed by the Referee, the decided-on-court rule and the three linked ladders — are what make it HitCourt 10s.

HitCourt 10s draws on the UTF Super 10s promotion criteria, SLTA Cool Tennis, DLTA / AITA 10 & Under and USTA 10U practice, and follows none of them verbatim.