This code of conduct is mandatory for any player at Stratford Padel Club (SPC), member and
non-member. By playing at SPC, players are giving consent to adhere to it.

Not following these rules will lead to disciplinary measures being taken against perpetrators. The disciplinary process follows clear steps from a verbal warning all the way through to being banned from the club indefinitely. The decision regarding whether any of these rules have been violated, as well as the appropriate measures to take, will be solely and exclusively taken by the management of the club, with reasoning being provided in writing to the player in question. 

1.Matches, socials and tournaments

a. The Open matches set up by the club are open to all players of the set levels. No player has the right to ask for the removal of one of the players who joined the match, other than in very specific cases where the club has knowledge of previous altercations occurring between two or more of the customers who have joined the match. Bullying and divisive behaviour is not tolerated, on and off the court. 

b. Players are expected to show respectful, supportive behaviour on court. Matches need to be conducted in the true spirit of fairness and sportsmanship, win or lose. Complaining directly or indirectly about the match performance of another player is unacceptable behaviour and will lead to disciplinary action being taken. 

c. Any attempts to undermine another player are unacceptable and will lead to disciplinary action being taken.

d. In some cases, players of a lower level may be added to specific matches by the management of the club. Please respect this decision as it may be part of testing if a player should be upgraded to a higher rating based on our coaches recommendations, or it may be to ensure the match goes ahead if it is not yet filled with 4 players. 

e. It is down to the management of the club to utilise court capacity in the most efficient way to meet demand. This may mean that matches may need to be moved or cancelled if they are not complete and there’s a full booking that can take the same slot. Court allocation for all activities is the club’s decision. The club cannot accommodate players’ preference for certain courts. Please be respectful and understanding of these decisions. 

f. All players have equal rights on court and at the club, and this is not driven by their spend. Please be aware that no favouritism or special treatment will be granted for a player or group of players with a higher spend than others. 

g. If you sign up to a tournament without a partner, and delegate the responsibility of choosing a partner to the club, please follow through with your decision and respect the choice made by the club for you; these decisions are made in the fairest way to ensure the most appropriate player available is allocated to you. Please also note that it is not guaranteed that the club will be able to pair you up with someone, and you may lose your place in the tournament (in this case, you would receive a refund in full). 

h. Anyone engaging in any form of sexual harassment, racism, sexism, derogatory comments related to someone’s nationality, race, sexual orientation towards or about any of our players or staff will not be allowed on the premises and will trigger an immediate and permanent ban from the club.  

2. Levels

Levels are decided by the SPC coaching team, based on the club’s level rating matrix and proprietary player rating system. The coaches have the ultimate decision on players’ levels and will take the appropriate actions to ensure players have allocated ratings in a fair manner, reflective of their progress and performance. 

a. Tournament performance in SPC, LTA and FIP tournaments is taken into consideration. 

b. Players who win or reach the final in the Level Up Showdown are highly considered for a level review. Please be mindful that the upgrade is not guaranteed, coaches will still base the assessment on the Player Level Matrix. 

c. Active players who take lessons and/or play more than once a week are likely to maintain their level and if they receive active coaching, it is down to their coach to discuss a player development plan and implement with clear goals on what to improve and by when. The coach can submit their proposal for upgrade to the rest of SPC coaches and the player will be reviewed. 

d. Players who do not play regularly at SPC can submit a video of their performance or ask the club to record their match to be reviewed. 

e. Players who do not play often enough and believe they should be reviewed, can ask SPC for their match to be recorded and submit this form to the SPC team specifying how they look like in the video and why they think they should be upgraded. 

Other players’ view of your own level is irrelevant and should not be used as an argument to coaches to ask for an upgrade. We politely ask players not to request a second level review in cases where their first level request has been rejected, unless they have taken lessons, improved their fitness, played more frequently and addressed the points provided in the previous feedback. 

The SPC team will not engage in any attempts from players to negotiate their level based on self-assessment and/or commercial reasons, such as threats to no longer play at the club if the level is not adjusted

3. Sign up and payments

 a. It’s the player’s responsibility to pay for membership, matches, lessons, tournaments, socials
on the app/online when booking. In cases where customers have asked a member of staff to
help them with a booking in person at reception, or over the phone/via WhatsApp, the customer
will always be expected to pay at the point of booking. 

 b. In order to speed up the payment process through the app, players can add credit to their
account and use it for bookings or at the bar. It’s the players’ responsibility to check if they have
enough balance to make payments. 

 c. SPC staff cannot create private matches for players (members or non- members) and do not
deal with private bookings: it is the player’s responsibility to book a court online and arrange the
payment with the other players. 

 d. Players can join and withdraw from matches and lessons/trainings up to 24h in advance.
Once the deadline has passed if they want to get removed from the match they have to find a
replacement by sending the link in the appropriate WhatsApp group. They must also message
the club directly via DM on Whatsapp to let the duty manager know they are looking for a
substitute. However, if the player hasn’t been replaced following a substitution request, they are
liable to turn up to the booking, or they will incur penalties. 

 e. Substitution links should only be used for emergencies, when the player is really unable to
come to the activity booked. 

 f. Players can withdraw from tournaments and get a full refund 96h in advance to avoid
disruption to staff and other players: The tournament draw and order of play are sent out 72h in
advance. 

 g. Late cancellations and no shows will lead to a £50 penalty fee plus a written warning. On the
second occasion: £50 penalty fee and at least 1 month suspension. The third no show within 6
months will trigger suspension for at least 3 months. The penalty is non-negotiable and refusal to
pay it will trigger suspension from the club. The club will apply judgement on emergencies and
will show understanding. 

 h. If you wish to leave the club and get your balance refunded, we will accommodate your
request but we will retain the additional balance given for free plus an admin fee of £2.

4. Engaging with our staff

   a. If you have asked one of our staff questions via WhatsApp or similar, please wait for them to
answer, rather than contacting any other staff members you have direct access to instead. In
almost all cases, we do provide answers within 2h. 

 b. Players are kindly requested to contact the club via the club’s contact details, and not
contact SPC team members on their personal phones for club related matters. 

 c. If you have a preference for a certain coach, you need to be flexible around their rota. Being
inflexible on the timing of the lesson as well as the choice of coach is likely to mean that the club
will not be able to accommodate your preference. 

 d. Please do not put the coaches or other staff in a difficult position by contacting them directly
to ask them to change a staff member’s shift to accommodate your preference. 

 e. If you feel that any member(s) of staff has behaved inappropriately, please complain directly
to the club management at [email protected] or in person. 

 f. Any attempts to harass our staff will lead to disciplinary action being taken. 

 g. Any inappropriate comments, questions or behaviour towards our staff (including, but not
limited to those of a sexualised, racialised and/or discriminatory nature) are unacceptable and
will lead to immediate disciplinary action being taken.

5. Facilities and common areas

   a. It is the players’ responsibility to throw their rubbish in the provided labelled bins (glass,
mixed recycling, general waste) and clear their tables of food leftovers, empty bottles, used
overgrips, other packaging etc. 

 b. The players are required to ensure the court is cleared from all used balls at the end of their
match (baskets provided outside each court for old/used balls). 

 c. Members using the gym are required to tidy up the equipment used at the end of their
training session. 

 d. Lockers are for daily use only and must be cleared before closing time. 

 e. Be respectful of other players when using toilets and changing rooms. 

 f. Lost property found by staff members will be kept secure and returned upon request. If not
claimed, all objects will be disposed of after 1 month.

 g. Limited parking is available on site and reserved for blue badges holders, we kindly suggest
getting to the club by public transport or cycling. Leaving the car parked outside opening hours is
strictly forbidden.

6. Operating hours
 a. The club has an operating hours licence, outside of which the club is not permitted to have customers on-site. Players are expected to understand this and should not put the management of the club in a position that triggers a liability. 

 b. Please ensure you have left the club at 11.30pm on a weekday and at 10pm during the weekend at the very latest. 

Thank you, 

SPC Management Team