Stacking a tennis lineup, or putting better players lower in the lineup to try and win points, is not only unsportsmanlike, but illegal, depending on the league in which you're competing. If you're a team captain or coach, read your league rules before your first match to ensure your lineup is eligible. If you're starting a league and looking to prevent stacking, look at a variety of scholastic, private and USTA leagues to get ideas for setting your "sandbagging" rule.
Lineups By Strength
Some leagues require that you create lineups by putting the strongest players at the highest position using your honest estimate of each player's strength. As the season progresses, some players get better, while others slump. Some leagues, however, prohibit you from changing the order of your lineup after a certain period, regardless of how players are playing.
Doubles Order
In some leagues, you might play your singles players in the doubles matches, as well, while other leagues prohibit singles players from playing in the doubles matches. If your league does not allow singles players to play doubles, you are usually not required to play your strongest players at singles as long as the order of your singles players and doubles teams puts the strongest players and teams at the highest positions. Some leagues that allow players to play both singles and doubles require that you play your No. 1 and No. 2 singles players at No. 1 doubles, and so on down the line, even though your No. 3 and No. 4 singles players make a better doubles team.
Verification
Some leagues require that you play challenge matches to determine lineups or switch players from match to match. For example, if Tommy plays No. 1 singles and Dan players No. 2 singles one week, you cannot switch their positions unless they play a challenge match and Dan wins. Some leagues require that challenge matches be witnessed by a coach.
Unique Rules
Some local leagues have lineup rules based on how they play their matches. For example, the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association encourages players of different abilities to play on the same team so that neighborhoods can form teams. ALTA plays five doubles match, in order of strength, and limits the number of positions individuals or teams can move up or down. An individual player can move down two spots from week to week, but a team can only move one spot. For example, if Debbie and Bob play line No. 3 one week, either player can play line No. 5 the next week, and one can play line No. 4, but they can't both play No. 5 as a team.
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