National League Juniors Summer 2026 12&U - 18&U ONLINE ENTRY OPENS 19 JANUARY AND CLOSES ON 2 FEBRUARY 2026

Welcome to the Entry Information Page

Please read all information below before applying as it may affect your decision to enter a team. The online entry link is at the bottom of this page.

Online entry CLOSES on 2 February 2026

What is the National League 12&U – 18&U? The National League 12&U-18&U provides an opportunity for stronger teams to compete on a geographical basis in a group appropriate to their standard. The top 6-8 teams in 4 set areas (based on county registration) may be accepted in each age group event based on standard and geography. Recreational players wanting to compete more locally within their county should enter the LTA Youth League.

Who can apply for a place in the National League 12&U-18&U? LTA registered venues (clubs, parks, universities, tennis centres etc) with girls and/or boys teams in 12&U, 14&U and 18&U age groups.

When will we know if we have a place in the National League 12&U-18&U? We aim to contact all team captains by Friday 13 February 2026 (at the very latest) detailing whether their application has been accepted (If you haven’t heard by Monday 16 February, please email nationalleague@LTA.org.uk). This will then allow any non-accepted teams to enter their local County Youth League if they wish to do so (entry for the Youth League closes on 27 February).

Are there Finals after the group stage? Yes. There are 4 draws in an age group event. The team placed 1st in each Tier 1 group will qualify to the National League Finals at the National Tennis Centre on 18/19 July 2026 (further details to follow closer to the time of the event). Players must play in a minimum of one qualifying match (singles or doubles) to be eligible for the Finals. There are no Finals in place at Tier 2.

Your team commitment to fixtures. Please check the dates below and agree with the following points before entering your team(s)

If you cannot commit to these dates then please consider whether you are able to enter a team

It is the team captain’s responsibility, prior to applying, to ensure:

• All players nominated are eligible to play
• All players have given their commitment to your venue
• All players are available on the fixed dates
• Captains must ensure a minimum of 6 players are fully committed to meeting all of the match dates before entering. Players must only be nominated if they’re committed to at least 3 out of the 5 fixture dates. The National League 12&U – 18&U event requires travel outside of your county and region, captains and players must be committed.

Acceptance Process

• Acceptance into National League 12&U - 18&U is based on the combined rankings of 6 players nominated by the team captain at the entry stage (in line with all Junior competitions at Grade 3). Six players must be nominated for acceptance. Teams nominating 5 or less players may not be accepted.
• The nomination process if used purely to determine a teams acceptance into the competition. Additional players may be added into the team at a later date as long as they meet the player eligibility rulings for the competition.
• The competition is split into four GB wide regions which as a guide are North, Midlands, South West and South East. It is the decision of the organisers to determine the leagues in each area. The league organisers reserve the right to place a team in a different region if they feel it is of the greatest benefit to the competition and/or the right to accept fewer than 6-8 teams in a division.
• Teams who do not qualify for the National League will be forwarded to their relevant County based on the registration code of the venue.
• The table below serves as a guide to help you decide whether your team would be suitable for the National League 12&U-18&U events. Rankings are used for acceptance and it is important to note this is only a guide. The acceptance for 2026 may be above or below the guidance below. A team within the criteria does not guarantee a team entry into the National League Juniors for 2026

FAQ's

• Can players play for two different clubs? A player may only represent one venue in the competition from 8&U-18&U. A player may represent a separate venue in the Open (adult) age group. However, players will only be able to play in 3 age groups, e.g. 18&U, 16&U and Open
• Can a club contract a player for this competition? No club can ‘contract’ a junior player to compete for their club. It is entirely a junior player’s (and their parents) choice to represent any club to which they are an LTA Member
• Should we enter the same team in the Youth League and the National League 12&U-18&U? No. If not accepted to the National League 12&U – 18&U your entry will be passed to your County organiser
• What if our club wants to enter more than one team in an age group event? Decide if your ‘1st’ team wish to apply for a place in the National League 12&U-18&U. If so, submit an entry online, and enter your remaining team(s) in that event either in to the relevant National League 12-18 event or to your County Youth League. Where this happens (E.g. for 12&U Boys) it is important you name the teams as follows - ‘Example LTC 1’ (for National League 12&U Boys) / ‘Example LTC 2’ (for Youth League 12&U Boys) / ‘Example LTC 3’ (for Youth League 12&U Boys)
• Will you be running a second tier of the National League 12&U-18&U in 2026? Extra tiers may be created in some events in some regions for teams deemed too strong for their county Youth League. These teams cannot qualify for the Finals but will play league tennis against similar standard teams. It is the competition team’s decision to run these leagues depending on entry standard, geography and depth in regions. It is advised for teams who feel they will be too strong for their Youth League to apply to the National League so the competition can assess suitability
• What other information should we know? The competition dates are fixed. Teams will need to be prepared to travel and provide indoor back-up for home matches. The entry fee is £40 per team payable online. Teams will only be accepted once payment is made.