PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE CAREFULLY BEFORE CREATING AN ACCOUNT OR PARTICIPATING IN MATCHES ON RACKET BUDDY. THESE TERMS CONTAIN A MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION CLAUSE, A CLASS ACTION WAIVER, AND AN EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF PHYSICAL INJURY AND ATHLETIC RISKS.
1. Acceptance of Agreement & Digital Contract Formation
This Terms of Service agreement ("Agreement") constitutes a legally binding contract between you ("User", "Player", or "you") and Racket Buddy ("Racket Buddy", "Platform", "we", "us", or "our"), governing your access to and use of the Racket Buddy web application, rating calibration algorithms, matchmaking engines, APIs, and community messaging features (collectively, the "Service").
By checking the "I Agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy" checkbox during registration, or by otherwise registering, accessing, or using the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all terms, conditions, and notices contained herein. This action constitutes a legally valid electronic signature and assent under the United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq.), the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the European Union Electronic Identification and Trust Services Regulation (eIDAS, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014). If you do not agree to these Terms in their entirety, you must not create an account or use the Service.
2. Eligibility & Account Security
To be eligible to register for an account, you represent and warrant that:
- You are at least 13 years of age (or at least 16 years of age in the European Union or United Kingdom). If you are between the ages of 13 and the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.
- All registration and profile information you submit (including your full name, email address, geographic city/postal code, gender, and tennis experience) is accurate, current, and truthful.
- You will safeguard and maintain the strict confidentiality of your login credentials and password. You are solely and fully responsible for any and all activities that occur under your account.
- You will immediately notify Racket Buddy at
[email protected] if you suspect or become aware of any unauthorized access to or compromise of your account.
Racket Buddy is a software technology platform designed to help tennis enthusiasts discover compatible playing partners within geographic proximity, self-assess and calibrate dynamic NTRP/Elo skill ratings, record match scores, and coordinate recreational tennis activities.
Platform Limitation: Racket Buddy does NOT own, operate, manage, supervise, inspect, or maintain any physical tennis courts, public parks, private sports clubs, or tennis facilities. Racket Buddy is not an employer, agent, joint venturer, or insurer of any player. Racket Buddy does not provide coaching, athletic supervision, medical personnel, or on-court refereeing. Any match, practice rally, or physical gathering coordinated between users occurs entirely at the independent discretion, agreement, and personal risk of the participating individuals.
⚠️ 4. ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION & VOLUNTARY ASSUMPTION OF ALL RISKS
TENNIS IS A HIGH-INTENSITY PHYSICAL SPORT involving sudden deceleration, lateral movement, pivoting, racquet swings, high-speed projectile tennis balls (often traveling in excess of 50–120 mph / 80–190 km/h), court surface irregularities, and exposure to environmental elements (such as extreme heat, solar radiation, dehydration, and slick playing surfaces).
INHERENT RISKS: You acknowledge and understand that participation in tennis matches, drills, or conditioning carries substantial inherent risks of severe bodily injury, including but not limited to: sprains, ligament tears (ACL/MCL/Achilles), tendonitis, joint dislocations, bone fractures, concussions, eye injuries, dental trauma, blunt force ball or racquet impact, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, cardiac arrest or other cardiovascular events, slip-and-fall injuries, permanent disability, and accidental death.
WARRANTY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS: You represent and warrant that you are in adequate physical health and condition to participate in strenuous athletic activities and that you have consulted with a licensed physician regarding your fitness to engage in athletic competition. You assume full responsibility for pacing your exertion, remaining hydrated, monitoring court surface conditions, and ceasing play immediately if you experience dizziness, pain, or shortness of breath.
EXPRESS VOLUNTARY ASSUMPTION: BY REGISTERING FOR AND USING RACKET BUDDY, YOU VOLUNTARILY, KNOWINGLY, AND FREELY ASSUME ALL RISKS, BOTH KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, OF PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS, PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT, DEATH, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ANY TENNIS MATCH, PRACTICE, OR INTERACTION WITH OTHER USERS DISCOVERED OR COORDINATED THROUGH THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF OTHER PLAYERS OR THIRD PARTIES.
5. Complete Release of Liability & Covenant Not to Sue
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU, ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF, YOUR HEIRS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, ASSIGNS, AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, HEREBY FULLY, IRREVOCABLY, AND FOREVER RELEASE, WAIVE, DISCHARGE, AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE RACKET BUDDY, ITS FOUNDERS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND SUCCESSORS (COLLECTIVELY, THE "RELEASED PARTIES") FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES, CLAIMS, DEMANDS, CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, CONTROVERSIES, LOSSES, DAMAGES, JUDGMENTS, OR COSTS (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS' FEES) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH:
- Any bodily injury, disability, illness, medical expense, or death sustained by you before, during, or after any tennis match, practice session, or athletic meetup arranged or logged through the Service;
- The condition, safety, lighting, net height, surface maintenance, or hazards of any public or private tennis facility or court location where you elect to play;
- Any disputes, verbal altercations, physical altercations, criminal acts, property theft, or tortious misconduct committed by any other player or third party;
- Any travel to or from any playing facility or tennis venue.
6. User Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any third-party claims, community disputes, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of or conduct on the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any rights of another player or third party; or (d) any injury, property damage, or harm caused by you to another individual on or near a tennis court.
7. Community Standards, Code of Conduct & Fair Play
Racket Buddy is built on sportsmanship, mutual respect, and competitive integrity. As a condition of access, you agree:
- Respect & Non-Harassment: You will treat all players, opponents, and partners with courtesy and good sportsmanship. You will not harass, stalk, threaten, demean, defame, or discriminate against any user on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
- Score & Rating Integrity: You will accurately and honestly record match scores, sets, and game outcomes. You will not engage in "sandbagging" (intentionally reporting false ratings or losing matches to manipulate brackets), score falsification, fake match submissions, or collusion. Competitive matches are subject to two-way peer verification.
- Accurate Geolocation: You will provide your bona fide city and postal code so that match distance calculations function accurately for nearby players.
- No Commercial Solicitation or Bot Scraping: You will not use the Service for unauthorized commercial advertising, multi-level marketing, coaching client poaching, data harvesting, automated scripts, or web scraping.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and without liability, to investigate violations, overturn fraudulent match logs, adjust manipulated Elo ratings, and temporarily or permanently ban accounts that violate community standards.
8. User-Generated Content & Intellectual Property
You retain ownership of any profile photographs, avatars, bios, reviews, or match notes you post. However, by posting content to Racket Buddy, you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable license to host, display, format, reproduce, and transmit such content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the Service.
All platform software, algorithms (including the NTRP/Elo rating calibration engine and dynamic leaderboard repositioning formulas), trademarks, visual designs, interfaces, and branding belong exclusively to Racket Buddy and are protected by international copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties & Limitation of Liability
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED STRICTLY ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, ACCURACY OF MATCH RATINGS, OR UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL RACKET BUDDY OR ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA LOSS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR PERSONAL INJURY) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO CASE SHALL RACKET BUDDY'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO RACKET BUDDY IN THE PRECEDING SIX (6) MONTHS, OR (B) FIFTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($50.00 USD).
⚖️ 10. MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION & CLASS ACTION WAIVER
Informal Resolution: In the event of any controversy, claim, or dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service, you and Racket Buddy agree to first attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally by contacting [email protected] for a period of at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to initiating formal proceedings.
Binding Arbitration: If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, it shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, or equivalent national arbitration authority. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes regarding the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this Agreement.
CLASS ACTION WAIVER: YOU AND RACKET BUDDY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON'S CLAIMS.
11. Governing Law & Severability
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware (or the laws of the province/state where the primary corporate entity is formed), without regard to its conflict of law principles. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
We may update these Terms periodically to reflect enhancements to our platform, changes in the law, or new features. Material updates will be communicated via in-app notification or email. Continued use of the Service after any modification constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. For questions or legal notices, contact:
Racket Buddy Legal & Compliance Department
Email: [email protected]
Racket Buddy is committed to safeguarding your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains transparently how we collect, process, store, and protect your personal data in full compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and global data privacy standards.
1. Scope & Data Controller
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information processed through the Racket Buddy web platform and related application services. Racket Buddy serves as the Data Controller responsible for your personal data under applicable data privacy legislation.
2. Personal Information We Collect
We strictly limit the collection of personal information to what is necessary to provide matchmaking, skill ranking, and tennis community features:
- Account Credentials & Profile: Full name, email address, password hash and unique cryptographic salt (passwords are NEVER stored in plaintext), gender/division (Men's / Women's / Open), country, city, state/province, postal or ZIP code, NTRP skill level rating (Levels 1–10), and profile photo/avatar.
- Tennis Match & Activity Logs: Session types (competitive match vs. practice rally), match format (singles vs. doubles), opponent and partner player IDs, set scores, court locations, match duration, win/loss records, calculated Elo rating history, peer sportsmanship ratings, and player reviews.
- In-App Communications: Direct player-to-player chat messages and doubles group coordination conversations used to organize upcoming matches.
- Coarse Geolocation Data: Approximate geographic latitude and longitude derived solely from your general city and postal code to calculate distance ("3.2 km away") between prospective playing partners. WE DO NOT REQUEST, COLLECT, OR STORE RESIDENTIAL STREET ADDRESSES.
- Device & Technical Diagnostics: Browser user-agent, IP address (for account security and rate-limiting), and timestamp of logins.
3. Lawful Bases for Processing (GDPR Art. 6)
We process your personal data under the following recognized legal bases:
- Performance of Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Delivering core matchmaking features, calculating dynamic Elo skill rankings, providing peer verification workflows, and notifying you of match invitations or partner requests.
- Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Maintaining platform security, detecting and preventing fraudulent match reporting or rating tampering, debugging technical anomalies, and safeguarding our user community.
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Optional email notifications and voluntary profile avatar uploads. You may revoke consent at any time via your Account Settings.
- Legal Compliance (Art. 6(1)(c)): Complying with applicable statutory legal and accounting requirements.
🛡️ 4. ZERO DATA SALE GUARANTEE & SHARING LIMITATIONS
WE DO NOT SELL, RENT, OR MONETIZE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. Racket Buddy has never sold, leased, or disclosed your personal information to third-party data brokers, marketers, or advertisers, and will never do so.
Public Profile vs. Private Data: To enable tennis matchmaking, only your Display Name, Avatar, City/Country, Skill Level (NTRP/Elo), Win/Loss Record, and Peer Reviews are visible to other verified members on the leaderboard. Your email address, exact password hashes, postal codes, and private chat messages are strictly confidential and never displayed on public leaderboards or shared with unauthorized third parties.
5. Data Security & Storage Protection
We implement comprehensive organizational, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration:
- Account Credential Protection: User passwords are secured using strong one-way cryptographic hashing before storage and are never stored in plaintext or accessible to staff.
- Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard Transport Layer Security protocols (HTTPS / TLS).
- Access Controls & Ephemeral Tokens: Verification tokens and session tokens are strictly time-limited and invalidated upon use, with restricted internal access controls.
- Secure Hosting Facilities: Data is stored in secure, certified cloud infrastructure maintaining continuous monitoring, firewalls, and regular security updates.
6. Your Global Privacy Rights (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, PIPEDA)
Depending on your geographic location, you possess comprehensive legal rights concerning your personal information:
- Right to Access & Data Portability: You have the right to request a complete machine-readable copy (JSON/CSV) of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: You may update, correct, or amend your profile details, skill level, and contact preferences at any time directly through your profile view.
- Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You have the right to request the permanent deletion of your account, match history, reviews, and personal information from our active databases.
- Right to Restrict or Object to Processing: You may object to or restrict processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
- Right to Opt-Out of Notifications: You can toggle email notifications on or off at any time without affecting your account access.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will never deny you service, charge different prices, or provide a lower quality of service for exercising any of your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, please email our Data Protection Team at [email protected]. Requests are verified and processed free of charge within thirty (30) business days.
7. Cookies & Browser Local Storage
Racket Buddy does NOT deploy third-party advertising cookies, trackers, or behavioral profiling beacons. We utilize standard browser localStorage solely for essential functionality: maintaining your active authenticated session and preserving your UI preferences across sessions.
8. Children's Privacy
The Service is not intended for or directed to children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in certain European jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under these age thresholds. If we discover that personal data of a minor has been collected without verified parental consent, we will promptly delete that information.
9. Data Retention Policy
We retain your personal information for as long as your account remains active or as required to maintain the historical competitive integrity of match logs on which other players' Elo ratings depend. Upon receipt of a verified deletion request, personal identifying markers (name, email, avatar, bio) will be permanently anonymized or purged within 30 days.
We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the platform interface or via your registered email address. For questions, concerns, or data protection inquiries, contact our Legal & Compliance Office at:
Racket Buddy Legal & Data Compliance Office
Email: [email protected]
