League rules - June 2024.docx
KENDAL & DISTRICT
TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE
LEAGUE RULES
June 2024
26 Feb 2024: Revisions to Appendix ii and iii
23 June 2024: Rule 9.2 (iii) added. Rules 8.3 and 15.2.3 amended.
1 The League shall be called the Kendal and District Table Tennis League and shall be affiliated to Table Tennis England (TTE) and the Cumbria Table Tennis Association (CTTA).
1.1 There shall be a pre-season Council Meeting in September. Other Council Meetings may be held as and when necessary, but Council invests in the Management Team authority to take such action as it feels necessary for the fit and proper running of the league. Clubs shall be kept informed of any developments affecting the running of the League and its competitions. Furthermore, Clubs and individuals may require the HGS to convene a Council Meeting in accordance with Rule 6.2.
2.1 The officers of the league shall be the President, Vice Presidents, Chairman, General Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon Match Secretary, Assistant Match Secretary, Trophy Officer, Tournament Organiser, Press Officer, TTE representative, Minute Secretary, Membership Secretary, Competitions Organiser, Webmaster, Publications Officer, Coaching and Development Officer, and the ESTTA Officer; who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), or if the vacancy exists at a SGM, and shall be eligible for re-election. The Council may submit nominations for the above Officers.’
2.2 The maximum number of Vice-Presidents shall be four.
2.3 Life members may be elected by the Annual General Meeting.
2.4 The Chairman of the League shall be the Chairman of all Committees called under these rules. In his absence a temporary Chairman shall be appointed. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
3.1 The affairs of the League shall be vested in the Council, ie the Officers and one representative from each team.
3.2 The Quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Council shall be seven.
3.3 Each member of the Council shall have only one vote regardless of the number of positions held.
3.4 A Council meeting may be called outside the playing season if two of the Officers so require.
3.5 There shall be a Management Team (MT) consisting of the League Officers. The MT can make recommendations to the Council and take a decision on any matter:
i) Referred to it by the AGM or Council.
ii) Of a routine nature that arises as a matter of urgency between Council meetings.
The MT shall keep minutes of its meetings and copies of these minutes shall be sent to the Officers and Clubs within 10 days of the meeting to which they refer.
3.6 All questions of the application and interpretation of these rules, or any claim under the rules, shall be referred to the Council whose decision shall be final, subject to appeal to the Cumbria TTA.
4.1 The AGM shall be held by 31st August and 21 days notice of the date and place of the meeting shall be given to each club; seven days notice of the business of the meeting shall be sent to all clubs who were members of the League in the previous season. The date and place of the meeting shall be fixed by the Council.
4.2 Notice of retirement from the position of any office should be served on the HGS or Chairman at least 14 days before the meeting.
4.3(a) Notices of motion for discussion at the AGM shall be in writing, signed and served on the HGS at least 14 days before the meeting. Amendments to motions can be made verbally at the AGM with the approval of the Chairman.
4.3(b) All league correspondence may be forwarded to and from clubs by e-mail, including score-cards. All officials of the League and all clubs should endeavour to provide the League with an acceptable e-mail address.
4.4 Any number of members from each Club may attend and speak at any Annual or Extra-ordinary General Meeting; each club shall have a number of votes equal to the number of League Teams of that Club. A person may not act as nominee for more than one team at any particular meeting. Each nominee shall have one vote.
5.1 The AGM shall elect:
(a) Selection Committee consisting of three members. The Committee shall select the teams or players to represent the League as and when required. One member shall be the Inter League Secretary.
(b) A Competitions Committee consisting of three members:
(i) To be responsible for rule 17
(ii)To be responsible for the administration of the Annual Tournament.
(c) Such persons as are entitled to represent the League on the Cumbria County Committee.
(d) A Handicap Committee, to consist of one representative from each division, one of whom shall be the Hon. Match Secretary, who shall act as chairman of the committees.
The committee shall determine, at times agreed by Council, a handicap for each player taking part in League authorised play.
5.2 The League Chairman and HGS shall be ex-officio members of the above committees.
6.1 No alteration, amendments or revision of these rules can be made except at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting (SGM) expressly called for that purpose. The meeting shall decide when any changes in the rules shall come into effect.
6.2 The HGS shall convene a SGM within 28 days of:
(a) Being instructed to do so by the Council.
(b) Receiving such a request in writing signed by at least 20 registered players. The instruction and any such request shall state the business to be discussed. Notice of any such meeting shall be given as in rule 4.1.
6.3 Amendments to motions can be made verbally at the SGM with the approval of the Chairman.
6.4 The Council can propose amendments etc to the rules. Such proposals need only be signed on behalf of the Council by the Chairman and HGS.
7.1 The HT shall collect all monies due to the League and shall keep a proper account of receipt and expenditure. The HT will submit a financial report at each Council meeting, and submit a full Balance Sheet to the AGM for the year ending 31st March.
7.2 All cheques issued on behalf of the League must be signed by two Officers, namely the HT in all cases, together with the Chairman or HGS. An account shall be kept at the National Westminster Bank.
7.3 If at any General Meeting of the League, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the League, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the League, to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution. If, at that SGM, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the members present at the meeting, the Management Committee shall thereupon or on such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the League and discharge all debts and liabilities of the League. After discharging all such debts and liabilities, any remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the members of the League but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary, non profit-making, organisation having objects similar to those of the League.
8.1 Any Club wishing to join the League shall pay the appropriate TTE and CTTA affiliation fees.
8.2 Each team shall pay £15.00 annual subscription or as determined by Council.
8.3 For each player a fee of £18, or as decided by Council. Those ranked as juniors by the TTE must pay £10, or as decided by Council. No person will be allowed to play in any League event until payment of these fees is made. A player’s registration will only be accepted if accompanied by his or her full name, address, telephone number and e-mail address if relevant. Those players classed as juniors or veterans must give their date of birth.
8.4 Each club must pay £5.00 per team which must be paid prior to the commencement of the season; these deposits will be refunded at the end of the season if the team has satisfactorily completed its fixtures and if a written request for such a refund is sent to the HT. If no such request is received the deposits will be carried forward to the next season. For the purposes of this rule, a team shall be deemed not to have satisfactorily completed its fixtures if:
(a) It fails to fulfil 3 or more games in the season, or
(b) It fails to fulfil less than 3 games for reasons not acceptable to the Council.
In addition to the above, Rule 12.4 shall apply with the Council empowered to make the final decision.
8.5 The fees mentioned in paragraphs 8.2 and 8.3 above may be changed by the AGM.
8.6 The League will insure all Clubs in accordance with CCPR / TTE recommendations. The cost of the annual premium per team will be added to the team registration fee quoted in rule 8.2.
League Competition
9.1 The opening date for the League shall be decided at the AGM.
9.2 (i) Each Club shall complete and return to the Membership Secretary at least 24 hours before the September Council meeting, with the appropriate fees, a Team Registration Form.
(ii) Clubs shall indicate on the form in ranked order e.g. “A” team, “B” team etc, the number of teams it wishes to enter in the League. At least 5 days before the season begins the Player Registration Form must be returned to the Membership Secretary. Against each team shall be the names of at least 3 players (or 2 players in the case of 2 player teams) who the Club provisionally wish to register for that team. All players must be registered for one of the Club’s teams.
(iii) Players are eligible to play in the K&DTTL if they are members of Table Tennis England and are registered to play within 4 weeks of the start of the season. The integrity of the League and the spirit of fair competition is always paramount. Therefore, visiting players cannot, for example, be registered for only one or two games or very short periods of time or for particular matches critical to promotion or relegation issues. Each case will be taken on its merits. Therefore, any club wishing to register a player after the 4 weeks has elapsed must submit a formal email application/justification to the Match/Membership Secretary who will make the initial decision. If the club concerned is not happy with that decision, an appeal can be lodged within 7 days of that decision. The Match/Membership Secretary will then circulate the application to the members of the Management Committee who will make the final decision. Approval of such an application will require an absolute majority of those eligible to vote. This means that with for example 13 members eligible to vote, at least 7 must vote in favour. If the application is successful, the individual registration fee payable for the new player will be pro rata to the number of matches still remaining in the season for the team for which the new player is registered but subject to a minimum of 30% of the fee for the season.
9.3.1 For players registering after the commencement of the season, registration must be received by the Membership Secretary at least 24 hours before playing. If registering by e-mail, the League must receive the appropriate fees within seven days, otherwise the registration is invalid. If registering by post, the fees must be sent with the application. No player registered after the start of the season may take part in any League Handicap competition until he or she has played at least 2 League matches and the Handicap Committee has allocated a handicap. Particular note should be made of Rule 8.3
9.3.2 No transfer or registrations of players shall be made after 31 January, in any one season, without the permission of the Management Team.
9.4 Subject also to 9.3 a player may be transferred only after a written request has been received by the HMS from the Clubs concerned, together with a transfer fee of £5.00. This fee is payable to the League funds by the receiving Club. Transfers require the approval of the Management Committee.
10.1 Each division of the League shall consist of not more than 14 teams playing Home and Away fixtures against each other. The constitution of the other divisions shall be decided at the AGM or Council Meeting.
10.2 A Starter Division, separate from the divisions mentioned under 10.1, may be constituted with rules as printed in the Handbook for this division.
10.3 In all Divisions, which play on a “home and away” basis, an adult must be appointed to be Captain of each team. The Captain may be either a Non-playing Captain or Playing Captain, and he/she is responsible for all arrangements regarding that team.
10.4 For all matches in any Division, one person aged 18 or over from each team must be in attendance, unless the home team has more than one adult present and accepts responsibility.
11 For 3 player teams, a team may consist of up to 5 players, 3 players will each play 3 singles and a further 2 players can play the doubles. For 2 player teams, a team may consist of up to 4 players, 2 players will each play 2 singles and a further 2 players can play the doubles. However, where a Club has more than one team and a player plays only in the doubles, he will be deemed to have represented that team according to Rule 15.3.
12.1 The top two teams in each division shall be promoted and the bottom two relegated unless otherwise agreed by the Council.
12.2 Positions in the League Table shall be determined by:
(i) The total points won or
(ii) If the points are equal, by the number of matches won (i.e. a match shall be deemed to be won where a team has obtained 6 or more points for teams of 3, 3 or more points for teams of 2) or
(iii) If the number of matches won are equal, by the games difference (i.e. by deducting the number of games lost from those won) or
(iv) If the games difference is equal , by the highest number of points won in matches between the teams in question or
(v) If the total of points under (iv) above are equal, by lot.
12.3 No Club, team or players, hereinafter called a group, shall by any manipulation of such a group secure promotion, relegation and/or other advantage for the group. Where, in the opinion of the Council, such advantage is gained, the group shall be suspended from the League competition, and , in addition to any further penalty the Council may impose, shall be placed in the position that would have accrued if any such advantage had not been secured.
12.4 In the event of a team withdrawing from the League during the season, its record shall be expunged, and it shall be deemed relegated.
12.5 In the event of teams withdrawing from the League during the closed season, the division shall be made up with a team from the lower division in order of merit if that team so elects. If the team does not elect and/or vacancies exist in any division, the League Council shall have the right to fill the vacancies in any division.
12.6 All new teams shall be entered in the lowest division unless otherwise agreed by the Council.
12.7 Players in the two top teams in each division may receive trophies, their form and method of presentation shall be decided by the Council.
13.1 Protests and appeals relating to the laws of the game, or Rules of the League shall only be considered by the Council if they are sent to the HGS in writing, and where the dispute arises from a League or Cup fixture, within seven days of the match being played.
13.2 Any protest or appeal must be accompanied by a fee of £10.00 which shall be returned by the League if the protest is upheld. Failure to comply with this rule will make the application invalid.
13.3 If a team contravenes any of the League Rules, then that team’s Club bears the ultimate responsibility for the team’s actions.
14.1.1 Matches shall be played as printed in the fixtures book and may only be postponed under the following circumstances:
a) If the premises of the Home Club are unavailable.
b) If the date of the fixture falls on a Bank Holiday.
c) In the event of exceptional circumstances, such as bad weather on the day of the match, as long as the postponement has the agreement of both teams.
NB – Not being able to put out your best team is not regarded as a valid reason for a postponement.
14.1.2 Other than in exceptional circumstances, any request to postpone a fixture must be made at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time of the match. Team captains must take responsibility for planning ahead so that last minute postponements are avoided. Any team failing to comply with this will be referred to the Management Committee by the Match Secretary and can expect to receive a penalty by way of a points’ deduction, if the reason for late postponement is considered unsatisfactory.
14.1.3 In the event of any postponement, the Match Secretary must be immediately informed by the team initiating the postponement. A date for the re-arranged match must then be agreed within 14 days and the Match Secretary informed of that date. If no agreement has been reached by the end of the designated 14 days, a decision, as to whether the match should be played or not, will be taken by the Match Secretary.
14.1.4 Any unplayed matches from the 1st half of the season, must be played by 31st January of the following year. Any unplayed matches from the 2nd half of the season, must be played within 2 weeks of the end of the season. If this rule is contravened, the Management Committee will decide on any action to be taken, including fines and/or points deduction.
14.1.5 Any protest or appeal can be made in accordance with Rule 13.2
14.2 In the event of a fixture being postponed as permitted in rule 14.1.1(a) or (b), a player may not play for another team in his Club during the week unless playing on one of those four occasions permitted under Rule 15.2 (ii).
14.3 Points will be awarded as follows:
One point for each game won in the match eg:
10-0 = 10 points to winning team, 0 points to losing team.
9-1 = 9 points to winning team, 1 point to losing team etc.
or as decided by the Management Committee.
14.4 Clubs first joining the League shall before they are accepted, agree to comply with such requirements relating to the venue and date of their home fixtures and any such other matters as the Council may determine.
15.1 All matches must start by 7.30pm, and the visiting team shall be allowed the use of the table for 15 minutes before the start of the game. No practice shall be allowed after the start-time.
15.2.1 If no member turns up by the due start time, their opponents may claim the
match. The Management Committee shall decide how many points may be awarded to the claiming team, and on any fines and/or points deducted from the offending team.
15.2.2 If one or two players turn up by the due start time, then the match should be played. Points for games unplayed by the weakened team shall be forfeited to their opponents.
15.2.3 Any unplayed matches will be referred to the Management Committee, who shall then decide on any fines and/or points to be deducted. No team is authorised to concede any match. If it is genuinely not possible to re-arrange the match or put out 2 person teams and the outcome would materially affect promotion and relegation issues, or in deciding the top two places in Division 1, the Committee shall have the power to allocate the points as it sees fit.
15.3 (i) Subject to paragraph (ii), (iii) and (v) below, a player shall only play for a team for which he has been registered.
(ii) A player may on 4 occasions play for a team above that for which he has been registered without any penalty. On the next occasion that the player plays for a team above his registered team, he must, for the rest of the season, only play for the highest team for which he has played.
(iii) A player representing a team above the one for which he is ranked, can retain his right to represent his own team in the same week on a maximum of four occasions in any one season.
(iv) Proposals to change the teams for which a player is registered shall be submitted in writing to the HGS for approval of the Management Team. The MT shall within 14 days, advise the Club of its decision, which is final.
(v) A player may also play for a team below that for which he or she is registered, up to a maximum of 4 times, provided he or she is ranked (according to the league handicaps) equal to or below the player in the lower team being temporarily replaced.
15.4 (i) Subject to part (ii) of this rule, the Home team Captain shall complete the match card followed by the Away Captain. The order of play shall be as shown on the card.
(ii) One player nominated by his Captain may arrive late. Sets of a player who has not arrived by 8.00pm shall be forfeited.
15.5 The match result card must be received by the HMS within 7 days of the match been played. The Home Team Captain shall retain a copy of the result. A team failing to comply with this rule shall be fined £5.00.
15.6 After the period specified in Rule 15.5 the HMS shall immediately advise the team of its failure to comply with that rule. If the completed card is not then received:
(a) Within 7 days of being so notified, the team shall, in addition to the fine imposed by Rule 15.5, be fined £3.00 and lose any points gained in that match.
(b) Within 14 days of being so notified the team shall have imposed a further penalty in addition to those mentioned above in (a), which shall be decided by the Council.
16.1 All matches shall be played in accordance with the Rules of TTE.
16.2 Unless mutually agreed by the Team Captains each team shall umpire alternative games with the Home Team umpiring the first game.
16.3 The Team Captains shall elect the umpire who must be a registered League player, or an ex-registered League player. The umpire’s decision is final except under appeal to the Council.
16.4 There shall be a white line on the table for the doubles match if either side request one.
16.5 All divisions must use a new TTE approved ball of 3* quality.
16.6 Light refreshments shall be provided by the Home team.
17.1 The Rules governing the League KO Cup, Divisional Shields and the Annual Tournament are given in Appendixes (i), (ii) & (iii) to the rules.
17.2 The Rules shall be approved by the AGM or, if that meeting decides, by the first Council Meeting of the season. Where the Rules are approved by the Council, they will remain unchanged for that season.
18 Entries in the Cumbria League, Wilmott Cup, Rosebowl, Carter Cup and Bromfield Trophy events are to be decided at the AGM or at the Council Meeting prior to the closing date for entries.
19 After a player has made two appearances for the League First team, subject to any condition imposed by the Council, he shall be awarded his League Badge. A player must wear this badge when representing the League. This badge can also be awarded by the Council for services to the League.
20. Where no specific penalty is provided for a contravention of these rules, a fine of £5.00 plus any additional penalty as shall be decided by the Council, shall be imposed.
21.1 Where fines have been imposed, the actual amount must be received by the Hon. Treasurer within 30 days from the official notification date.
21.2 (i) If the Club has not paid the outstanding fines by the pre-season meeting of the following season, all the teams, who incurred a fine, will have their points from the previous season expunged and they will be placed at the bottom of their Division, and will be relegated.
(ii) Any outstanding fine(s) at the start of each season will be added to the Club’s Registration fees.
22. The application of the TTE child protection policy shall be agreed by Council.
23 June 2024
Appendix (i)
Rules of Knock Out Cup
1. The matches shall be played on or before the date fixed by the Competitions Committee. The home team shall be responsible for arranging the match.
2. The handicaps for individual players shall be decided by the Handicap Committee.
3. The competition will be played in accordance with the League Rules. Where the handicap difference exceeds 6 points, each game shall be played to the handicap difference plus 5 points. In all cases, after deuce only one point is required to win the game.
4. The matches will be played in accordance with Rule 11, except that no doubles shall be played.
5. A player may only play -
i) for one team in the Competition
ii) for a team in the Division in which he is registered, or at the discretion of the Match Secretary
iii) In the event of a genuine emergency (such as a last minute injury and no-one genuinely able to step in) then a player from a lower division will be allowed to play up if permission is given by the Match Secretary. However, that player must not play with a handicap lower than the lowest handicap given to any player in the higher division. For example, Player X, a Div 2 player on a handicap of +2, wishes to play up for a Div 1 team. The lowest handicap for players registered in Div 1 is -1, so player X must adopt this handicap throughout the KO Cup competition.
6. The entry fee of £4, or as determined by Council, shall accompany the entry form.
7. Appeals, protests or claims relating to the Knock Out competition shall be submitted in writing to the Hon. General Secretary within 7 days of the match being play
8. The result of a League Match cannot be used to decide the result of either a Divisional Shield Match or a Knock Out Match, unless both teams agree.
11 Oct 2017
Appendix (ii)
Rules of Divisional Shield Competition, up to season 2022-23
1. The entry shall be £4 per team.
2. In the 1st Round, the first named team is the home team.
3. 8 teams compete in 2 groups of 4, with the group winners meeting in the Final.
4. Each team consists of 2 players, who may be changed each match.
5. A player may only represent one team in the Competition
6. A team may only play any player who is registered in that Division. In the event of a genuine emergency (such as a last minute injury and no-one genuinely able to step in) then a player from a lower division will be allowed to play up if permission is given by the Match Secretary. However, that player must not play with a handicap lower than the lowest handicap given to any player in the higher division. For example, Player X, a Div 2 player on a handicap of +2, wishes to play up for a Div 1 team. The lowest handicap for players registered in Div 1 is -1, so player X must adopt this handicap throughout the Divisional Shield competition.
7. The Competition shall be played in accordance with League Rules, except : - i) only 3 games are played in each set, not best of 5 ii) all games are played to 11, no deuce.
8. Each tie consists of 5 sets :- A v X, B v Y, A v Y, B v X plus 1 doubles
9. The handicap for each match shall be determined as follows. Before the match starts, the handicaps for both players in each team are totalled separately, and the small total taken from the larger. The result is then multiplied by 7 ½ and this total is added to the final points score of the weaker team.
10. The Handicaps for individuals shall be decided by the Handicap Committee.
11. The scores for each game are entered on a special score sheet and the points totalled at the end of the 5 sets. The team with the most points is the winning team. If teams finish level on points :-
i)In the 1st Round, the away team, will be declared the winners.
ii)In the group of 4 teams, in the event of 2 teams winning an equal number of matches, the winners of the head to head match shall be declared the winners.
iii)In the event of 3 teams winning an equal number of matches, the team with the highest points difference shall be declared the winner.
iv)In the final, if the teams finish level on points, the winners shall be those who won most of the 15 games played.
11 Oct 2017
The following added 26 Feb 2024:
Rules of Divisional Shield Competition for 2023-24
1. Matches are to be played at the home venue and on the home night of the home team, ie the team appearing first on the draw sheet.
2. Each team consists of 2 players, who may be changed each match.
3. A player may only represent one team in the Competition.
4. A team may only play any player who is registered in that Division. In the event of a genuine emergency (such as a last minute injury and no-one genuinely able to step in) then a player from a lower division will be allowed to play up if permission is given by the Match Secretary. However, that player must not play with a handicap lower than the lowest handicap given to any player in the higher division. For example, Player X, a Div 2 player on a handicap of +2, wishes to play up for a Div 1 team. The lowest handicap for players registered in Div 1 is -1, so player X must adopt this handicap throughout the Divisional Shield competition.
5. The Competition shall be played in accordance with League Rules, except : -
i) 4 games are played in each set, not best of 5. The 4 games are always played, irrespective of who wins the games.
ii) All games are played to 11, no deuce.
6. Each tie consists of 5 sets :- A v X, B v Y, A v Y, B v X plus 1 doubles
7. The handicap for each match shall be determined as follows. Before the match starts, the handicaps for both players in each team are totalled separately, and the small total taken from the larger. The result is then multiplied by 10 and this total is added to the final points score of the weaker team.
8. The Handicaps for individuals shall be decided by the Handicap Committee.
9. The scores for each game are entered on a special score sheet and the points totalled at the end of the 5 sets. The team with the most points is the winning team. If teams finish level on points, the away team will be declared the winner.
6 Oct 2023
Appendix (iii)
Annual Tournament Rules
- Every entrant must be a member of the Kendal and District Table Tennis League.
- Players entering the junior event must be under 19 on 31 Dec * of the current season and Veterans 40 or over on 1 Jan of the current season.
- Matches will be played up to “3 games” or the “best of 5 games” at the discretion of the organisers. All games will be played to 11 points.
- All competitors will be required to umpire matches.
- Competitors must report to Control on arrival and should not leave the hall without first obtaining permission from the Referee. Players absent when called upon to play are liable to be scratched.
- Please conform to TTE Regulations regarding dress, bat covering, conduct etc.
- Timeouts will not be allowed in this tournament.
11 Oct 2017
* Rev A, 26 Feb 2024: Previously this read under 18 on 1 Jan. The change reflects TTE and international policy on this matter, see Minutes of MT meeting 21 Feb 2024.
