The following Standing Regulations apply to the Reading Closed Championships.
4.1 REFEREE
4.1.1 The Management Committee shall appoint a Referee for the championships at an early date.
4.1.2 The decision of the Referee shall be final on all questions of law, rule or regulation, and in respect of dress, discipline and any dispute on the day.
4.2 ELIGIBILITY
4.2.1 A player will not normally be allowed to play in the championships unless he/she has played in at least four league team matches in the current season before the closing date for entry (Rule 10.5.1).
4.2.2 An entry from a registered player other than a junior, who is a Player Member of Table Tennis England but who does not qualify under Regulation 4.2.1 may be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Management Committee (Rule 10.5.2).
4.2.3 An entry from a junior player who is a member of the Association and is a Player Member of Table Tennis England but who does not qualify under Regulation 4.2.1 may be accepted at the discretion of the Management Committee.
4.2.4 Competitors in the Veterans event must be aged 40 years or over, and in the Senior Veterans event aged 50 years or over.
4.2.5 Where an age limit is applicable, ‘under a specified age’ shall relate to the age on 31st December during the current playing season, and ‘specified age or over’ shall relate to the age on 1st January during the current playing season.
4.2.6 Entrants to a divisional championship (including Division 1 Restricted and Youth Division) must be registered for that division. They must also have played in at least four team matches in that division, or in a lower division, in the current season before the closing date of entry (Rule 10.5.3). A competitor who is seeded in the Mens Singles shall not normally be eligible to play in the Division 1 Restricted Singles.
4.3 EVENTS - These shall be determined each year by the Management Committee.
4.4 ENTRIES
4.4.1 To enter each competitor must complete the online entry form and any related steps necessary to enable this.
4.4.2 Any entrant whose doubles partner does not enter or is otherwise not available will be treated as ‘Partner wanted’ unless it is stated that this is not desired. In ALL ‘Partner wanted’ cases pairings will be drawn.
4.4.3 Every entrant should register an email address as part of their entry - this will be used to inform the entrant once the draws have been made. An email will be sent informing the entrants of their report time or to direct them to a website which has this information. Notification of report times will not be given over the phone.
For general guidance, the scheduled time of sets will be noted on the Tournament website but the Referee reserves the right to bring forward or put back the scheduled time of any set.
4.5 CLOSING DATE
4.5.1 The closing date will be stated on the RDTTA website and any entries received after that date will not be accepted.
4.5.2 If it is necessary to restrict entries in any event, this will be done on the basis of “last in first out”. Furthermore, it may be necessary to restrict the number of age events in which a competitor is allowed to play.
4.6 SEEDING - There may be seeding in any event as determined by the Management Committee.
4.7 PLAYING MATTERS
4.7.1 An Umpire may be appointed for each set. Every competitor (and this includes both partners in a doubles event) may be required to umpire one set per event entered. After losing, a player should remain available in the hall until called upon by Control to umpire a set.
4.7.2 When playing (including knocking up) players are expected to wear appropriate table tennis dress and the standard of dress must satisfy the Referee - see RDTTA Rules 11.5.1, 11.5.2 and 11.5.3 in the RDTTA Handbook. Footwear should also have non-marking soles.
4.7.3 On arrival all competitors must report to Control and should not leave the building without obtaining permission from the Referee.
4.7.4 All competitors will be required to play on the allotted table and on being called must go to that table and begin play without delay. Any competitor not ready to play when called may be scratched.
4.7.5 Knocking up on vacant tables may be allowed at the discretion of the Referee, but only by two players at a time on any one table
4.7.6 Substitutions may be allowed in doubles events only, in the absence of one of a pair, at the discretion of the Referee. Requests will not be considered in respect of any player who has not made a valid entry for the event.
4.7.7 Except as provided in 4.7.6 or to correct genuine misunderstandings or errors, the draw once completed will not be altered unless exceptionally it becomes unbalanced and the organising committee and the Referee think an alteration is desirable in the interests of the tournament.
4.7.8 All sets will be best of five games 11 up and shall be played under the “Laws of Table Tennis” as approved by Table Tennis England (Rule 11.1).
4.7.9 All players must comply with the “Glue Directive” issued by the Reading Management Committee dated 7 December 2002.
4.7.10 For the Ping Pong Singles event, bats will be provided and Ping Pong rules will be followed. The rules will be available on the day.
4.8 CUPS AND RETURNABLE TROPHIES
A winner of an Association returnable cup or trophy shall be responsible for returning it to the Trophy Secretary in a clean condition not later than 17th March (Rules 10.7.1 & 10.7.2). Failure to do so will incur a fine of £5 for each part breached (Rule 10.7.4).
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