South Devon & Torbay Table Tennis League 

 

   CONSTITUTION AND RULES 

NAME

1.     The League shall be called the South Devon and Torbay Table Tennis League, and shall be affiliated to Table Tennis England and the Devon County Table Tennis Association.

OBJECTIVES

2.     The objectives of the South Devon and Torbay Table Tennis League shall be to conduct an annual competition between clubs and teams, to arrange and conduct individual championship competitions, to assist and encourage the formation of table tennis clubs and to promote the game of table tennis in every possible way.

ADMINISTRATION

3.     The Officers of the League shall consist of a Chairman, General Secretary, Match Results Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament Organiser, Welfare Officer and an Executive Committee to be elected at each Annual General Meeting, by ballot if necessary. 

4.     The league is conducted on the principles;

  • That the income and property of the league shall be applied solely to the furtherance of table tennis.
  • That no member of the league shall receive payment for playing table tennis.
  • That in the event of the dissolution of the league, any income or property remaining shall not be distributed amongst members, but shall be devoted to the furtherance of table tennis (or to a charitable or philanthropic object).
  • That all activities of the league and its members should reflect a high standard of integrity and sportsmanship.  

5.     For the general administration of the business of the league and for the government of the league in the interval between two Annual General Meetings, there shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the officers of the league, together with an agreed number of registered members.  Nominations for officers and committee must be received by the General Secretary at least 7 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.  The Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, by ballot if necessary.  All officers and elected members of the committee must be individually registered with Table Tennis England.

6.      Five persons shall form a quorum at a meeting of the Executive Committee.  Every question at the meeting of the Executive Committee shall be determined by the majority of the members present (excluding the Chairman). Every member shall have one vote and in the case of a tie the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

7.     The Executive Committee shall meet as often as is necessary, when all accounts payable shall be submitted and other business of the League transacted.  The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may arise, but such vacancy may be filled only until the following Annual General Meeting, when such a member shall stand for re-election.  The Executive Committee shall have the power to invite any person to become a Life Member of the League.  Any member of the Executive Committee absenting themselves from three meetings in a season, without reasonable excuse, shall cease to be a member of the committee.

8.     The Executive Committee shall have the power to fine, suspend or expel any club/team or registered member found guilty of breaking the Rules of the League or of conduct which, in their opinion, is detrimental to the interests of the League.

9.     Any registered member may appeal against any sanction imposed under the League rules.  The appeal must be made in writing to the General Secretary of the League and reach him within 28 days of the date the sanction was imposed.

10.     The Executive Committee shall have the power to make decisions on any matter not covered by these rules. Every decision and order of the Executive Committee shall be binding on all Clubs and registered members, subject to appeal to a Special General Meeting called in accordance with these rules.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

11.     A General Meeting shall be held annually, and shall consist of the Officers of the League, the other members of the Executive Committee and registered members of affiliated clubs/teams.  It shall be the supreme governing body of the league. Only those registered League Members (Table Tennis England members associated to the League) present may vote at a General Meeting (excluding the Chairman).  Any decisions voted on shall be carried by a simple majority with the Chairman having the casting vote if the votes are tied.

12.  A Special General Meeting of the League may be convened by the Executive Committee should they consider it necessary, or if it should be desired by 20 registered members.  Every decision of every Annual or Special General Meeting shall be final and shall be binding on all clubs/teams and registered members, and shall be accepted by all clubs/teams and registered members as the voice of the whole League.  At least 7 days’ notice of any Special General Meeting and 14 days’ notice of the Annual General Meeting must be given to all registered members. 

13.  Any suggested alteration to the Rules of the League must be made in writing and such suggestions must reach the General Secretary at least 7 days prior to the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. No alterations to the rules may take place save at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.

THE LEAGUE

14.  The League shall consist of as many Divisions as the Executive Committee think necessary.  The Executive Committee shall have the power to decide in which Division a team shall compete and reserves the right to decide in which Division a player shall play.  The Executive Committee shall promote and relegate teams in a way that serves the interest of the league, with a minimum of one promotion for each division.

  TABLE TENNIS ENGLAND MEMBERSHIP

15.  It is a requirement of Table Tennis England that all League Players are compete members of Table Tennis England. No players will be permitted to play matches if they are not Table Tennis England compete members.  Anyone playing in a match whilst not a compete member of Table Tennis England will forfeit the match and a £10 fine will be imposed, except in exceptional circumstances and with the prior agreement of the General Secretary.

You are requested to join online at: https://tabletennisengland.co.uk/membership/register-or-renew/ or by phone on 01908 208863, or by filling out the Table Tennis England membership form.  The Table Tennis England membership runs from 1st August to 31st July each year.

REGISTRATION

16.  All team entries shall be made on an official entry form obtainable from the General Secretary or downloaded from the website.  This form shall be filled in and sent to the General Secretary on or before the date shown on the team entry form.  Any team seeking election to the League must obtain the support of the Executive Committee.

17.  Each Club shall pay a team registration fee for each team they have registered and an individual fee for each player registered.  The fees will be shown on the team entry form and payment must accompany the form.

18.  Registration Fees shall be decided by the Executive Committee annually. Registration forms must state for which club and team a player will be registered.  All registered players shall be entitled to receive a League Handbook

19.  Only players whose Registration Forms and fees have been received by the League General Secretary shall be allowed to play in league games and cup competitions.  No new player registrations (or temporary Registrations) shall be accepted after 28th February each year, and no registered player (either temp or permanent) who has not previously played in either of these competitions prior to this date may play in either competition after this date, except in exceptional circumstances and with the prior permission of the General Secretary. Registration shall be in the following categories:

·         Senior Registration for players over 18 years of age.

·         Junior Registration for players under 18 years of age.

·         Temporary Registration for reserve players to cover a maximum of two league and/or cup matches but excluding eligibility for entry to any league tournaments. Only the Table Tennis England membership fee will be payable

20.  No player shall play for more than one team in either League or Cup Competitions except as below and in Rule 21.  Any player wishing to transfer from one club to another or change teams within a club (except when Rule 21 is applied), shall apply to the General Secretary stating the reason for the request. No transfer shall be allowed after 31st January in any season. Players who don’t play. For their own team in the cup competitions may play as if registered for another team (in their club) in the cup competitions only. 

21.  Teams within Clubs shall be ranked.  In a club with 2 or more teams a player shall be permitted to play up to 3 matches for only one team in a higher division, or for only one higher ranked team in the lowest division in which that club has teams. Upon playing the fourth match the player shall be tied to that team, the player shall not be allowed to play for a lower team of their club, either in the same division or a lower division, without reinstatement by the Executive Committee.  No Player shall play down into a lower ranked team.

22.   It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to decide whether any club room facilities are suitable for league and cup matches 

23.  The Match Results Secretary shall report to the Executive Committee every case of a team playing an unregistered player in a League match; such a team shall forfeit the league points involved and all sets shall be awarded to the opposing team. 

24.  The Match Results Secretary shall report to the Executive Committee every case of a team playing a tied player in a match for which the player is not eligible; such teams shall forfeit all sets in which the tied player was concerned, including doubles sets, and such sets shall be awarded to the opposing team.  

FIXTURES

25.  The League fixtures shall be published by the General Secretary

26.  Inability of regular players to play shall not be deemed sufficient reason for postponement of a match and in such cases reserves must be played.  However, with the mutual agreement of both teams, a fixture may either be played before the original date, or if the fixture is postponed, the fixture must be played, where possible, within 28 days of the original date.  Late postponements (within 48 hours of the match) must be avoided unless there are very exceptional circumstances. The postponing team must inform the Match Results Secretary of any change of date, failure to do so will incur a £2 fine.

27.  Any team failing to fulfil a fixture shall forfeit all the points to the non-offending team, and a fine of £10.00 will be imposed by the Executive Committee.  Extenuating circumstances will only be considered by the Executive Committee on appeal. 

MATCH PROCEDURE

28.  Teams competing in the League competitions shall consist of 3 members, each member of the team shall play each member of the opposing team, making 9 sets of singles.  Each set shall be the best of 5 games of 11 points up.  One set of doubles shall also be played.  Teams shall have the right to call on a fourth player to play in the doubles only, should they so desire.  All sets shall be played in accordance with the rules adopted by Table Tennis England.

29.  A point will be awarded for each set won during a match, e.g. Team A wins  8  sets and Team B wins 2 sets, then the teams are awarded 8  points and 2 points respectively.

30.  At the end of the season, the winners in each division shall be the team which has gained the most points in that division.  In the event of a tie in points won, the winners will be decided on matches won and then on matches drawn; if still level then the decision is based on the total of individual games won in the matches between each of the teams involved. If the teams are still level, then the teams concerned shall play each other on a neutral table, such venue to be decided by the Executive Committee. The above will also be used to determine the final position for all other teams in that division.  

31.  All matches shall start at 7pm or 7:15 pm, at the discretion of the home team, by which time two members of each team shall be present. The third player should arrive by 8:00 pm, but this time may be extended by prior agreement between the teams.  Matches may start earlier by mutual consent.  The order of play shall be laid down by the Executive Committee and shall be as follows: where 3 players on one side are named A, B & C and the 3 players on the other side are named X, Y & Z. Matches should, where possible, be completed on one table. A second table may be used to enable the completion of a match where time constraints exist.

Set 1   A v X     Set 4  B v X      Set 7  B v Z

Set 2   B v Y     Set 5  A v Z      Set 8  C v X

Set 3   C v Z      Set 6  C v Y     Set 9  A v Y        Set 10  Doubles

The home team shall be A, B, C and the home captain shall name his/her team, allocating a letter to each of his/her three players.  The visiting captain shall then allot a letter to each of his/her players and inform the home captain of his/her decision.  The order of play thus determined may be altered by mutual agreement between the two captains. The doubles may be played at Set 7 if the home captain so desires.

32.  There shall be no knocking up after 7:15 p.m. and there shall be no knocking up between members of the same team after a match has started. 

33.  Any team playing one member short shall forfeit to their opponents all the sets that player should have played.

34.  PLASTIC table tennis balls must be provided by the home team and must be Table Tennis England approved. (We suggest a new ball for each home match).

35.  The scorers for each set must be provided alternately by the visiting and home clubs. In the case of a disputed point, the scorer’s decision shall be final. 

36.  Match cards giving the results of each match and details of individual scores shall be posted or emailed to reach the Match Results Secretary within 7 days of the match being played.  Failure to do so will result in the home club being fined £2.  All cards must be signed by both captains.  Any false information given on the scorecard shall be the subject of an Executive Committee enquiry.

37.  All players must play in League matches and competitions with bats that conform to the latest list published by the ITTF.

38.  Players are expected to conform to the regulation standards of dress. 

FINES

39.   It is the responsibility of the Club to pay any fines imposed under these rules

TROPHIES

40.   All cups, shields and similar awards shall be perpetual trophies, and will remain the property of the League and will be competed for annually.  These trophies will normally be in the custody of the winners, but shall be returned to the League’s General Secretary on request.

41.   The League shall award a shield and miniature cup or medals to the champions, and medals to the runners-up of all divisions. The league shall, whenever possible, award outright, a miniature cup or medals to the winner of any competition / tournament, runners-up to receive a medal.

HANDICAP CUPS AND TOURNAMENTS

42.   The League shall hold a “knock-out” competition for the South Devon Challenge Cup which shall be open to all teams.  Teams will be automatically entered, however if you do not wish to enter you may opt out by informing the General Secretary.  Games shall be played under full league rules except that no doubles shall be played. All players shall be handicapped by the League Executive Committee.

43.   The League shall hold a knock-out competition for the Dyment Doubles Shield which shall be open to all teams.  Teams will be automatically entered, however if you do not wish to enter you may opt out by informing the General Secretary.  Each team shall consist of three players, and the order of play is as follows:

           Home      Away               Home      Away

Set 1   A&C   v   X&Y        Set 6   B&C   v   Y&X

Set 2   B&C   v   X&Z        Set 7   A&B   v   Y&Z

Set 3   A&B   v   X&Y        Set 8   A&C   v   X&Z

Set 4   A&C   v   Z&Y        Set 9   B&C   v   Y&Z

Set 5   A&B   v   Z&X

All players shall be handicapped by the League Executive Committee. 

44.   It is the responsibility of the home team captain (first team in each pair in the draw) to contact the away team captain to arrange a mutually acceptable date for the match to be played, within the period of time set by the Executive Committee.  It is the responsibility of the winning team to forward the scorecard to the match results secretary.

45.   Any team failing to fulfil a cup fixture shall be fined £5 and their opponents moved on to the next round.

46.   The Executive Committee shall have the power to amend and revise the rules to the cup competitions and individual handicaps.  The detailed rules, the draws and procedures for the cup competitions can be found on the league website

ANNUAL CLOSED TOURNAMENT

47.   The League shall annually, at the end of the league season, hold a number of competitions for all players registered in the South Devon Table Tennis League:

  • Open Singles
  • Ladies Singles
  • Mens Doubles
  • Ladies Doubles
  • Mixed Doubles
  • Veteran Singles (over 40)
  • Super Veteran Singles (over 60)
  • Junior Boys (Under 18)
  • Junior Girls (Under 18)
  • Cadet Boys (Under 15)
  • Cadet Girls (under 15)
  • Division 2 Singles
  • Division 3 Singles
  • Division 4 Singles 

NOTE – All age restriction events are taken from the beginning of the calendar year.

Under 13 and Under 11 events open to non-league members may be organised in addition to the above competitions if there are sufficient entries.

 Semi-finals and finals of some of the above events may be held back and played on a Finals Night, at a venue to be agreed, during the week following the tournament. 

     EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT

48.   The League shall, annually, near the start of the season, hold a number of competitions for all players registered in the South Devon Table Tennis League:

  • Handicap Singles
  • Handicap Doubles – Partners arranged (top handicapped player with lowest handicapped player etc.)
  • Hard bat singles – Best of 3 games up to 21 points each game (bats supplied by League)
  • Family Doubles - each doubles pair must be composed of a parent / grandparent and junior under the age of 18, one of whom is a registered player of the League

49.   The Executive Committee reserve the right to suspend any competition should there be an insufficient number of entries.

 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE COMMENTS

50.    These rules are intended to be general guidelines within which all matches can be played in a friendly and sporting manner, they are not designed to cover every eventuality nor are they to be used to determine the finer points of the law.  Any player, team or Club who, in the opinion of the Executive Committee is found to be using these rules in order to gain unfair advantage, or does anything not covered by the rules, that the committee deems reprehensible, or brings the game into disrepute, will be liable to such disciplinary action as the committee sees fit to impose.

 

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