FOUNDED 1931
Rules and Regulations
RULES FOR THE SEASON 2007-2008
CONSTITUTION
1. The League shall be called the Wembley and Harrow Table Tennis League.
2. The object of the League shall be to assist and encourage the formation of Table Tennis clubs in Wembley and Harrow and surrounding areas, and to promote the game in every possible way and in all sections of our multi-cultural society.
3. The management of the League shall be vested in a Committee to be known as the Management Committee, which shall consist of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant General Secretary, Handbook Secretary, Representative Match Co-ordinator, Team Knockout Cup Competitions Secretary, Press Secretary, Closed Championship Secretary, Records Secretary, Summer League Secretary, Premier Club Secretary, Minute Secretary and Development Officer, five to form a quorum. One representative can hold more than one office. The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members onto the Committee and to appoint Representative Match Secretaries who will report to the Management Committee through the Representative Match Co-ordinator.
4. In the event of the winding up or dissolution of the League, any surplus assets remaining after discharge of all liabilities shall automatically vest in the Middlesex Table Tennis Association (MTTA) who shall hold them for a period of six years in trust to pay them to any organisation set up with objects identical with or similar to those of the League (the MTTA during such period making every endeavour to promote and encourage the formation of such an organisation) and thereafter for the general purposes of the MTTA.
ADMINISTRATION
5. The Management Committee shall conduct the business of the League generally and shall hear, discuss and decide all disputes and protests. The decision of the Management Committee shall be final.
6. If any member of the Management Committee shall absent himself or herself without reasonable cause from three consecutive meetings, he or she shall automatically retire or, should an officer or member of the Management Committee relinquish his or her office during the year, the Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies.
7. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and General Secretary shall be empowered to act in cases of emergency and their decisions shall be ratified at the next meeting of the Management Committee.
8. All monies pertaining to the League shall be paid into a separate banking account in the name of the Wembley and Harrow Table Tennis League. All cheques drawn on the bank account shall be signed by two of the following:- Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer. Funds surplus to the current requirements may be invested with a building society of Trustee status. An audited Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account shall be submitted at the Annual General Meeting.
9. From the applications received the Management Committee shall determine the number of divisions, and allocate the clubs in the said divisions according to strength.
MEETINGS
10. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in June of each year at such place as the Management Committee then in office shall decide. At Annual or General Meetings each club shall be entitled to a vote for each team entered in the League. Registered members are invited to attend the Annual and General Meetings of the League, but only one elected delegate from each club shall be entitled to vote. If a club is not represented at the Annual General Meeting they will be fined a sum of £5.00.
11. The notice convening Annual or General Meetings, together with a copy of the Agenda, shall be forwarded at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting.
12. No club shall be entitled to vote at the Annual or General Meetings unless it is in good standing and its fines are paid to date.
13. No club shall be regarded as being in good standing if its Subscription and Registration Fees are unpaid on the 31st October.
14. The elected delegates of clubs attending the Annual General Meeting shall elect the members of the Management Committee for the ensuing year and an Hon. Auditor. The President and Vice-Presidents for the ensuing year shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Management Committee. A Life Vice-President may be elected at an Annual General Meeting. The distinction may only be conferred on the nomination of the Management Committee.
15. The members of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend all meetings of the League with the power to vote, the Chairman being entitled to a casting vote. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be entitled to attend all League meetings and have the right to vote at the Annual General Meeting and any General Meeting.
16. No amendment or alteration to the League Rules shall be made, except at the Annual General Meeting. The proposed alterations, for submission to the Annual General Meeting, must reach the General Secretary in writing not later than the 30th April preceding the Annual General Meeting. Notification of all proposed alterations shall be sent to clubs together with the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting. Amendments dealing with the same subject matter may be accepted at the Annual General Meeting at the discretion of the Chairman providing all such amendments are proposed and seconded by elected delegates present at the meeting.
17. Upon receipt of a request by at least fifty per cent of the clubs the General Secretary shall call a General Meeting. The General Secretary may arrange other General Meetings as and when considered necessary by the Management Committee.
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND REGISTRATIONS
18. The subscription shall be £20.00 per club, which includes a £10.00 deposit refundable if not utilised for the payment of any fines, plus £10.00 per additional team entered plus the amount payable for each team for affiliation to the ETTA and to the MTTA. The subscription will include entry into one team knock-out cup competition per team.
Teams may enter in addition other competitions for which they are eligible (see Regulation 7) and for which entry fees will be charged.
19. Each club shall send to the Records Secretary a list of players for registration, the fee for which shall be £4.00 per player. The fee for any player registered after the commencement of the season must be remitted to the Records Secretary within 7 days, failing which the registration will be invalid. No player is eligible to represent a team unless registered with the Records Secretary before the commencement of the match. In the event of an unregistered player playing, any sets won by that person will be forfeited to the opponents. Not less than three players must be allocated to each team entered. Acceptance of any player’s registration shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
20. Any player may play for a higher team or teams up to a total of four times in one season. Players may be re-registered in a higher team upon notification to the Records Secretary. Players registered in a team cannot play in a lower team without the consent of the Records Secretary, if such consent is obtained and they have already played for a higher team, they may not thereafter play for any other team of the same club during the remainder of the season. No further fee is payable for a player already registered for a team.
21. A player having registered for a club cannot be registered for another club without permission from the Management Committee.
22. No player shall be registered, re-registered or transferred after the last day of January in each season except with the approval of the Management Committee.
NOTIFICATIONS
23. In the event of a Club Secretary or Team Captain being compelled to relinquish his or her position, he or she shall send to the General Secretary the name and address of a member who will carry on. This member shall notify each team in the division concerned of the change.
Should a Club Secretary or Team Captain change his or her address the change must be notified to the General Secretary and, in addition, the Team Captain must notify each team in the division concerned of the change.
24. Clubs must specify a particular home night for inclusion in the Official Handbook. If a match is to be played on that home night, no further notification to the opponents shall be necessary. If a home team wishes to change its home night or venue from the one specified in the Official Handbook, notification must be given to the opposing Team Captain not later than the Monday of the week preceding that in which the match is to be played, confirmation must be obtained from the opposing captain that the change has been noted. No match shall be arranged for a Saturday or a Sunday except by mutual arrangement. If the away team do not play on the day specified, the home team shall be awarded the points. Alternatively, if the home team do not give the required notice or do not play on the day specified, the away team shall be awarded the points.
25. All League fixtures shall be completed in the week laid down in the league programme. Matches not played shall be considered void and no points awarded (except as provided in Rule 24). This rule will only be waived in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Records Secretary from whom prior approval must be obtained.
Should a team concede a walk-over on any occasion during the season a fine of £5.00 and a four-point penalty shall be levied on the Club for the first and every subsequent walk-over. This rule can only be waived in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Records Secretary.
26. The result of each match must be notified on an official score card by the home team to the Records Secretary. The score card must be in the possession of the Records Secretary not later than the Wednesday of the week following that in which the match should have been played. If sent by mail, it must be posted not later than the Monday of the week following that in which the match should have been played, the postmark being considered for the purpose of this time limit. In the case of late notification, a club will be fined £1.00 for each week, or part of a week, the notification remains outstanding.
PLAYING CONDITIONS AND MATCH PLAY
27. Each Club shall provide suitable accommodation, a table or tables in accordance with ETTA regulations, together with reasonable lighting, floor surface and run back. The home team shall provide refreshments.
28. The ball shall be as approved by the ETTA and no other shall be acceptable. If the home team cannot provide such a ball the match will be forfeited to the opponents.
29. Teams shall consist of three players. Should a team field less than three players on more than two occasions during the same season, a fine of £5.00 shall be levied on the club, for the third and any subsequent offence. This fine will only be waived, in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Records Secretary. Each player shall play each player of the opposing team one set, the best of five games, 11 points up. For each set won a team will be awarded one point.
30. Match play shall commence not earlier than 7.30 p.m. and not later than 8.00 p.m. If a team has no member ready to commence play by 8.00 p.m. the match will be forfeited to their opponents. The order of play, which shall be completed by the Home Team first for the Away Team to see, shall be as indicated on the official score card and a maximum of three minutes shall be allowed between the completion of one set (best of five games) and the commencement of the next. If any player is not ready to commence play within the time limit permitted that set shall be forfeited to the opponents and the next set commenced forthwith. This rule may be varied by mutual agreement.
31. All play shall be in accordance with the laws of Table Tennis as approved by the English Table Tennis Association, and International Regulations numbers 3.4.2.2, 3.4.2.3, 3.4.4.1, 3.4.4.2.
LEAGUE TABLES AND TROPHIES
32. At the end of the season the team having the greatest number of points in each division shall be declared the Champion Team of the division. In the event of a tie the positions of the teams shall be decided on (i) the greatest number of matches won, (ii) the best sets difference, (iii) the best games difference.
The two bottom teams in Division 1 shall be relegated to Division 2, and the two top teams in Division 2 shall be promoted to Division 1. This principle shall regulate the promotion and relegation in all other divisions.
33. The record of any team who may resign, or be expelled, at any time during the season shall be expunged.
34. All clubs receiving Championship or Challenge Cups from the League do so on the following conditions:
(a) The cups cannot be won outright;
(b) In the event of any club becoming defunct whilst holding a League trophy, the trophy shall be returned immediately to the General Secretary.
TEAM KNOCK-OUT COMPETITIONS AND CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS
35. The Management Committee may conduct team knock-out competitions and Closed Championships annually in accordance with the regulations for these events. The Committee may vary these regulations at their discretion.
MISCELLANEOUS
36. No player shall be eligible for representative matches unless registered in the League. Players must also have played in at least three matches during the season, except for the first four weeks of the season, when their qualifications would be judged on the previous season’s play in the League. Playing qualifications may be waived at the Management Committee’s discretion. The League dress will consist of red blouse or shirt, navy blue skirt, shorts or slacks and white socks and shoes. Players selected for representative matches will be expected to adopt this dress.
37. Clubs promoting other than Open Championships, or their own club tournament, must first obtain permission from the League secretary, and shall be required to hand the League 10 per cent of the total entry fees within twenty one days of the finals.
38. Any club infringing the rules shall be liable to such fine or other penalty as the Management Committee decide to impose.
39. The Management Committee shall decide any question not provided for in these rules, and their decision will be final.
DEFINITION
It is to be understood that the areas of Wembley and Harrow referred to in Rule 2 are those of the Boroughs in force before the formation of the Greater London Council in 1974.
REGULATIONS 2007-2008
CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIP
1. The Championship is open to members of the Wembley and Harrow Table Tennis League who have played in not less than four matches in or for the League, by the closing date for entries to the Championship, and bone fide members of the Wembley and Harrow Table Tennis Club .
2. All matches will be the best of five games 11 up, and played on a group system - all play all - with group winners going on to a knockout competition. Seeded players MAY be excused groups.
3. Junior events are limited to players under 18 years of age on the 1st January during the current season. Cadet events are limited to players under 15 years of age on the 1st January during the current season. Veteran events are limited to players over 40 years of age on the preceding 30th June.
4. The Committee reserve the right to restrict or refuse entries for all events.
5. The CLOSING DATE will be strictly adhered to.
6.THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL BE RUN ON A STRICT TIME SCHEDULE THROUGHOUT. COMPETITORS SHOULD NOTE THAT TIMES SHOWN ON THEIR NOTIFICATION CARDS ARE THE TIMES THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE READY TO PLAY. PLAYERS ARE REQUESTED TO ASSIST IN UMPIRING GAMES.
TEAM KNOCK-OUT COMPETITIONS
7. Team knock-out competitions will be conducted annually by the Management Committee for:
(a) the ‘Elvin Cup’ - open to all teams in the League.
(b) the ‘Elvin Junior Cup’ - open to teams composed of players registered in Division 3 or below.
(c) the ‘Harry Finch Trophy’ - open to teams composed of players registered in Division 6 or below.
8. No player shall be eligible to represent a team unless he or she is a registered member of the League within, or below, the corresponding division nominated for that particular competition - see Regulation 7 - and has played in at least the appropriate number of matches prior to the match in question. The appropriate number of matches shall be six for the final round, four for the semi-final round, two for the quarter - final round and none for any preceding rounds. This qualification will only be waived at the discretion of the Cup Secretary, to whom prior application must be made. No player may play for more than one team in any one competition in the same season.
9. For each round the teams shall be drawn in pairs, the first team drawn being the ‘home team’, except in the Final Round which will be played at a venue to be decided by the Management Committee.
The result of each match must be notified on the official score sheet by the winning team to the Cup Competition Secretary. The score sheet must be in the possession of the Cup Competition Secretary not later than the Wednesday of the week following that in which the match should have been played. If sent by mail, it must be posted not later than the Monday of the week following that in which the match should have been played, the postmark being considered for the purpose of this time limit. In case of late notification the team will not be included in the draw for the next round and will be disqualified.
10. The match rules shall be as for League matches except that each player shall play two singles and two doubles, and that any team playing an ineligible player whose qualification has not been waived as defined in Regulation 8 above, shall be disqualified and the match awarded to their opponents.
11. Medals and other trophies shall be awarded to the winners and runners-up in each competition.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ETTA - APPROVED LAWS OF TABLE TENNIS
2.4 THE RACKET
2.4.1 The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and rigid.
2.4.2 At least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood; an adhesive layer within the blade may be reinforced with fibrous material such as carbon fibre, glass fibre or compressed paper, but shall not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm, whichever is the smaller.
2.4.3 A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber with pimples outward having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2mm, or sandwich rubber with pimples inward or outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4mm.
2.4.3.1 Ordinary pimpled rubber is a layer of non-cellular rubber, natural or synthetic, with pimples evenly distributed over its surface at a density of not less than 10 per sq cm and not more than 30 per sq cm.
2.4.3.2 Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber not being more than 2mm.
2.4.4 The covering material shall extend up to but not beyond the limits of the blade, except that the part nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be left uncovered or covered with any material.
2.4.5 The blade, any layer within the blade and any layer of covering material or adhesive shall be continuous and of even thickness.
2.4.6 The surface of the covering material on a side of the blade, or of a side of the blade if it is left uncovered, shall be matt, bright red on one side and black on the other.
2.4.7 Slight deviation from continuity of surface or uniformity of colour due to accidental damage or wear may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.
2.4.8 At the start of a match and whenever he changes his racket during the match a player shall show his opponent and the umpire the racket he is about to use and shall allow them to examine it.
2.6 THE SERVICE
2.6.1 Service shall start with the ball resting on the open palm of the server’s stationary free hand.
2.6.2 The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards without imparting spin, so that it rises at least 16cm after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls without touching anything before being struck.
2.6.3 As the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that it touches, first his court and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver’s court; in doubles, the ball shall touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.
2.6.4 From the start of the serve until it is struck the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server’s end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server or his doubles partner or by anything they wear or carry.
2.6.5 As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net. (Note: The space between the ball and the net is defined by the ball and the net and its indefinite upward extension.)
2.6.6 It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or the assistant umpire can see that he complies with the requirements for a good service.
2.6.6.1 If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service he may, on the first occasion in a match, declare a let and warn the server.
2.6.6.2 Any subsequent service of doubtful legality of that player or his doubles partner will result in a point to the receiver.
2.6.6.3 Whenever there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a good service, no warning shall be given and the receiver shall score a point.
2.6.7 Exceptionally the umpire may relax the requirements for a good service where he is satisfied that compliance is prevented by physical disability.
2.9 A LET
2.9.1 The rally shall be a let
2.9.1.1 If in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it, provided the service is otherwise good or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his partner;
2.9.1.2 If the service is delivered when the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither the receiver nor his partner attempts to strike the ball;
2.10 A POINT
2.10.1 Unless the rally is a let, a player shall score a point
2.10.1.8 If his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, moves the playing surface;
2.10.1.9 If his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly;
2.10.1.10 If his opponents free hand touches the playing surface;
2.10.1.11 If a doubles opponent strikes the ball out of the sequence established by the first server and first receiver;
2.13 THE ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING AND ENDS
2.13.1 The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be decided by lot and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end.
2.15 THE EXPEDITE SYSTEM
2.15.1 Except where both players or pairs have scored at least 9 points the expedite system shall come into operation if a game is unfinished after 10 minutes play, or at any earlier time at the request of both players or pairs.
2.15.1.1If the ball is in play when the time limit is reached, play shall be interrupted by the umpire and shall resume with service by the player who served in the rally that was interrupted.
2.15.1.2 If the ball is not in play when the time limit is reached, play shall resume with service by the player who received in the preceding rally.
2.15.2 Thereafter, each player shall serve for one point in turn until the end of the game and if the receiving player or pair makes 13 returns the receiver shall score a point.
2.15.3 Once introduced, the expedite system shall remain in operation until the end of the match.
ITTF REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY WEMBLEY AND HARROW LEAGUE
3.4.2 EQUIPMENT
3.4.2.2 A racket shall not be replaced during an individual match unless it is accidentally damaged so badly that it cannot be used; if this happens the damaged racket shall be replaced immediately by another which the player has brought with him to the playing area or one which is handed to him in the playing area.
3.4.2.3 Unless otherwise authorised by the umpire, players shall leave their rackets on the table during intervals.
3.4.4 INTERVALS
3.4.4.1 Play shall be continuous throughout an individual match except that any player is entitled to
3.4.4.1.1 an interval of up to 1 minute between successive games of an individual match;
3.4.4.1.2 brief intervals after every 6 points from the start of each game and at the change of ends in the last possible game of an individual match.
3.4.4.2 A player or pair may claim one time-out period of up to 1 minute during an individual match.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The main colour of clothing worn during the League or Cup matches and Championships, other than socks or shoes, shall be clearly different from that of the ball in use.
