Essex Inter-League Rules

ESSEX INTER-LEAGUE RULES

1 MANAGEMENT

The Championships shall be managed by the Management Committee, which shall make appointments to a Competition Sub-Committee, with the object of ensuring efficient administration.

2 MEMBERSHIP

(a) Application for admission to the Championships shall be made to the Competitions Secretary NOT LATER THAN 1 August.

(b) The Championships shall be open to all Leagues affiliated to the Association, except that an entry may be refused if the League concerned did not fulfil its commitments and administrative duties in a manner that was satisfactory to the Competition Sub-Committee in the preceding season. Entrance fee shall be £6.50 per team, in each event, payable at the time of entry.

(c) Leagues not collecting the fixture charts, registering forms and result sheets at the management meeting in September shall be fined £5.00.

3 DIVISIONS

(a) Divisions shall consist of not more than 6 and not less than 4 teams.

(b) The composition of divisions shall be decided by the Competitions Sub-Committee, having regard to each teams placing in their division the previous season. New teams shall enter through the lowest division, unless a vacancy exists in a higher division, when a new team may fill this vacancy at the discretion of the Competition Sub-Committee.

4 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

(a) The team finishing bottom of a division shall be relegated unless a vacancy exists, when the

Competition Sub-Committee may otherwise decide. A team winning a division (other than a first division) shall be promoted.

(b) In order to prevent promotion or relegation by default, teams who do not meet their playing commitments are liable, at the discretion of the Competition Sub-Committee, to have all their results declared void.

5 PLAYING PROGRAMME

(a) Fixtures shall be as laid down by the Competition sub-Committee.

(b) Where there are more than 3 teams in a division, those teams shall play each other once in a season. Home or away, in alternate seasons where possible.

(c) With general consent, all the fixtures of any particular division may be played over one or two days at a central venue, on dates determined by the Competition Sub-committee.

6 DATES OF MATCHES

(a) Periods during which matches may be arranged shall be fixed by the Competition Sub-Committee.

(b) The Home team shall communicate with the Match Secretary of the Away team before the 10th of the month preceding the fixture, offering:-

(i) the choice of at least two dates, one of which must be a Saturday or Sunday.

(ii) the venue.

(iii) the time of commencement.

(iv) If the dates offered are outside the scheduled period both the Home and Away Match Secretaries must notify the Competition Secretary immediately.

The Away team shall communicate with the Match Secretary of the Home team before the 21st of the month preceding the fixture, accepting one of these dates.

(c) Failure of the Home team to notify by the 10th to be reported to the Competition Secretary by the 12th and failure to reply by the Away team by the 21st to be reported to the Competition Secretary by the 23rd, and the Sub-Committee shall:-

(i) decide whether the match shall be played, OR

(ii) award against the defaulting side.

If the Competition Sub-Committee decides that the match shall be played, the team defaulted against shall have the choice of date and venue for the match, subject to any conditions or limits imposed by the Competition Sub-Committee.

(d) Postponed matches will be allowed to the Home side, only on agreement with the Competition Secretary, if a venue is unavailable and then only if the Away team cannot stage the match.

(e) Where matches are played at a central venue over one or two days, section 6(b), 6(c) and 6(d) shall not apply.

7 MATCH PROCEDURE

(a) Three separate Senior competitions may be organised, as follows:-

Senior Competition: Each team to consist of 3 players playing 9 singles and 1 doubles set.

Ladies Competition: Each team to consist of 3 ladies playing 9 singles and 1 doubles set.

Mixed Competition: Each team shall consist of 2 men and 2 ladies, 10 sets, 4 mens singles, 4 ladies singles, 2 mixed doubles. No player may play in more than 1 doubles set.

In the Mixed Competition, each league shall have the right to choose its pairings in the doubles. Before the commencement of each set, pairs must be nominated as No. 1 and No. 2, in order of strength. All teams shall play strictly in order of ranking. Any player playing below the ranked order will forfeit all games played. In addition, any player who plays but who’s league has not provided all the necessary information, such as date of birth, will forfeit all games played. The order of play being determined by the Competition Sub-Committee.

(b) Junior Teams shall consist of four players, 10 sets comprising 8 singles and 2 doubles. All teams shall play strictly in order of ranking.

A v W, B v X, C v Y, D v Z, Doubles A/B v W/X, Doubles C/D v Y/Z, A v X, B v W, C v Z, D v Y

(c) Teams in the Veterans and Super Veterans Championships shall be represented by 3 players and each match shall consist of 6 singles and 3 double sets. The players on the Home side shall be lettered A B C and the players on the Away side X Y Z and shall be in order of merit submitted pursuant to Rule 9

(a). Subject to any mutual arrangement, the order of play shall be:- Doubles B/C v Y/Z; Singles A v X; C v Y; B v Z; Doubles A/C v X/Z; Singles A v Y; B v X; C v Z; Doubles A/B v X/Y. In the event of any team only being able to field two players, they should be entered into A and C if the Home team or position X and Z if the away side, with the higher ranked players taking the A or X appropriately.

(d) Cadet Competition: Each team to consist of 3 players, playing 9 singles and 1 doubles match.

(e) All evening matches shall start no later than 7.45 p.m. and all afternoon matches shall start no later than 2.30 p.m. unless an earlier or later time is mutually agreed. A team not ready to play at the arranged times shall forfeit 1 set for each 15 minutes or part thereof that they are late.

(f) The Home team shall send to the Competition Secretary and to any other nominated officer, within 72 hours after the match is played, complete results or sheets or cards signed by both captains. Failure to do so may result in the match being awarded to the Visiting team.

(g) Points awarded for all competitions shall be on the basis of one point per set won. If level, the team winning most matches shall be placed highest. If still level, the team winning most games shall be placed highest. If still level, the team losing the least games shall be placed highest. If still level, the team winning most points shall be placed highest.

(h) All sets will be played as the best of 5 games, each game will be up to 11 points.

8 CLAIMS AND APPEALS

(a) Any claim or appeal must be sent to the Competition Secretary within 7 days of the day agreed for the playing of the match.

(b) All cases of claims, appeals, or infringements of the Rules shall be decided in such a manner as the Competition Sub-Committee consider fit.

competition, subject to the decision of the Management Committee.

9 REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS

(a) Each season all leagues shall register players by supplying the competitions Secretary with separate ranking lists of Mens, Ladies Veterans, Super Veterans, Juniors and Cadets and state the club for which they play. In addition, for the Veterans, Super Veterans, Juniors and Cadets the date of birth must be supplied. All lists must be with the Competitions Secretary by the 30th September of the current season. Any League failing to provide a ranking list containing all the relevant information will be fined £5.00 per list, (this includes dates of birth where applicable), for any list not received by the 30th September, with a total maximum fine per League of £20.00. Additional players may be registered and/or the order of merit altered subject to the written approval of the Competitions Secretary. Any such alterations shall only be allowed after 1st January of the current season in exceptional circumstances.

(b) All registered players shall be entitled to represent their league, provided that they are bone fide members of a club team within that league and have, during the current season or previous season, represented the team in at least 25% of its matches, to be calculated at the time of playing each Inter League match. In the event of a dispute the Competition Secretary shall have the right to request any League to provide proof that a player has played in that League in the relevant season. Exemption may be granted in the case of Cadets, Juniors and Ladies and Super Veterans who have not played in the specified 25% of their matches. A letter requesting exemption shall be sent by league Match Secretary to the Competition Secretary; such permission shall not be given to any player who currently represents another league in the Wilmott Cup, Rose Bowl, Carter Cup or Bromfield Trophy.

(d) Players competing in the Cadet, Junior, Veteran or Super Veteran Championships shall be eligible to compete in the Senior Championships without prejudicing their standing in the Cadet, Junior, Veterans or Super Veteran Championships.

(e) In the Mens, Ladies, Veterans, Super Veterans and Cadet competitions, the top three registered players shall be eligible to play only for the 1st team and the top six players shall not be eligible to play below the 2nd team and so on. In the Mixed competition, the top two Men and the top two Ladies shall be eligible to play only for the 1st team and the top four Men and top four Ladies shall not be eligible to play below the 2nd team and so on. In the Junior competition the top four players shall be eligible to play only for the 1st team, and the top eight players shall not be eligible to play below the 2nd team and so on. A player having played twice, in a higher team shall not thereafter be eligible to play in a lower team, but in extenuating circumstances, and with the consent of the Competitions Secretary, a player may be reinstated in a lower team. In the event of an unregistered or ineligible player taking part in a match, the ties affected will be awarded to the opposing league.

10 AGE LIMITS

Players competing in the Cadets Competition must have been under 15 years of age and players competing in the Junior championships must have been under 18 years of age on 1st January of the playing season, and players competing in the Veterans Championships must have attained the age of 40 and players competing in the Supr Veterans Championships must have attained the age of 60 by the same date.

11 FINANCE

Teams shall be responsible for their own expenses.

12 THE LAWS OF TABLE TENNIS

As approved by the English Table Tennis Association shall apply at all times, including the International Table Tennis Federation Law 2.4.6:- The surface of one side of the racket shall be bright red and the surface of the other side shall be black, whether or not both sides are used for striking the ball.

13 CONDITIONS OF PLAY

These shall be as laid down by the English Table Tennis Association for 1-Star Open Tournament play.

14 ALTERATION TO RULES

(a) Alterations to these Rules shall be made at a Management Committee Meeting convened for the purpose.

(b) Proposals for changes to the Rules to be considered by the Management Committee shall be submitted in writing to reach the Competitions Secretary not later than 1st February. All proposals so received shall be circulated to all Leagues by 1st March and amendments or alterations to proposals shall be considered by the Management Committee if submitted in writing and received by the Competitions Secretary by 31st March.

(c) Details of proposed Rule changes and amendments shall be sent to all Leagues at least 7 days prior to the Management Committee Meeting.

15 ANY MATTER NOT COVERED

These Rules shall be dealt with by the Competitions Sub-Committee.

Essex County Table Tennis Association

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Founded in 1938