SPORT SPECIFIC INFORMATION Regularly updated, the Sport Specific Information document for the 2018 ITTF World Junior Circuit contains information, which complements the Directives published earlier in 2017. Please refer to these documents for detailed information regarding the most extensive aspect of the World Junior Programme; over 26 events are scheduled involving all six continental organisations. Notably the year 2017 witnessed the participation of 2197 players from 97 national associations. You are most welcome to join the growing ITTF World Junior Circuit in 2018! With the future in mind, Mounir BESSAH Head of Junior Program Steve DAINTON ITTF CEO
1. GENERAL TERMS In 2018, the ITTF continue with the following tiers on the ITTF World Junior Circuit: 1. Golden Series: a maximum of four (4) tournaments worldwide 2. Premium Events: a maximum of ten (10) tournaments worldwide 3. Regular Events: without a limit The specific requirements for each level of tournaments are: 1.1. Golden Series: ITTF approved flooring mandatory Show court implementation 1 for one (1) TV table from Day 1 (30-36 A-boards) Streaming all matches on the TV table on the ITTF YouTube channel, ittv or other ITTF chosen platform. Implementation of the ITTF Graphics for the streaming Five camera TV production of the singles finals (minimum four matches) Footage delivered to ITTF within 48 hours after conclusion of the event 10,000 USD in prize money for junior events No other tournaments organized simultaneously. Maximum of twelve (12) events Five day tournament on a minimum of 8 tables Schedule for finals agreed with the ITTF Competition Programme staff in advance Hospitality for up to 10 players offered at 50% of the official price, on a full board basis, for the ITTF Education and Training Programme 1.2. Premium events: ITTF approved flooring mandatory Show court implementation 1 for one (1) TV table at least for the last day of the junior singles events (30-36 A-boards) Streaming the singles finals (minimum four matches) on the TV table on the ITTF YouTube channel, ittv or other ITTF chosen platform. Implementation of the ITTF Graphics for the streaming TV production with minimum three cameras for the final day Footage delivered to ITTF within 48 hours after conclusion of the event 8,000 USD in prize money for junior events No other tournaments organized simultaneously. Maximum of fourteen (14) events Five day tournament on a minimum of 8 tables Hospitality for up to 8 players offered at 50% of the official price, on a full board basis, for the ITTF Education and Training Programme 1.3. Regular Events: ITTF Approved flooring is recommended, but not mandatory If the tournament has any TV streaming, it has to be done through the ITTF YouTube channel, ittv or other ITTF chosen or approved platform. Implementation of the ITTF Graphics for the streaming is recommended 3,000 USD in prize money for junior events Two to five day tournament depending on the number of events on a minimum of 6 tables 1 Either pyramidal or solid plastic inter-connected A-boards of 1.4 m size shall be used Page 2
2. SYSTEM OF PLAY The competition will include the following events: Junior Boys Singles (born in 2000 or later) mandatory Junior Girls Singles (born in 2000 or later) mandatory Junior Boys and Girls Team recommended Junior Boys and Girls Doubles recommended Cadet Boys and Girls events (born in 2003 or later) optional Mini Cadet Boys and Girls events (born in 2005 or later) optional Hopes Boys and Girl s events (born in 2006 or later) - optional SINGLES EVENTS The competition in the JBS and JGS (and in Cadet, Mini Cadet and Hopes events if also organized) will be played in two stages defined as: First Stage and Main Draw. In the First Stage participants will be divided generally in groups of 4 or 3 players with priority given to groups of 4 players for the junior events. As an exception to this rule, the ITTF Competition Manager can authorize the division of the players in groups of 4 and 5 players (for example if the Tournament includes only singles and doubles events but not teams); in this case, again the groups of 4 players will be the priority for junior events. Two players will advance from each group to the Main Draw. If the number of entries is greater than 64, in the junior events the higher 8 or 16 ranked players taking part in the event will advance directly to the Main Draw (except if the total number of groups is 16 or less) and also if the number of entries is very low, lucky losers can also complete in the Main Draw. The ITTF Competition Manager, in agreement with the Tournament Director is the sole responsible person for all matters concerning the system of play. Competition in the First Stage will be best of 5 games while the Main Draw will feature matches best of 7 games for the junior singles events. In CBS & CGS the ITTF Competition Manager will decide, in agreement with the Tournament Director and the Referee, if there will be players seeded directly in the main draw based on the number of tables and days for the tournament, and also if to give priority to groups of 4 or to groups of 3. In any case, two stages will be established as for the junior events. Same considerations will apply for Mini Cadets and Hopes events if organized as part of your World Junior Circuit event. DOUBLES EVENTS ITTF recommends running doubles events in parallel with the singles events, so participants can benefit more from the tournament. For the doubles, the system of play will be knock-out from the qualification stages through the finals. All matches will be best of 5 games. TEAM EVENTS The most common system for an ITTF Junior Circuit is to have a tournament including singles, doubles and TEAM events. For the team events two formats of play are recommended: the Corbillon Cup (AvX, BvY, doubles, AvY, BvX) or the New Swaythling Cup system (AvX, BvY, CvZ, AvY, BvX). The Team event format has to be announced at the time of publishing the calendar. The team event will be played in two stages, First Stage with groups of 3-4 teams and Main Draw with knock-out format. If the time allows, a consolation draw may be arranged as well. Additional international tournaments can be organized only on separate days and not parallel to the ITTF event, with the only exception being explicitly accepted combinations. 3. ENTRIES Page 3
Entries will only be accepted from ITTF Affiliated National Associations. By default, the deadline for entries is automatically set 30 days before the starting date of the Tournament in the Prospectus. Additional entries are not accepted after the deadline unless officially extended. There will be a charge of 25 cancellation fee for each player cancelled after the entry deadline. This period starts on the day of closing the final entries, 30 days before the event. These cancellation amounts will be added to the association s invoice to be paid together with the hospitality costs to the organizers either by bank transfer or by cash on site. The number of entries is limited based on the number of tables, number of events and number of competition days available, but participation is guaranteed for each association which has officially entered. Maximum number of entries is fixed according to the below chart: Events Tables Days Max. Entries Events Tables Days Max. Entries Events Tables Days Max. Entries 4 8 4 120 6 8 4 110 8 8 4 100 4 10 4 150 6 10 4 130 8 10 4 110 4 12 4 180 6 12 4 160 8 12 4 140 4 16 4 220 6 16 4 200 8 16 4 180 4 8 5 180 6 8 5 160 8 8 5 140 4 10 5 220 6 10 5 190 8 10 5 170 4 12 5 260 6 12 5 230 8 12 5 210 4 16 5 310 6 16 5 280 8 16 5 260 Events Tables Days Max. Entries Events Tables Days Max. Entries Events Tables Days Max. Entries 10 8 4 90 12 8 4 80 14 8 4 70 10 10 4 100 12 10 4 90 14 10 4 80 10 12 4 120 12 12 4 100 14 12 4 100 10 16 4 160 12 16 4 140 14 16 4 120 10 8 5 130 12 8 5 110 14 8 5 100 10 10 5 160 12 10 5 140 14 10 5 120 10 12 5 190 12 12 5 170 14 12 5 150 10 16 5 250 12 16 5 230 14 16 5 210 Note: Combinations of events/tables/days not covered in these tables will be decided by the ITTF Competition Programme staff. If the total number of entries exceeds the maximum acceptable number of players, each entering association is guaranteed to have at least 3 players per event and the remaining places will be filled by the Competition Manager to the maximum from the existing entry list according to the latest available World Ranking on the date of the entry deadline. All the other players will be placed automatically on a waiting list and can be late additions to the entries in order of the World Ranking if there is a sport cancellation. If there are more available places than players with World Ranking position, the entries shall be taken into consideration on a first come first served basis - that is those entries sent the earliest within the entry deadline. Entry limitation for the host association is different: the host is guaranteed to have 12 entries in each individual event. Page 4
4. SCHEDULE In tournaments combining junior and cadet events (12-14 events) there are two options available regarding the schedule: Option A: Days 1 and 2 for the junior individual events Days 3 and 4 for the junior teams and days 3, 4 & 5 for all cadet events Option B: Days 1 and 2 for the junior and cadet team events Days 3 and 4 (or 3, 4 and 5) for the junior and cadet individual events Note: in events scheduled in four days, only option B is considered, but it may be agreed by the Competition Programme to start the cadet singles on day 2. Schedule option chosen has to be announced at the time of publishing the calendar. 5. DRAWS The official draw for singles qualification groups takes place 2 days before the first competition day, 12:00 local time following the Snake System The draw for the team events will be made one or two days prior to the start of the team event depending on the schedule option. Preferably the printed information shall circulate before 19:00 hours of the day before competition start in each particular event. The Draw has to be conducted by the Referee and the ITTF Competition Manager together, however the Referee can delegate one of his Deputies/Assistants to perform this duty in co-operation with the CM. The event prospectus defines which ITTF World Ranking List is to be used for the draws. For team events, the addition of the points of the two best players of each team (if Corbillon System is used) or of the three best players of each team (if New Swaythling Cup system is used) will be used to determine the seeding lists. For doubles events, the addition of the points of the two players of the pair will be used to determine the seeding lists. The ITTF Results & Ranking Manager may give input upon request of the Competition Manager for unranked players. Alternatively, unranked players will be given a fixed amount of temporary points for seeding purposes (singles, doubles and teams) which will be the highest multiple of 25 less than the rating points of the lowest ranked player of the same gender. Example 1: the last male ranked player has 768 points, so all male unranked players will be given 750 temporary points. Example 2: the last female ranked player has 1037 points, so all female unranked players will be given 1025 temporary points. 6. WORLD JUNIOR CIRCUIT POINTS STANDINGS Page 5
Athletes participating in each ITTF World Junior Circuit event will earn points depending on their performance. The ITTF will publish an Overall Points Standing following each event. The basic table of points earned can be seen in Table 1: Position Points Winner 1000 Runner-up 700 Losers 1/2 finals 440 Losers 1/4 finals 280 Losers 1/8 finals 160 Losers 1/16 finals 80 Losers 1/32 finals 40 Losers 1/64 finals 20 Table 1: basic points These points will be multiplied by a factor, based on geographical criteria and on the tier of the tournament (see table 2). Geographical multiplication factor: For all events played outside the continent of their national association, participating athletes will benefit from a bonus points system. Points earned in these events will be multiplied by 1.25 for the points standings. Tier multiplication factor: For Golden Series and Premium events, participating athletes benefit from a bonus points system as well, Points earned in these events are multiplied by 1.2 and 1.4 respectively for the points standings. Tier Own Continent Other Continent Regular 1 1.25 Premium 1.2 1.5 Golden Series 1.4 1.75 Table 2: multiplication factors Summarizing, the points allocated in a tournament based on the tier and on the continent where a player competes are those in Table 3: Own Continent Other Continent Position Regular Premium Golden Series Regular Premium Golden Series Winner 1000 1200 1400 1250 1500 1750 Runner-up 700 840 980 875 1050 1225 Losers 1/2 finals 440 528 616 550 660 770 Losers 1/4 finals 280 336 392 350 420 490 Losers 1/8 finals 160 192 224 200 240 280 Losers 1/16 finals 80 96 112 100 120 140 Losers 1/32 finals 40 48 56 50 60 70 Losers 1/64 finals 20 24 35 25 30 35 Table 3: points earned based on tier and location Page 6
7. CONTINENTAL LIMIT There is a limit of maximum three tournaments in one continent to gain points on the ITTF Junior Circuit Standings. A player may compete in the Boys or Girls Singles events respectively at more than three tournaments in the same continent but only the three highest amounts of points earned in tournaments will be taken into account for points on the ITTF Junior Circuit Standings. 8. QUALIFICATON CRITERIA FOR FUTURE SCOLARSHIPS SYSTEM (COMING SOON) ITTF World Junior Circuit - website updates: Always remember to check the ITTF Website Junior Section for updates and new information. A prospectus for each ITTF World Junior Circuit event will be sent by e-mail to each association and posted on the ITTF Junior section of the ITTF website. 9. CONTACTS For more information contact: ITTF Competition Department Mounir BESSAH Head of Junior Program mbessah@ittf.com Tel: +974 55447688 Zoltan Bencsik Results & Ranking Manager zbencsik@ittf.com Page 7