LEAGUE RULES 1. All clubs must register teams and players with the League Match Secretary on forms provided by the League prior to the commencement of each season. Once the season has commenced, individual details of new players and the teams in which they are to play must be registered with the League Match Secretary, together with all the fees referred to in article 4 of the Constitution. 2. Each club shall nominate home match days for its teams, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. 3. All players must be assigned on registration to a specific team, before they take part in any league match. A club with more than one team must define those teams as A/B/C/D etc. in bona fide order of merit. The terms higher and lower, as used in rule 5, refer to this designated order; e.g. A is always higher than B and so on. 4. No player shall be registered to play more than one division below the one in which he or she last played. Players may drop only one division. Exemptions from this rule will be permitted only with the prior approval of the Committee. 5. Teams may borrow a player (a substitute) for a match from another team in its club subject to the subsidiary rules below: (a) There shall not be any borrowing of substitute players from a higher to a lower team, except within the bottom division (currently the Two-a-Side division) or within any division when a club has no teams in any lower division. The only borrowings which may take place are from a lower to a higher team, provided that the higher team is in a higher division, and from a lower team to a higher team or vice versa within the bottom (2AS) division or within any division when a club has no teams in any lower division; (b) Substitute players may be borrowed twice in accordance with (a), but on a third appearance for any one team shall be deemed to have been promoted to that team and may not play for their original team again, unless the Committee grants a transfer. Once promoted, they are subject to the rules as if starting in a new team: they may not, for instance, play as a substitute for another team of the same club in their new division; (c) No such third substitute appearance is permitted to players subbing DOWN in the bottom (Two-a- Side) division as permitted by (a); (d) Players may be registered to play in both the 2AS and in the lowest 3AS division concurrently ( dual registration ). In such cases, they may appear as substitutes or as regular players in the lowest 3AS division; (e) A third substitute appearance shall not take place in the last six weeks assigned in the handbook for League matches i.e. the last four weeks designated for league matches and the two extra weeks allocated for completion of all matches; exceptions to this ruling may only be granted at the discretion of the League Match Secretary. (f) Teams shall not field more than one substitute in any one match. 6. No player shall move to another club during the season without a transfer being granted by the Committee. Any application for a transfer must be made to the League Match Secretary and accompanied by a transfer fee* and a letter of release from the secretary of the club the player wishes to leave. 7. A match result card, provided by the home team, must be sent to the League Match Secretary by the home team captain to arrive by the Wednesday of the week following that scheduled for the match or a fine* will be incurred. Should the League Match Secretary be obliged to chase up the missing card, a further fine* may be imposed. * See Schedule of Fines and Charges
8. The League shall operate divisions of teams comprised of three players a match (3AS divisions) and may operate (a) division(s) of two players a match (2AS division(s)). The League shall number the divisions in order of general playing strength, with division 1 being the strongest. Matches shall be played by three registered players in each side in the 3AS divisions and by two registered players in each side in the 2AS division(s). Each one shall play each of the opposing players. One set of doubles shall be played as the final set, or as agreed by opposing captains before the start of the match. Extra registered players (who did not play in the singles) and substitutes may play in the doubles. Each set shall be the best of five games. The "home" captain shall declare the order of play of his own team first, followed by the "away" captain. This order shall be strictly adhered to, unless mutually agreed before commencement of the match, or where rule 20 applies. 9.a) 9.b) 11 POINT SCORING SYSTEM A Game A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points, unless both players or pairs score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points. The Order of Serving, Receiving and Ends After each 2 points have been scored the receiving player or pair shall become the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs score 10 points or the expedite system is in operation, when the sequence of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn. The player or pair serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match, and in the last possible game of a doubles match the pair due to receive next shall change their order of receiving when first one pair scores 5 points. The player or pair starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a match the players or pairs shall change ends when first one player or pair scores 5 points. 9.c) The Expedite System The expedite system shall come into operation, if a game is unfinished after 10 minutes play or at an earlier time at the request of both players or pairs. It shall not be introduced in a game, if at least 18 points have been scored. If the expedite system is introduced, or if a game lasts longer than 10 minutes, all subsequent games of the match shall be played under the expedite system. 9.d) Intervals Play shall be continuous throughout a match, except that any player is entitled to an interval of up to 1 minute between successive games of a match and brief intervals for towelling after every 6 points from the start of each game and at the change of ends in the last possible game of a match. 10. (a) Each 3AS match shall consist of 10 games. Points will be awarded on the following basis:- Teams winning 10-0, 9-1, 8-2 4 points Teams winning 7-3, 6-4 3 points Teams losing 0-10, 1-9, 2-8 0 point Teams losing 3-7, 4-6 1 point Teams drawing 5-5 2 points In the event that there are only two players per side:- Teams winning 5-0 3 points Teams winning 4-1 2 points Teams winning 3-2 1 point Teams losing 3-2 0 point
(b) Each 2AS match shall consist of 5 games. One point will be awarded for every individual match won. If one player is missing from Team B, then Team A start the match 3-0 up, with just the two further points to play for. If both teams have only one player, the match score starts at 1-1, and the one singles is played for the 2-1 win. 11. The team in each division having the greatest number of points will be awarded the appropriate League Championship. In the event of a tie, the Championship, promotion and relegation placings shall be decided on sets won. However, if a tie still occurs, then most matches won in head-to-head results shall determine the higher position and, if still tied, most sets won head-to-head and, if that is still tied, most points won. 12. Any club withdrawing a team, or having one expelled, from a division shall be fined* or otherwise dealt with as the Committee may determine. 13. If financial loss is incurred by opponents of defaulting clubs, these clubs shall be entitled to make application through the Committee for reimbursement. 14. Each match (fixture) shall normally be played during the week indicated in the fixture list on the day of the week nominated by the home team as its home night. It shall be played at the home team s venue unless the teams agree to play elsewhere. A match may be rearranged to be played before the scheduled date or up to seven days after the scheduled date by mutual consent of the two team captains. Either team captain may request that a match be postponed beyond seven days after it is scheduled. If the request is granted, the home team captain shall offer at least two alternative dates, avoiding Saturdays and Sundays, for the match to be played. It is the responsibility of the team captain that has had the request granted to ensure that the match is played and to inform the League Match Secretary of the arrangements (postponement and rearrangement date). Failure to inform the League Match Secretary of arrangements or matches postponed for more than a month will incur a fine (see schedule of fines and charges). THERE IS NO OBLIGATION ON ANY TEAM CAPTAIN TO ACCEPT A REQUEST FOR A REARRANGEMENT OR A POSTPONEMENT. (a) No team captain may postpone more than two matches in a season except with the express prior permission of the Committee. Even then this does not give the requesting team captain any rights to have the request accepted. Any team exceeding the limit without Committee permission shall be dealt with under the schedule of fines and charges. There is no limit to the number of rearrangements allowed. (b) Matches (fixtures) must be honoured, even if only one team member and one substitute are available to play. (c) All matches must be completed by the final date as laid down by the Committee and shown in the handbook beneath the fixture grid. 15. In the event that a team fails to turn up for a match, the opponent club s Secretary may claim the points for the match from the League Match Secretary. A club claiming points must at the same time advise opponents that such a claim is being made. The Committee shall decide whether any claim is upheld or whether the teams are required to play the match on a different date. 16. Any team conceding a match may be fined. Any team conceding two league games in a season may result in all that team s matches being deemed void. 17. Fines and charges will be agreed at the first committee meeting after the AGM and will be deducted from the deposit. If at any time the fines exceed the amount of the deposit, then any excess must be paid and the deposit reinstated within fourteen days. Failure to do so will entail automatic suspension of all teams of the club until payment is made. * See Schedule of Fines and Charges
18. Matches shall be played on one/two standard size table(s) and standard balls and equipment must be used. The Committee shall have the power to investigate, advise on playing conditions, and suspend clubs whose conditions do not meet satisfactory requirements. 19. Bat rubbers must be bright red on one side and black upon the other. 20. All matches must commence by 7.15 p.m. At 7.15 p.m. two players from each side must be present or a fine* per absent player will be levied. At 7.45 p.m. two players from each side must be present or the match shall be forfeited by the offending team, who will then be fined*. At 8.30 p.m. all players must be present, or the sets of the absent player shall be forfeited. If each side is a player short, the match will end on completion of the fifth set. 21. Usually the teams occupying the two top positions of a division at the end of a season shall be promoted to the next highest division, and the teams occupying the two bottom positions shall be relegated to the next lowest division. However, there will not be any promotion or relegation between the 3AS and 2AS divisions. Before the commencement of the season, teams shall be placed in the divisions at the Committee's discretion, but having regard to this rule. 22. All rules made by Table Tennis England and by the O&DTTA governing games shall be strictly adhered to, and any infringement of the rules shall be investigated and dealt with by the Committee. 23. The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules, and the decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Association not provided for by these rules shall be final and binding on the members. 24. Any member may appeal against the decision of the Committee to the County Association within twenty-eight days of such decisions being made by the Committee. * See Schedule below SCHEDULE Of FINES And CHARGES Penalty/Charge CONSTITUTION 3&4. Failure to pay fees on time 10.00 10. No representative at the annual general meeting 10.00 15. Failure to return trophies in time (per senior trophy) 10.00 15. Failure to return trophies in time (per junior trophy) 5.00 LEAGUE RULES 6. Player transfer fee 5.00 7. Late match card 5.00 7. Late match card after reminder, a further: 10.00 12. Withdrawal or expulsion of team (as decided) 14. Delayed rearrangement, exceeding postponement limit without Committee permission or failure to inform the 10.00 League Match Secretary of arrangements 16. Match conceded (subject to committee discretion) 10.00 20. Players absent at 7.15 p.m. (per player) 5.00 20. Match forfeited on time offence 10.00 DATA PROTECTION ACT It is not necessary for the league to register under the Act. However members may wish to know that the Oxford and District Table Tennis League will maintain a computer database containing the following personal information on members (Name, Address, Tel No, Date of Birth and Gender). The purpose of the data is to assist in contacting members to obtain further information and views and advise on events organised by the League and provide information to the English Table Tennis Association. Any member objecting to their details being held on a data base should contact the Secretary, in writing.