RULES

R1 Registration of Teams and Players

a. Every team must complete the League Entry Form and send it to the Match Secretary of the League to arrive on, or before, the date stated on the form. The Executive Committee will decide on the form of the League.

b. Every player must be properly registered for their team on one of the League Registration Forms, and the Match Secretary must have received an appropriately completed form at least three days before a player can participate in his/her first match. Any points found to have been won by an ineligible player will be awarded to the opposition.

c. Players cannot be registered or transferred after the end of November without the permission of the Executive Committee.

d. Players should, in the first instance, be registered to a specific team, and play their matches for that team. Permission can be sought from the Match Secretary for a player to represent a team other than the one he/she is registered to. Players will not be allowed to drop more than one division.

e. No player will play in a re-arranged match unless they were eligible to play in the original fixture. For clubs with more than one team, no player will play for more than one team in one week's fixtures unless the Match Secretary of the Executive Committee has given prior permission. Any points found to have been won by an ineligible player will be awarded to the opposition.

f. Any player discovered playing under an assumed name will be liable to suspension for the remainder of the season. In any match where a player is found to have used an assumed name, the opposing team will be awarded the 10 available points, and the offending team will be fined an amount to be determined by the Executive Committee.

g. No player will be eligible to play in any fixture (scheduled or rearranged) on or after February 16th if he/she has not played in at least 3 league matches prior to that date, unless specifically permitted to do so by the Match Secretary or the Executive Committee. Any points found to have been won by an ineligible player will be awarded to the opposition.

R2 Fees

a. The annual subscription will be set annually by the Executive Committee, and members will be informed at the Annual General Meeting. The subscription will include E.T.T.A. and C.T.T.A. fees, and will entitle a team to three tickets for the annual presentation evening. There will also be a levy raised from each team as a contribution to the costs of running the annual Town Championships. All players in a team must be registered with the Match Secretary, but there is no separate fee for each player, and no limit to the number of players that may be registered. No player may be registered for more than one team.

b. Prior to the beginning of each season, Team Secretaries, or their representative, will be required to attend a brief meeting at which they will be expected to pay all League Fees, and to collect Handbooks and Scorecards for the forthcoming season. Any team not paying its fees by September 30th of the season in question shall be suspended from the League until such fees have been paid.

R3 League Fixtures/Matches

a. A league fixture, cup competitions excepted, will consist of nine singles matches and one doubles match, each comprising the best of five games. Teams may consist of three or four players. The fourth player may only play in the doubles match. Games will be played to 11 and will be won by the first player/pair to score 11 points unless both players/pairs score 10 points, in which case the game will be won by the first player/pair to gain two clear points. Service will change after every two points, except where both players/pairs score 10 points, in which case service will then change after every point. All matches must be played according to E.T.T.A. rules, and, specifically, balls and bat coverings must conform to E.T.T.A. approved Laws of Table Tennis.

b. A team will receive one point for each singles or doubles match won.

c. In extreme circumstances, scheduled League and Volcrepe fixtures may be re-arranged by the relevant Team Secretaries, but ideally should take place within fourteen days of the original date.

Should this prove impossible then, by agreement with both Team Secretaries, the postponed match may be amalgamated with a subsequent match and played for double points. The Match Secretary must be informed of any such arrangement otherwise the team initially requesting the postponement will concede ten points to the opposing team. If agreement cannot be reached, and/or the match is not played within the time allowed, the defaulting team will concede ten points to the opposing team.

Teams should ensure that all League and Volcrepe matches are played by the Friday of the last week of normal League fixtures.

The Match Secretary must be informed of any re-arranged fixture.

d. A minimum of three days notice must be given to re-arrange or cancel a fixture otherwise the offending team will forfeit the match, unless agreement can be reached by the Team Secretaries concerned.

e. Matches will be in the sole charge of the captains of each team, and each team must alternately provide an umpire.

f. The normal starting time for matches will be 7.30pm unless specified otherwise in the team details published in the handbook. One player from each team should be present and ready to play at the specified starting time. Any team causing the late start of a match will be liable to a fine [see Rules : Section R5].

g. If, by 7.30pm, or an agreed later time, a team is not represented, the opposing team will have the option of claiming the match and the ten available points. However, it should be appreciated that there may be genuine reasons for a late arrival e.g. adverse weather, traffic conditions etc., and some leeway is recommended. Any team which thinks they have been unfairly penalised for an unavoidable and unintentional late arrival may appeal to the Executive Committee via the General Secretary [see rule k below].

h. Except by prior agreement between the two Team Secretaries, any player scheduled to play who arrives after 8.45pm will be considered to have lost his/her matches, and the points will be awarded to the opposing team.

i. Matches should be played in card order unless team captains agree otherwise. When it is not possible to maintain card order because of a player's late arrival, the captain of the opposing team can choose the order of play.

j. Notification of match results : The Match Secretary must receive score cards within one week of matches being played or postponed. Teams failing to comply

will be liable to a fine [see Rules : Section R5]. Any team failing to send in two consecutive home match score cards will be liable to a higher fine, and loss of points for those matches [see Rules : Section R5].

k. Protests : Any protest concerning a match must be made in writing to the General Secretary within 48 hours of the night of the match. A copy of the letter should also be sent to the Secretary of the opposing team.

l. Playing conditions : Matches must be played on regulation tables. Any complaints regarding playing conditions must be sent in writing to the General Secretary for consideration by the Executive Committee.

R4 End of season

a. The team in each division that accumulates the most points will be champions.

b. In the event of two or more teams finishing the season on equal points, final League places will be determined by analysing the results of the League fixtures played between those teams during the season, as follows:-

Teams will be placed in the order of the number of matches won. If this fails to separate the teams, they will be placed on the basis of the number of games won, then if still tied, on the basis of the number of points won. Should a tie still result, a play-off fixture, or fixtures, at a neutral venue will decide the final League positions.

c. Trophies will be awarded to the winners and runners-up in each division, at the annual Presentation Evening.

d. A trophy will be presented for each division to the player who has won the most matches during the season.

e. At the end of a season, the top two teams in any division other than the highest will be promoted, and the bottom two teams in any division other than the lowest will be relegated. However, in the event of any division consisting of 8 or fewer teams, then only one team will be promoted or relegated. Such promotions and relegations will occur unless resignations or other exceptional circumstances, as approved by the Executive Committee, warrant a team staying in a given division irrespective of their end of season position.

R5 Fines and penalties

a. Late score card - £2; two consecutive late score cards - £4, and a loss of any points gained from the two related matches.

b. Late start to a match - £2

c. No representative at the Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary General Meeting - £5

d. Return of Perpetual Trophies in an unclean condition - £10

e. Team Secretaries will be notified in writing of any fines incurred, and payment should be made within fourteen days of receipt of the notification.

R6 Cup Competitions : The Volcrepe Cup

a. The Volcrepe Cup competition is an inter-divisional handicap competition for teams consisting of three players, and is played on a knock-out basis. All teams registered with the Glossop League will automatically be entered in the Cup.

b. To be eligible to play, a player must be registered with a League team, and must have played in at least two League matches prior to the first round of the Cup competition.

c. Every eligible player will be allocated a personal handicap. The team for each match can comprise any three of a team's eligible players. The team handicap will be the total of the individual handicaps of the three players selected for that match.

d. Any points found to have been won by an ineligible player will be awarded to the opposition.

e. Volcrepe Cup matches should be played in the weeks allocated in the fixture list unless otherwise authorised by the Match Secretary.

f. Matches will comprise eighteen games, and the games should be played in scorecard order wherever possible.

g. Each player will play one singles game against each of the three members of the opposing team, making 9 singles games in all.

h. Each team will form three doubles pairings. Each pairing will play one doubles game against each of the doubles pairings from the opposing team, making nine doubles games in all.

i. All games will be played to 21-up, with a change of service every 5 points.

j. Players should change ends as soon as one player reaches a score of 11 points.

k. The winner/s of a game will be the first to 21 points unless a score of 20 – 20 is reached, in which case the game will be won by the first player/s to gain a lead of two clear points.

l. The total number of points scored by a team in the 18 games is to be added to that team's handicap, and the resulting total will constitute the team's final score. Whichever team finishes with the highest points total will be the winner of the match. In the event of a tie the match will be replayed with the venue reversed.

m. It is the responsibility of the home team captain to ensure delivery of the scorecard to the Match Secretary within one week of a match being played. Failure to do so will leave the offending team liable to a fine [see Rules : Section R5].

n. The venue for the final may be agreed, in consultation with the Match Secretary, by the two Team Secretaries representing the finalists. If agreement cannot be reached on a suitable venue, the Match Secretary will nominate the venue. An official, who will be in sole charge of the match, will represent the League at the final. In the event of the final being tied, the match will be replayed at the earliest opportunity.

o. The winners and runners-up will receive trophies at the annual Presentation Evening.

p. Any variation to the rules of the competition can only be made at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

R7 Town Championships

a. In order to qualify for the Town Championships, players must have played in at least 4 League matches in the current season prior to one week before the date of the Championships. Players who have not played in the required number of matches may apply to the Executive Committee for special consideration.

b. The Town Championships' Organiser, his/her assistant, and the League Chairman shall decide the number of events and the rules for each event.

c. At the discretion of the Town Championships' Organiser, a competition may be run at the Championships for local juniors who need not be members of the League.

d. Each Team Secretary will be sent full details of the Town Championships, including the closing dates for entry, details of entry fees, and an application form, at least four weeks before the date of the Championships.

e. The winners and runners-up in each event will be presented with trophies at the annual Presentation Evening.

R8 J D Trophy

The J D Trophy may be presented annually to a person, or team, associated with the Glossop and District Table Tennis League that has shown outstanding sportsmanship, or made a significant contribution to table tennis, during the year. Any registered League player may make nominations to the League Secretary up until the end of the season. The Chairman, League Secretary and Treasurer will decide who is to receive the trophy Should no nominations be received, the trophy will not be presented.

R9 Trophies

All Perpetual Trophies will remain the property of the League and cannot be won outright. The safe care and return of any Trophy awarded will be the responsibility of either the person, or the Secretary of the Team, currently holding it. All Perpetual Trophies, presented either to individuals or teams, must be returned in a clean condition to the Trophy Organiser before the end of February each season. Any team failing to meet these requirements will be named at the AGM, and be liable to a fine [see Rules : Section R5].