Pennant Regulations

W.A.T.T.A.

PENNANT REGULATIONS (as at 03/05/2010)

FOREWORD: The object of Pennant Competition is the provision of properly controlled inter-club competition, enabling players who have reached the standard of the various grades, to compete against players of the same grade over a given period, thereby obtaining consistent practice and assisting to better the standard of Table Tennis generally. Also to create friendly rivalry between clubs with the same end in view and to award trophies to those clubs whose teams prove to be the strongest in each grade throughout the competition.

1. CLUBS:

A club shall comprise a team or teams admitted to a Pennant Competition of the Association and shall nominate at least 4 registered players (3 for 2-player competition) when only 1 team is nominated and at least 3 players (2 for 2-player competition) for each team when two or more teams are nominated.

2. SEASON:

A season shall be the period of any year during which the Association shall conduct pennant fixtures.

3. TEAMS:

(a) Subject to sub clause (b) the winter season Open Pennant Competition and the spring season Open Pennant Competition shall comprise 3 player teams in all grades. The summer season Open Pennant Competition shall comprise 2 player teams in all grades.

(b) A team shall consist of 3 singles players (2 for 2-player competition) and, if wished, additional player(s) who may participate in a maximum of two doubles rubbers per fixture. Clubs may enter more than 1 team and the Match Committee shall, at its discretion, admit more than 1 team from the same club to compete in a single grade provided that no player, during the course of a season, shall represent more than 1 of these teams, unless permission is FIRST obtained from the Match Committee.

4. NOMINATION OF TEAMS:

Team nomination shall be lodged at the WATTA Centre by the closing date for entries and shall be accompanied by a team nomination fee of an amount fixed annually at the Annual General Meeting.

5.REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS:

A registration fee of an amount fixed annually at the Annual General Meeting is payable by players competing in Pennants. Initial registration of players, with the full names and addresses of players entered on an official W.A.T.T.A. Registration Form, shall be in the hands of the Association by the closing date for pennant team entries. Any player who is not included in the initial registration may play one fixture before being registered, but shall not be permitted to play any further fixtures until approval is obtained from the Match Committee and the player's registration fee is paid.

6. COMPOSITION OF GRADES:

(a) The Match Committee shall compose grades having regard to the standard of play of ALL nominated players in a team.

(b) Players may play in a fixture for a team once only in any one Calendar year prior to nomination for that team but must obtain permission to do so from the Match Director. Such a player must then apply to the Match Committee in writing for permission to play in further fixtures and obtain written permission from the Match Committee to do so. The Match Committee shall have the right to make a visual assessment of the standard of play of any person for whom approval is sought, prior to considering the matter. Non-compliance with these requirements shall result in forfeiture of that player's rubbers. This regulation does not apply to the highest grade.

7. PENNANT FIXTURES:

A Pennant Fixture shall comprise a competition between any 2 teams in any one grade as follows:

(a) "3-Player Teams - 11 rubbers” consisting of 9 singles and 2 doubles. All rubbers to be best of five games (11 up).

(b) "3-Player Teams - 9 rubbers” consisting of 6 singles and 3 doubles. All rubbers to be best of five games (11 up).

The order of play is as detailed in Regulation 8 hereof. Pennant fixtures shall be conducted on the dates and at the venues decided by the Match Committee and shall, subject to Regulation 9(c), commence no later than 7.30 p.m.

8. ORDER OF PLAY:

(a) "3-Player Competition - 11 Rubber" - The 3 singles players on one team are designated A, B and C respectively and the 3 singles players on the other team are designated X, Y and Z respectively and there are 2 differently constituted doubles pairs on each team, designated 1 and 3 for one team and 2 and 4 for the other team.

1st: A v X;	2nd: B v Y;	3rd: C v Z;	4th: 1 v 2;	5th: B v X;
6th: A v Z;	7th: C v Y;	8th: 3 v 4;	9th: B v Z;	1Oth: C v X;	11th: A v Y;

(b) "3-Player Competition - 9 Rubber" - The 3 singles players on one team are designated A, B and C respectively and the 3 singles players on the other team are designated X, Y and Z respectively and there are 3 differently constituted doubles pairs on each team provided no player may compete in more than two doubles in any one fixture. Pairs shall be designated 1, 3 and 5 for one team and 2, 4 and 6 for the other team.

1st: 1 v 2;	2nd: A v X;	3rd: B v Y;	4th: C v Z;	5th: 3 v 4;
6th: A v Y;	7th: C v X;	8th: B v Z;	9th: 5 v 6;

(c) "2-Player Competition" - The 2 singles players on one team are designated A & B respectively and the 2 singles players on the other team are designated X & Y respectively and there is 1 constituted doubles pair on each team designated 1 & 2.

1st: A v X;

2nd: B v Y;

3rd: B v X;

4th: A v Y;

5th: 1 v 2.

A break of up to 5 minutes is permitted between the second and third rubbers.

The Home Team shall have the choice of being ABC (AB) or XYZ (XY) and this decided, each captain shall privately list their order of play on the official score sheet including the player ranking. Before commencing a doubles rubber the pair selected by each captain shall likewise be listed in private, and then entered on the official score sheet. The order of play thus determined may only be altered by mutual agreement between the captains. In the event of a club being unable to field a full team, the players available shall take part in the fixture and the absentee player(s) shall forfeit their full number of rubbers to the opposing team (See Regulation 9(c)).

9. SCORING OF POINTS:

(a) In a pennant fixture a team shall score 2 points if it wins on rubbers and 1 point if it draws on rubbers. Teams to whom a forfeit is awarded shall be deemed to have won the fixture by 7 rubbers to 0 (4 rubbers to 0 for 2 player competition). Should 2 or more teams have equal premiership points at the end of the qualifying round(s) of fixtures then there shall be a count-back on rubbers, games and points for and against in that order to determine the placing of teams on the premiership table. For this purpose all rubbers, games and points, whether played or forfeited, shall be taken into account.

(b) The winning team shall place a completed official score sheet signed by both Captains, in the score sheet box at the WATTA Centre immediately after playing the fixture. A team failing to comply with this condition may lose all rubbers, games and points won in respect of the particular pennant fixture. Teams receiving a forfeit shall forward in like manner a signed official score sheet to this effect.

(c) No pennant fixture shall commence unless at least 2 players (1 for 2-player competition) from each team be present at 7.30 p.m. Any fixture not commenced 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time shall be forfeited by the team that does not have at least 2 players (1 for 2-player competition) present. If a fixture does not start by 7.30 p.m. a report may be made to the Match Director on the back of the score sheet. Missing players shall forfeit any rubbers in a fixture for which they are not present when called upon to play. A fine may be imposed on any team forfeiting a fixture as per Clause 20B. No player from such a team shall be eligible to play in any competition, excepting the current pennant season up to finals, until such fine is paid. Any team forfeiting 3 fixtures in 1 season will automatically be withdrawn from the competition and any fixtures played will be treated as having been a bye.

(d) The score as completed at the bottom of the score sheet and signed by the two captains shall be deemed the result of the fixture and shall be so recorded. If the totals of rubbers shown as having been won by each team in the body of the score sheet are inconsistent with this score, then neither team shall be awarded any points in respect of this fixture.

10. WITHDRAWALS:

In the event that a team withdraws from the pennant competition without having been disqualified under Regulation 9(c), the Board of Management shall have the power to impose a penalty on that team.

11. INTERRUPTION TO PLAY:

Should an interruption to a pennant fixture occur, (e.g. a power failure), the fixture must be completed within 7 days with the same players and resuming at the point where the fixture was interrupted.

12. FINAL ROUND:

If the Match Committee determines that a final round is to be played after the preliminary round(s) of the season have been completed, it shall be contested on one of the following bases: -

(a) Final Five
Elimination Final	4th Team	V	5th Team
Qualifying Final	2nd Team	V	3rd Team
1st Semi-Final	Winner Elimination Final	V	Loser Qualifying Final
2nd Semi-Final	1st Team	V	Winner Qualifying Final
Preliminary Final	Winner 1st Semi-Final	V	Loser 2nd Semi-Final
Grand Final	Winner Preliminary Final	V	Winner 2nd Semi-Final
(b) (1) Final Four
First Semi-Final	3rd Team	V	4th Team
Second Semi-Final	1st Team	V	2nd Team
Preliminary Final	Winner 1st Semi-Final	V	Loser 2nd Semi-Final
Grand Final	Winner Preliminary. Final	V	Winner 2nd Semi-Final

(b) (2)

First Semi-Final 1st Team v 4th Team

Second Semi-Final 2nd Team v 3rd Team

Grand Final Winner 1st Semi-Final v Winner 2nd Semi-Final

To be eligible to play in final round fixtures in any given grade, a player must have played singles rubbers in no fewer than 1/3rd of the scheduled round fixtures in that grade, or a lower grade, in that season.

In final round fixtures the team finishing higher on the ladder, after the preliminary round fixtures, shall have the choice of being ABC (AB) or XYZ (XY).

13. PROMOTION & RELEGATION:

There shall be no automatic promotion or relegation of pennant teams or members thereof. The Match Committee shall rank all teams entered prior to the commencement of each season pursuant to Regulation 6(a).

14. PERMITS:

(a) A player may, subject to regulation 3, only play for the team in which they were nominated, or later into which they were graded, or in a team in a higher grade both in preliminary and final round fixtures except where exceptional approval is obtained from the Match Committee in writing. Under no circumstances may one player play for two different teams on the same night.

(b) If any player plays a stipulated number of fixtures in a higher grade, such a player may not then play again in a lower grade even if such player is nominated in that lower grade. The stipulated number of fixtures in a season comprised of 10 or less fixtures shall be three and in a season comprised of more than 10 fixtures shall be six.

(c) No player shall be permitted to play for more than one club in any pennant competition in the same season, whether that be in the same grade or in different grades, unless prior written approval is obtained from the Match Committee, which approval shall only be given if the Match Committee considers the circumstances to be extenuating.

15. BALLS & UMPIRING:

(a) The ball used shall be one of the brands approved by the Association and of a colour and grade decided upon by the Association prior to that pennant competition.

(b) The Home Team shall provide the ball except in final round fixtures when the Association will supply it.

(d) Umpires shall use scoring machines to record the scores of all rubbers played throughout the fixture.

16. CLUB RESPONSIBILITY:

Each club shall have at least 1 table for every 2 teams nominated to play in pennant competition, where the competition is conducted on a home and away basis – i.e. at a venue other than the WATTA Centre.

17. CONDITIONS OF PLAY:

(a) All pennant fixtures shall be conducted in accordance with the current I.T.T.F. Laws and Regulations.

(b) During pennant fixtures all players shall conform to current I.T.T.F. Dress Regulations and shall wear club colours.

which is displayed on the centre notice board.

18. QUERIES:

All queries regarding pennant fixtures shall be addressed in writing to the Match Director. If for any reason the Match Director is not available to receive & to resolve such queries in a timely manner, the other members of the Match Committee shall have the authority to do so, without reference to the Match Director.

19A. GRADE AVERAGES:

A player shall qualify for an average of rubbers won divided by rubbers played, singles only, x 100, provided that the player has played in at least half the scheduled preliminary round fixtures. Failure to lodge score sheets shall not affect individual player's averages. When two or more people have identical averages, a count back, in order, firstly by head to head results and secondly by aggregate, will be used to decide the winner.

19B. GRADE AGGREGATES

A player's grade aggregate shall be the number of preliminary singles rubbers which that player won during the season. If two or more players have won the same number of preliminary round singles rubbers during a season, they shall be ranked firstly in order of the number of games won and secondly, if required to determine their order, in order of the least number of games lost.

20A. POSTPONING OF FIXTURES

Clubs or teams may NOT postpone pennant fixtures solely by mutual agreement. Applications for all such changes must be made to the Match Director at least 24 hours prior to the fixture’s original date. Postponed fixtures must be played within 21 days of the original date and prior to the scheduled date for any final round fixture in that grade. No further postponement of that particular fixture shall be allowed. Neither team shall score points from fixtures not played within the specified time, unless the Match Committee imposes a forfeit on one of the teams.

Final round fixtures, other than Grand Finals, may be postponed for up to two days from the scheduled playing date. The Grand Final should not be postponed at all.

Notwithstanding the abovementioned restrictions on the postponement of fixtures, the Match Committee shall postpone any fixture, including a Grand Final, for such period as it thinks fit only if it considers the circumstances to be exceptional.

20B FINE FOR FORFEITS

A $24 fine shall be imposed on a team forfeiting a fixture unless such a forfeit has been notified at least 24 hours prior to the fixture to the opposing team captain, the Match committee and the Association office.

21. RULES FOR ABLE BODIED PLAYERS COMPETING AGAINST PLAYERS IN WHEELCHAIRS.

(a) The service to a player in a wheelchair shall be long enough for such player to reach from the normal seated position and directed so that the ball would cross the baseline of the table if not struck before this point.

(b) In doubles, the wheelchair player must maintain a position so that part of the chair is within a boundary made by the extension of the side lines of the table and no further away from the table than 2 metres.

22. POWERS OF THE MATCH COMMITTEE:

The Match Committee shall have the power to: -

(a) Hear and determine all protests and disputes concerning players, clubs and the Association and any other matter referred to it by the Association or the Executive Director of the Association provided that such matters relate only to the conduct of Pennant or WATTA Cup competition fixtures.

(b) Impose such disqualification or inflict such fines or other penalties as it may, subject to the rules, determine in regard to any matter referred to it.

These Regulations last amended 24/03/2010

WATTA

Main Menu

competitions