1. Introduction:

a) The ITTA is aware that the majority of players and coaches in our sport behave impeccably during matches. However, there are some who demonstrate behaviour which may unfairly affect an opponent, offend spectators or bring the sport into disrepute.

b) The offence described in the ITTF regulations is as follows: Players, coaches and other advisers shall refrain from behaviour that may unfairly affect an opponent, offend spectators, or bring the sport into disrepute.

c) The ITTA therefore operates a Sanctions Scheme to deal with such behaviour. This type of behaviour can consist of, among other things, using abusive language, deliberately breaking the ball or hitting it out of the playing area, kicking the table or surrounds and disrespect of match officials.

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2. Sanctions Scheme:

a) Sanctions are penalties over and above ITTF rules which the ITTA will impose on players or coaches who misbehave or bring the game into disrepute.

b) Therefore any player or coach who is given cards on three occasions during a specific tournament will be sanctioned by being made ineligible for entry for the next event to be played. In the situation of a person being carded three times in the last event of the season, the ineligibility would apply to the first event of the subsequent season.

c) To be clear by carded three times in a tournament, we mean any combination of the following:

i. A player or coach who is yellow carded in three separate matches, whether on the same day or on different days, whether in the same event or different events.

ii. A player who is yellow carded in a match and then receives a yellow/red in the same match who has already been carded in an earlier match or is subsequently carded in a later match.

iii. A coach who is yellow carded and then receives a red card in the same match who has already been carded in an earlier match or is subsequently carded in a later match.

d) Similarly if a player or coach is carded five times during a season in two or more separate events he/she will be ineligible for the next event.

e) Cards awarded to a person as a coach or adviser will be added to those awarded to them as a player.

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3. Appeal Procedure:

a) In the first instance an appeal should be to the Referee, on the day of the event, who would have to be convinced that the Umpire(s) in question had acted in a partisan or unreasonable manner, or had applied the rules incorrectly in issuing the cards in the first place.

b) While it is not mandatory that a person appeal to the referee on the day of the tournament (the Referee may be one of the Officials who issued the cards), the fact that they did not do so may be taken into account if they subsequently appeal.

c) The second level of the appeal is to the ITTA Umpires & Referees Appeals Committee, who would equally need to be convinced that the Umpire(s) and/or the Referee in question had acted in a partisan or extremely unreasonable manner, or had applied the rules incorrectly in issuing the cards in the first place. This appeal must be lodged within 7 days of receiving the card and the appeal determined, where practical, within 14 days of the event concerned.

d) The Umpire’s decisions as to matters of fact are not open to appeal.

4. Appeal Committee:

The Committee will consist of three qualified umpires chaired preferably by an International Umpire, selected by the committee of ITTA Umpires & Referees Association (U & RA) excluding any umpires involved in the relevant incidents.

5. National & Provincial Application:

a) The ITTA is conscious that there are different levels of umpire availability in the different provinces, and that this could lead to a perception of unfairness. This Sanctions Scheme will therefore be operated at two levels i.e. Provincial and National.

b) By Provincial the Association means events, leagues etc. played by players from a single province and not open to players from other provinces. Cards awarded in these events are counted in terms of Provincial sanction, the penalty being ineligibility for the next provincial event. c) By National the Association means all other events, including representative matches run under the auspices of the ITTA. Cards awarded in these events are counted in terms of National sanction, the penalty being ineligibility for the next National event.

d) Cards awarded in tournaments run by other Associations to players playing outside the Island of Ireland are counted in the National category.

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6. New Season:

a) All players start a new season with no cards on their record, but any outstanding ineligibility will apply.

b) The ITTA U&RA will maintain a register of cards awarded and make this available to event organizers. Equally, event organisers will inform the U&RA of any cards awarded at their event.

c) Reports will be provided by the U&RA as required by the ITTA Board.

7. When does a ban take effect:

a) In the event of a player submitting a notice of immediate acceptance of the sanction within three days of the ending of the relevant tournament (being the tournament in which the person was carded three times, or their year- to-date accumulation of cards reached 5), then the ban will be the next available event beginning after the lodgement of the notice.

b) In the event of a person not submitting a notice of acceptance, and not lodging an appeal within the seven days, then the ban will be the next available event beginning after the appeal lodgement period.

c) In the event of a person appealing, then the ban will be the next available event beginning after the hearing of the appeal.

d) A ban cannot be served while a player is playing in another tournament. e.g. a player banned from playing in The Leinster Open is not permitted to play in the Jersey Open instead on the same weekend.

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8. Exceptions:

a) Sanctions are meant to penalise the individual concerned for his or her bad behaviour, and not any potential team mates, and it is therefore important to keep a sense of proportionality in matching the punishment to the offence.

b) The following major team events will not qualify as events for which a ban can be served:-

b1 World Championships
b2 European Championships
b3 Senior & Junior Interprovincial Championships

c) The ban will be served as stated in Section 7 ignoring the events listed in Section 8 above

d) None of the above removes the right and/or responsibility of the Board to have cognisance of the reputation of Irish Table Tennis, and if they feel it necessary for them to direct those charged with player selection not to select a player whose behaviour is viewed as unacceptable then they should do so.

3. Season dates:

For the purposes of the Sanction Scheme the season shall run from the 1st July until the following 30th June.

ITTA Board
20 August 2011