Statement concerning changes on Rules and Regulations

	Statement concerning changes on Rules and Regulations
To	All National Paralympic Committees to be forwarded to the Committee / Person responsible for Table Tennis. All Table Tennis Contact Persons in the ITTC-database.
From	Aksel Beckmann, Rules and Regulations Officer of the ITTC.
Background	At the meetings of ITTC in Paris February 1998 and during the World Championships in Paris October 1998 the Committee decided some changes in the Regulations for International Championships. These changes are in effect and will be incorporated in the next edition of the Rules Book hopefully to be available with the mail out January 2000.
Restrictions regarding factor 30 tournaments	There can only be sanctioned one factor 30 points tournaments in each country during one calendar year. This restriction starts in 1999. Interpretation: A country is only entitled to one tournament with the ranking factor of 30 every year i.e. 1999, 2000 and so on. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Definition offactor 30 tournaments	The wording «in one category» is added after «all events». Interpretation: This means that an organiser only needs to play all standing, wheelchair or mentally disabled events to receive a 30 points factor if all other conditions are met. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Standard Result forms	Organisers of tournaments now must use ITTC’s Standard Results Form and will not be accepted without it. Interpretation: This is to avoid some of the problems we have seen with result books of a poor format and in a non-readable shape. In effect from January 1^st 1999.
If results are too late	If the organisers send the result forms to ITTC too late (more than four weeks after the tournament), the results will count for World Ranking points from the date they are received, and they will be annulled based on the date of the tournament. Interpretation: To raise the standard of our tournaments our organisers need to understand the importance of this. In fact some players funding are based on their position on the world ranking and organisers have to respect that. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
TD for factor 20 tournaments	ITTC has decided that there must be 1 TD present during factor 20 tournaments, but no pre-TD-inspection will be necessary. Interpretation: This decision is made to raise the standard of the tournaments. ITTC wants consistency in tournament organisation and one way to achieve that is to offer the help from a TD during the competition. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Seeding procedures	The tournament organisers will have to use the latest published ranking list for seeding. Interpretation: ITTC will not accept any other way of seeding than the official ITTC-world ranking in tournaments sanctioned by ITTC. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Classifiers at tournaments with ranking factor 20	There must be 1 classifier in factor 20 tournaments. This classifier can only do temporary classification and make recommendations for the next tournament with a full classification panel. The classifier can not change a previous classification made by a full classification panel. Interpretation: ITTC wants to raise the standard of classification of our players throughout the world. To achieve that one classifier will be appointed for factor 20 tournaments. Organisers have to pay the travel expenses and the accommodation for the Classifier. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Classification regulations at tournaments factor 30 to 80	Changes in classification will not take effect earlier than 24 hours before the draw of any event, teams or singles. The tournament jury has the right to change the time limit to less than 24 hours in special circumstances. If a change in classification is done after the above-mentioned deadline, the change will take effect from the next event in the tournament. Interpretation: This change is done to make the planning and running of a tournament possible for the organisers. Late time changes in classification are a permanent threat to organisation of tournaments. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Classifications at factor 100 tournaments. Paralympics	All classification changes made before or during the tournament will not take effect until the next tournament. Interpretation: All players selected for the Paralympic has already been classified so it should be very seldom that a player has to be reclassified during the competition. The former regulations a reclassified player was not allowed to play in his / her new class during the Paralympics. The change in the classification procedure is to protect the players from being sent home from the Paralympics. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.
Play off for Bronze medal	ITTC has decided that there must always be a playoff for the broncemedal even if there are more than 8 players in an event. Interpretation: This is to get as close to the ITTF-regulations as possible. ITTF has play off during the Olympics. Another aim is to bring as many deciding matches into the competitions as possible. Spectators for table tennis wants matches that means something and playing for a medal will mean something to all players. The match is also needed at regional championships if the region i.e. has 3 regional slots for selection for either a Paralympic or a World Championship. In effect from: July 1^st 1999. This is to give the associations the time to change their tournament control systems to handle this new regulation.
Umpires Seminars at tournaments factor 50 - 100	After having listened to justified criticism from coaches and players that umpires are very inconsistent at our major tournaments, and after evaluating the effect of the umpires seminar held before the World Championships in Paris 1998 the ITTC discussed this subject and decided the following. To raise the standard and the consistency of the umpires at the major ITTC-tournaments the ITTC decided that before all Regional Championships, World Championships and Paralympics an umpire seminar is to be hold. The purpose of this seminar is to establish as consistent a standard as possible of the umpires that controls the matches during the championship. Another purpose is to educate a number of ITTC-certified umpires throughout the world to be called on whenever ITTC runs major tournaments. The organiser of the tournament has to pay the travel expenses and the accommodation for the ITTC-appointed person who is going to run the seminar. In effect from: January 1^st 1999.