Deaflympics Technical Regulations
Table Tennis Technical Regulations
01. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
The technical committee will be composed of the Technical Director of DEAFLYMPICS and four members appointed by the Organising Committee:
Zsolt Nyiro DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director
Graeme Ireland Table Tennis Victoria
Dale Gilson Table Tennis Victoria
Carol Noonan Deaf Representative
Peta Simister Sports Liaison Officer M2005 Deaflympic Games
02. PROTEST COMMITTEE
Zsolt Nyiro DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director
Graeme Ireland Table Tennis Victoria
Dale Gilson Table Tennis Victoria
Carol Noonan Deaf Representative
Please Note: Names of the Protest Committee will be advised at the Table Tennis Technical Meeting in Melbourne.
03. COMPETITION VENUE
The table tennis competitions will take place at The Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre, Aughtie Drive on the Albert Park Lake, 4.5km from the Central Business District. The floor is hardwood, dry court surface. Ample showers and lockers are available. A First Aid station is on site.
04. TRAINING VENUE
The training venue will be the same as the competition venue. A training schedule will be set up according to the arrival of teams.
05. EQUIPMENT
All equipment and implements will comply with the ITTF Rules. The balls will be Stiga Star 3 Table tennis balls, white in colour. Tables and net: Stiga, blue in colour. Floor is a polished wood and light intensity is up to 600Lux. Surrounds all Stiga and blue in colour.
06. EVENTS
The 20th Deaflympic Games Table Tennis competitions will comprise the following events:
Team events - Men & women
Singles - Men & women
Doubles - Men, women, & Mixed
07. SCHEDULE
Refer to competition schedule.
08. REGULATIONS
8.1. Rules: The Table Tennis competitions of the 20th Deaflympic Games will be conducted in accordance with the Rules of the ITTF. In case of disagreement in the interpretation of the Rules, the English text shall prevail. Any unforeseen incidents not covered by the Rules will be dealt with as follows:
8.1.1. Cases of a general nature will be resolved in accordance with DEAFLYMPICS Statutes.
8.1.2. Technical questions shall be resolved in accordance with the ITTF Rules.
8.1.3. Only athletes who comply with the DEAFLYMPICS Statutes and Regulations are entitled to take part in the Deaflympic Games Table Tennis competitions.
8.2. Participants:
8.2.1. Each National Association may enter a maximum of four (4) men and four (4) women for all events; one team for the team events, four players for the singles, two pairs for the men's and women's doubles, and four pairs for the mixed doubles.
8.2.2. No reserves or substitutes are allowed for the singles. The composition of a pair may be changed only if an association has entered less than four men and four women for the doubles and one of the players originally entered in a pair forfeits by a doctor's declaration. However, no changes may be made after the draw has taken place.
8.3. Entries:
8.3.1. Preliminary registrations should have been submitted to the DEAFLYMPICS Secretariat no later than 15 December 2003.
8.3.2. The final registrations with the names of each athlete indicating sport and event entered must be submitted to the DEAFLYMPICS Secretariat no later than 1 December 2004. Such submissions may be made by telefax if followed by the official registration form.
8.3.3. No changes or additional entries will be accepted after this time.
8.3.4. A fine of US$20 is levied on each non-starting athlete with the exception of those presenting a doctor's declaration that he/she should not be allowed to start.
8.4. Medical Control: Refer to DEAFLYMPICS General Rules for All Sports, Article 1.4 Controls and Sanctions.
09. COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS
9.1. Technical Organisation: The DEAFLYMPICS is responsible for the technical organisation of the Table Tennis competitions.
9.2. Draw: The draw for all events will be conducted in accordance with ITTF Rules and Regulations. The technical committee at the technical meeting will seed an appropriate number of players and pairs in each event. In case of disagreement the DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director alone will decide the seedings. Entries from any one country shall be drawn as follows:
* The first and second ranked entries by lot in opposites halves of the draw.
* The third and fourth ranked entries by lot in the quarters where first and second ranked are not drawn.
9.3. Competition plan:
9.3.1. Team Events:
a. Preliminary round: The entered teams will be divided into groups (two, four or eight groups) of 3 to 5 teams each. During the preliminary round, each team will play all the other teams of its group.
b. Finals: After the classification in the preliminary groups is established, the teams will play in the finals in the following way:
* Two groups: There will be semi-finals with A1 vs B2 and B1 v A2. The winning teams of the semi-finals will play for the first and second places while the defeated teams will play for the third and fourth places.
Four groups: There will be quarter-finals with A1 vs C2 or D2 , B1 vs C2 or D2, C1 vs A2 or B2 , D1 vs A2 or B2. The winning teams of the quarter-finals will play for the first four places while the defeated teams will play for the fifth to eighth places.
* Eight groups: The winners of the eight groups are divided into two new groups. Each team will play all the other teams of its group. The winners of the two groups will play for the first and second place while the teams coming second in each group will play for the third and fourth places.
c. Classification: The teams placed, third, fourth and fifth in each group will play for the ninth and following places with A3 vs C3 or D3, B3 vs C3 or D3; the winners playing for ninth and tenth places and the losers for eleventh and twelfth places, etc.
d. The classification of teams will follow the ITTF rules for group competitions (Regulation 3.7.5.).
e. System: The format for teams events will be that currently used for World Championships with a team consisting of 3 players. The order of play will be A v X, B v Y, C v Z, A v Y, B v X. Teams comprising 2 players will be permitted to compete.
f. Before a team match the right to choose A, B, C or X, Y, Z shall be decided by lot and the captains shall name their teams to the referee, assigning a letter to each player.
g. A team match shall end when one team has won a majority of the possible individual matches.
h. All matches shall be the best of 5 games. All matters not provided for above will be referred to the ITTF Rules of the team competitions at the ITTF World Championships.
9.3.2. Singles and Doubles: There shall be not more than 128 entries in the first round proper of a singles event or more than 64 entries in the first round proper of a doubles event. singles events a qualifying competition shall be held with groups of 5 or 6 players. The first and second placed player of each group shall proceed to the first round proper. All matches of the qualifying events shall be the best of 5 games.
All events proper shall be played on a knockout basis, all matches being the best of seven games.
9.4. Referee and officials: the Organising Committee shall select the referee. The referee shall be fully qualified and certified by the ITTF. The referee shall act in concert with the DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director. However, in matters concerning the interpretation of the rules of table tennis, the referee's decision shall be final. The Organising Committee shall appoint an appropriate number of umpires.
9.5. Protests:
9.5.1. Procedure for lodging a protest: All sport related protests will be resolved in accordance to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Regulations and will be managed by the Sporting Protest Committee. Any official protest must be submitted in writing on the Official DEAFLYMPICS Protest Form, and given to the DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director accompanied by US$50.
The DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director will decide whether the protest is sporting related or eligibility related. The Sporting Protest Committee will review all sport related protests, and the Deaflympics Executive Committee will review all eligibility protests. The deposit of US$50 will be returned to the appellant only if the protest is considered valid.
9.5.2 Procedures for reviewing a protest: The sporting protest committee will meet in the Table Tennis Boardroom at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centres (MSAC) at a time decided upon by the chairperson of the committee.
*The DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director will be the chairperson of the committee.
*The Sports Liaison Officer (SLO) will be responsible to book the meeting room and interpreters.
*The Sports Liaison Officer (SLO) will contact all committee members to inform them of the meeting time and location.
*The DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director will be responsible for liaising with the State Sports Association's Competition Manager.
The Sports Liaison Officer (SLO) will be responsible for informing Games Headquarters GHQ and the DEAFLYMPICS Technical Director will be responsible for informing Deaflympics Executive about the protest and also the outcome of the protest.
9.6. Clothing: All participants and officials must wear clothing, which is in conformity with the ITTF Regulations. Participants must observe the regulations contained in the DEAFLYMPICS rules regarding advertising on clothing, etc., in the Stadium areas.
9.7. Hearing Aids: The use of hearing aids is strictly forbidden during the competition.
10. TECHNICAL MEETING
A technical meeting will be held at 1130 on the 4th January 2005 at the Melbourne Town Hall. Each participating team may be represented by two officials, of whom at least one must be deaf and, if necessary, one interpreter.