LETTER FROM LEAGUE CHAIRMAN
Dear League Players,
A very warm welcome to the 2023-24 season for the Kendal & District Table Tennis League.
This season we will be placing great focus upon supporting our umpires. That is, pretty much all of us who take a turn in umpiring our matches.
At the end of last season, the Management Committee spent a lot of time discussing this topic. As many of you are aware there was an unpleasant incident at our League Tournament last April where a player objected to being warned for foul serving. In that case disciplinary action has been taken: a three-match suspension and a requirement for the player to give undertakings about future conduct but the incident raised many issues which as a League we need to address.
For many years we have collectively turned a blind eye to breaches of the laws of the game, notably foul serves but other areas too. In the past when an umpire has warned a player or called a foul serve they have been challenged, often in a confrontational way, by the player. On a number of occasions there have been some very unpleasant exchanges including instances of intimidatory behaviour. The Management Committee has agreed that this must be addressed.
We all go to our League matches to enjoy the evening. It is understandable that we turn a blind eye rather than face a risk of confrontation, verbal abuse and possible intimidating behaviour. In the past these problems have not been reported to the League by a player, a team captain or a Club.
We have a growing number of junior players participating in the Junior League and I am optimistic that soon more of these will want to give the Senior League a try. In coaching our junior players we spend a lot of time emphasising the importance of legal serves and of appropriate behaviour. It would be a sorry state of affairs if the Senior League did not expect the same of all players.
The League is issuing the following Guidance for playing and umpiring which all Clubs and League Players are expected to follow. We will support this with umpiring workshops before the season commences.
1. PLAYER RESPONSIBILITY
A player is responsible for his/her own conduct, and it is required that a player will play by the rules and behave politely and respectfully to other players and match officials.
2. CLUB RESPONSIBILTY
In the first instance the Club that a player represents has a duty for ensuring that player responsibility is complied with, and the Club must act if it is aware that a player is foul serving or breaching any law or principle of the game. The Club is in the best position to do this. For example, if a player is regularly foul serving or swearing audibly during informal match play at a Club Night practice, the Club should be taking steps to make the player aware and help remedy the fault. The Club should not ignore the issue.
3. TEAM RESPONSIBILTY
In a League match teammates must not sit back and ignore one of their number foul serving or misbehaving. A quiet word at the end of a rally should be sufficient to ensure the issue is dealt with before the umpire has to take any action.
4. DUTY OF UMPIRE TO ACT IMPARTIALLY
We all take turns at umpiring our League matches and we have a duty to apply the laws of the game fairly and impartially to both players/teams. This duty of impartiality takes precedence over team and Club loyalties no matter what stage of the game.
5. THE UMPIRE’S DECISION IS FINAL ON QUESTIONS OF FACT
The umpire’s job is to control the match and apply the laws. There is a difference between decisions of fact and decisions interpreting the laws of the game. On a question of fact the umpire’s decision is final (eg was the serve high enough, did the ball hit the playing surface or the side of the table). For our League matches it is important that we apply this principle. The umpire makes a decision, and the players get on with the game.
6. UNSIGHTED UMPIRE
A question of fact is not always straightforward. If an umpire is unsighted then the correct practice is still that a decision is taken and the point awarded one way or the other. For example, in the case of a very fine edge which the umpire is unsure of. In those circumstances the umpire considers the body language and reaction of the players to the “edge” and if still unsure can ask the players if they agree who has won the point. If the players do not agree the umpire has to make the decision. Anecdotally, when this happens with professional players the player who wins the point may choose to deliberately give away the following point by serving into the net. As a League we have generally dealt with this issue by the umpire calling a let and replaying the point. This is what we will continue to do as a League unless both players agree which way the point should be awarded.
7. EXPLAIN DECISION
A player may ask an umpire to explain a decision, but this request must not be made in a confrontational manner. It is perfectly acceptable for the umpire to provide a very short explanation “the serve throw was not high enough”, “the ball hit the side of the table”, etc.
8. INCORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW
In a tournament if an umpire makes an incorrect interpretation of the laws (as opposed to an issue of fact) a player can appeal to the tournament referee. In a League match this is not possible and in such circumstances the umpire should halt play and consult with the two opposing team captains and players to see if there is a consensus of what the correct rule interpretation should be. If there is consensus the disputed point is awarded and play continues. If there is no consensus the umpire’s decision prevails and the game continues. The team disputing the law interpretation and the umpire must report the matter to the League Secretary but the match scores remain unchanged on the grounds that a single misinterpretation issue cannot be held to warrant overturning the entire match score. The League will issue a note of clarification for the disputed matter.
9. BAD BEHAVIOUR AND PENALTIES
In our League matches, umpires and players must be sensitive to ensuring that behaviour of all players is appropriate for the duration of the match evening. In a Table Tennis England or ITTF tournament, the focus is on ensuring that the game is not brought into disrepute, that spectators are not offended and that players are respectful to each other and to match officials. In such tournaments often an informal warning will be given. This is followed by a formal warning by means of a yellow card. If there is a further infraction a yellow and red card is issued and one point awarded to the opponent. After that the offence results in two points being awarded to the opponent. Anything more and the tournament referee would be called, and it is likely the player would be disqualified. These rules are applied to players, coaches(“advisers”) and other members of a team.
10. UMPIRING BAD BEHAVIOUR IN LEAGUE MATCHES
With reference to our League matches specifically, the umpiring of bad behaviour during play is an issue that needs to be addressed and our umpires supported. The official Laws of the game do not mention bad behaviour. The only reference to this is within the law that explains the circumstances when an umpire may call a let (ie stop play during a rally) and one of these circumstances is “to warn or penalise a player or adviser”.
At League level this makes things more difficult because an offending player may challenge an umpire by saying that it does not say anything in the Laws about bad behaviour, swearing, throwing your bat in anger, kicking the barriers etc. That argument is not valid however because the Laws are supplemented by ITTF regulations. The ITTF regularly issue a Handbook for Match Officials (HMO) which is used by all qualified umpires and applied by all ITTF members including Table Tennis England. The latest edition, July 2023 is attached along with the Laws. The HMO is essential reading for any League player who is going to umpire - it is a very helpful document.
We do not expect there to be many instances of bad behaviour, but any incident should not be ignored. We would strongly encourage umpires to try an informal warning before calling a let during play to issue a formal warning. What constitutes “bad behaviour” is a subjective matter for the umpire as there is not a definition or list. Examples would be:
ball abuse, racket abuse, intentionally hitting or shifting the table, kicking barriers, audible swearing, abusive language to players, officials or spectators, intimidatory behaviour, spitting on the floor, deliberately trying to distract a player who is about to serve.
If when umpiring you feel uncomfortable about something you should consider an informal warning between rallies as a minimum and state what the problem is. Please do remember that it is the umpire’s decision.
11. ACTION TO TAKE IF LAW BREACH OR BAD BEHAVIOUR CONTINUES IN A LEAGUE MATCH Rule breaches such as bad behaviour or time wasting may be dealt with initially by an informal and or formal warning but there is no mandatory requirement for a warning. If you see a clearly illegal serve when umpiring you should call it as a fault and award a point to the receiver but, if the serve is of doubtful legality the first step should be a warning. This gives League umpires some latitude.
If bad behaviour continues the action an umpire should take in our League is as follows:
· First, issue a formal warning (equivalent to a yellow card but a yellow card is not used for a service warning)
· Second, issue a second warning and give one point to the opposing player (Yellow and red card)
· Third, issue a final warning and give two points to the opposing player (second yellow and red card)
After the final warning, if there is any further incident (related or unrelated to what has happened before) the umpire must suspend that match and refer it to the League Secretary. The player involved who has received the warnings is not eligible to play in any other matches that evening but any matches that have been completed will be counted unless the League decides otherwise. Matches for other players should be played. The League Disciplinary Committee will decide how League points are allocated and if applicable will take into account the level of support provided to the umpire by the player’s team.
12. BAD BEHAVIOUR DIRECTED AT THE UMPIRE OR TOWARDS ANOTHER PLAYER
If at any stage during a League match an umpire feels that he or she or any other player is being subjected to verbal abuse, discriminatory or confrontational behaviour, intimidation or bullying, the match in question shall be suspended whilst the umpire informs the two team captains, who then must assist and support the umpire in resolving the situation. If the umpire is happy to continue the match may proceed (possibly following the issue of a penalty point). If the umpire is not happy to continue the match, he or she will suspend the match and refer it to the League. The League may take such action against the misbehaving player and his or her Club as thought appropriate in the circumstance. The player(s) at fault shall not play any more matches that evening.
The intent of these provisions is to offer maximum League support to those who are umpiring and to make it clear that team captains must assist umpires if one of their own players is involved. If matches are referred, the League will constitute a disciplinary committee comprising Management Committee or Council Members of Clubs other than those involved in the incident.
13. IF YOU THINK YOUR OPPONENT IS FOUL SERVING BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN SPOTTED BY THE UMPIRE.
The correct thing for a player to do in this situation is to advise the umpire between rallies that you think your opponent is foul serving. If as a player you catch the ball and call a let exclaiming “it is a foul serve” you run the risk of the umpire not agreeing with you and awarding the point to your opponent because the umpire thought it was a good serve or awarding the point against you for deliberately obstructing the ball. If the umpire agrees with you he may call a let but may also warn you against taking such action again as the decision rests with the umpire alone.
In our League we feel the procedure to follow would be to raise the matter immediately by following the correct procedure outlined above so both umpire and opponent are aware of the issue.
Sorry about the length and complexity of this Guidance. To assist players the League will organise some Umpiring workshops run by a qualified umpire before the start of the season. Each Club must send at least one representative but all League players are encouraged to attend. Please do read the Handbook for Match Officials! (attached below)
HMO-17th-edition-July-2023.pdf
LAWS-2020-21-2-6-21-update.pdf
Thank you for your support
Yours sincerely
Peter
Peter Leahy
Chairman
Kendal and District Table Tennis League
