VETTS – Disciplinary Code v.1 22/11/23 Background:
The first and primary objective of the VETTS Constitution is; “To organise an independent society for veteran table tennis players of all standards in order to promote friendship and competition among them.” (2.1) That was the stated intention of our Society when it was formed 40 years ago – and it remains the case today.
It is regrettable that, on occasion, the VETTS must address behaviour of individuals which fall below our expected standards of ‘friendship and competition’. The purpose of this Code is to ensure that all our members are fully aware of the requirements of good conduct and behaviour during our events; the procedures for dealing with complaints and the possible sanctions as a result. Constitution: Section 11 of the
VETTS Constitution outlines the process for disciplinary matters:
11 Disciplinary 11.1 The Executive Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter brought to the attention of the General Secretary alleging action or behaviour by a Member that brings the Society into disrepute or is against the best interests of the Society.
11.2 The Executive Committee shall have the power to censure a Member and/or to require an undertaking in such terms as the Executive Committee may decide and/or to suspend the Member from membership of the Society and/or to withdraw the right to attend any event organised by the Society.
11.3 Any Member aggrieved by a decision of the Executive Committee acting as a Disciplinary Committee may appeal to a Board of Appeal consisting of three Members appointed by the Executive Committee but not being members of the Executive Committee. The decision of the Board of Appeal shall be final. (The Gen Sec of the VETTS is Emma Harradine emmaharradine71@gmail.com
Process:
1. On receiving a complaint(s) from a VETTS member and/or the Tournament Referee (‘the complainant(s)’), the Gen Sec will anonymise and summarise the complaint(s);
2. The person about whom the complaint has been made (‘the complainee’) will be asked to respond by the Gen Sec;
3. The Tournament Referee – if he/she has not already submitted a report – will be asked to respond by the Gen Sec; 1
4. Any witnesses or relevant third parties will be asked to submit their comments;
5. The Executive Committee, sitting as the Disciplinary Committee, will consider the situation and make a decision; (Section 11.1)
6. The Executive Committee, sitting as the Disciplinary Committee, will determine what, if any sanction is appropriate (Section 11.2)
7. The Gen Sec will advise the complainee and complainants(s) of the decision;
8. The complainee has a Right of Appeal as determined under Section 11.3
9. The Gen Sec will inform the complainee and complainants of the outcome of any Appal
10. A record will be held by the General Secretary.
Referee on the day:
1. The ultimate decision making for the tournament play rests with the TR during the event;
2. The TR can impose such sanctions as he or she sees fit in order to ensure the timely running of the events; and the welfare and well-being of all competitors;
3. The TR will take immediate action, up to and including, the immediate removal of players from the tournament where there is a blatant breach of the Disciplinary Code and/or Conditions of Entry;
4. The TR should seek the support of members of the Executive Committee present, where appropriate;
5. The TR can issue an informal or formal warning (with conditions) or disqualify a player during the event;
6. The TR should submit a written report on any such action taken to the Exec Committee;
7. The TR should advise any third party to submit formal complaints in writing to the Gen Sec after the event; 8. Subsequent action and/or appeals would follow the process outlined in the Code ‘Process’ section.
9. The VETTS does not operate a red/yellow card or accumulated points system.
Volunteer umpires:
The VETTS relies on volunteer umpires. We would advise any umpire experiencing difficulties or issues in a match to report it to the TR at the first opportunity, including during a match, so immediate action can be taken.
Misconduct:
The Disciplinary Committee may consider misconduct or offences in accordance with Section 11.1 of the VETTS Constitution. For practical purposes, examples of such could include but are not restricted to:
• Offensive behaviour and/or language;
• Threatening behaviour and/or language;
• Disrespectful behaviour towards another player and/or official;
• Equipment abuse;
• Breach of the conditions of entry of a tournament**;
• Breach of the rules and regulations of a tournament;
• Violent conduct.
**All participants in VETTS events must agree to abide by the following undertakings:
1. observe the regulations of the tournament
2. abide by the decisions of the Referee and of the Tournament Committee
3. fulfil the schedule of play arranged for you unless prevented by circumstances beyond your control and accepted as such by the Referee.
4. You agree to the above information being stored on computer.
Sanctions:
The Disciplinary Committee may impose sanctions in accordance with Section 11.2 of the VETTS Constitution. These could include but are not restricted to:
1. a verbal warning;
2. a written warning (with or without conditions);
3. an undertaking relating to future behaviour;
4. a final warning with conditions;
5. a suspension of membership of the VETTS for a fixed period;
6. a suspension of membership of the VETTS for an indefinite period.
The Committee will take into account the severity of the misconduct and any previous disciplinary action taken against the individual, including a breach of the conditions of previous warnings.
TTE sanctions:
The VETTS voluntarily follows and accepts disciplinary findings by TTE in regard to interim or confirmed suspensions. However, this is a minimum standard and the VETTS reserve the right to impose sanctions and suspensions over and above those of TTE.
Other bodies:
The VETTS has no jurisdiction over other officiating bodies. However, it will share information about upheld complaints and sanctions imposed with relevant National Governing Bodies and international organisations, where deemed appropriate. Disciplinary Code,
VETTS: Approved by VETTS Executive, November 2023. Author SV; vetts/disciplinarycode