A more localised, affordable and accessible competition structure will be delivered as implementation of the Competition Review continues into the next two seasons.

Since we announced the first steps to roll out the Competition Review, work has been continuing in key areas, including revamping the structure of 1*, 2*, 3* and 4* events to create a new landscape of nationally-regulated open tournaments.

A number of changes will be phased-in for the 2024/25 season and for 2025/26 – and prospective Tournament Organisers can apply for financial support next season to help kickstart the top tier of All-Ages (Senior) tournaments

Organisers are invited to attend a forum on the changes – see details below.

The phased changes over the following two seasons are:

• Tiered open tournaments will be hosted concurrently on designated dates at local and zonal levels, with support provided locally through Table Tennis England area staff
• Hosts will be approved by Table Tennis England every quarter and allocated against designated calendar dates, in order to avoid clashes and provide greater assurance of a spread of events around the country. The allocation process will incentivise preferred formats and categories, such as inclusion of U11/U13 at Cadet Opens, U23 at All-Ages (Senior) Opens, or Women and Girls’ categories
• At local level, non-designated dates may also be approved with county support – events may choose to be ranking or not, a simplified flat-rate levy will be introduced, and requirements for venues and officiating will be reduced
• There will be fewer but enhanced national open tournaments, which will receive resource from Table Tennis England at U15, U19 and All-Ages (Senior) levels as pinnacle events. National Opens will comprise the qualifying route to Cadet, Junior and All Ages (Senior) National Championships

The emphasis will be on flexible events, with playing formats, singles/doubles/teams events, age-group sub-categories and pricing to be set by Organisers.

Table Tennis England will create detailed guidelines to support delivery of Open Tournaments and illustrate preferences to tournament organisers – including length of day, preferred formats, preferred categories, provision for players and spectators. These guidelines will be based on the practical processes of event allocation, plus specific member feedback from Phase I of the competition review

Some of these changes will be implemented for next season, including reduced officiating and physical requirements at the lowest level of tiered open tournaments, and a simple flat-rate levy for 1*/ Local & 2*/ Zonal Open events.

Please download the document at the toot of the page for further detail on what is planned to happen and when, plus an overview of the three new tiers, and an overview of the quarterly assessment and allocation process.

Neil Rogers, Table Tennis England’s Head of Competitions and Events, said: “These changes will result in more localised, affordable and accessible competition for participants and hosts – the bread and butter of tournament play. We expect that entrants as well as organisers will see the benefit of this approach.”

As part of the transitionary season in 2024/25, we are seeking established Tournament Organisers to expand into the new Senior Open Tournament space (eg Senior 4* events) from August 1. We would welcome a conversation with interested parties – please contact Neil Rogers.

Organisers in this space will be able to apply to Table Tennis England for up to £1,500 seed funding to help ensure these events are viable and delivered to a suitable standard. In season 2025/26, this will revert to a standardised level of financial support to organisers, and these events will additionally form the qualification route for the Senior National Championships, with all players outside the top 10 required to attend at least one in order to be eligible.

Current Tournament Organisers are invited to attend a forum on these changes at 6pm on Wednesday February 7 – click here to register to attend.

As implementation of the Competition Review outcomes continue to move forward, further announcements about the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons will be made in due course.

For more about the Competition Review, including FAQs, please click here

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