[subject to discussion]
[proposed wording]
3. REGULATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
3.2.4 Gluing (effective from 1st January 2008)
3.2.4.1 Coverings may be attached to racket blade
only by means of pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets or adhesives that
do not contain harmful substances.
NOTE: "Harmful substances" will imply all the volatile organic compounds as well as any other substances injurious to health.
3.2.4.2 It is the responsibility of the player to ensure that
his whole racket is free of harmful substances.
REASON for 3.2.4.2: This provision is to make clear, once and for all, that a
competitor whose racket fails in ENEZ-test can`t use the excuse
that he didn`t know that he was consuming prohibited materials.
Hence, every individual to take part in a competition should be doubly alert to any indication of unhealthy volatile compaunds (solvents) within his racket, such as a pungent or benzine-like odours
A competitor should take care to get such "smelly" racket tested informally, preferably in advance to a tournament, and see if one is legal to use.
Thus could participating players secure themselves against penalty sanctions under the New Gluing Regulations.
3.2.4.3 Tests for the presence of volatile organic compounds
shall be carried out at any competition in accordance with the ???Technical Leaflet T9A???,
and a player whose racket is found to contain such a compound shall be penalised as provided by the ???Racket Test Disciplinary Protocol??? to be discussed. ... .
3.2.4.3.1 Instruments used for testing rackets shall be of a type
currently authorised by the ITTF.
3.2.4.3.2 There shall be at least two pieces of instrument during a competition.
REASON for 3.2.4.3.2: This provision is intended to minimize the risk of the referee having lost control
of players` rackets, as is required by the Regulation 3.2.4.3, in case of heavy technical disorders with the testing device.
Once two devices are available, and any one failes to work, tne referee could work another device with no perceptible delays of a competition programme.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PURPOSE OF THE GLUING REGULATIONS:
The present Regulations are designed to eventually stop all the people involved in the sport,
and especially children and junior players, from the excessive and uncontrolled use of harmful chemical products during competitions and training sessions.
and all the affiliated National Associations are strongly encouraged to adopt those Regulations, with the least possible omissions, for their domestic tournaments, down through to the school and club level.
Corresponding Documents are here:
Instrumental Racket Inspection (chapter I )
Instrumental Racket Inspection (chapter II)
Instrumental Racket Inspection (chapter III)
Practical Schemes To Inspect Rackets
