The World Players of Handball is thrilled to announce the 2018/19 Race 4 Eight Men’s Pro, Women’s Race 4 Eight, and Senior Race 4 Eight tour seasons, featuring nine events starting in Atlanta, GA in early October and ending with the Aces Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship seven months later in Salt Lake City, UT. The Race 4 Eight Men’s Pros will compete in six “full” R48 stops and three R48LTE stops, with all nine events counting towards the official R48 Power Rankings, while the WR48 and SR48 pros will each compete in three ranking events during the 2018/19 season. Last season’s R48, WR48, and SR48 tours produced dozens of sensational moments and electrifying matches and this season promises to be even more exciting, as the best players in the world will showcase their tremendous talents on the sport’s most exciting platform. See the full 2018/19 Race 4 Eight tour schedule and entry links below.

For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink atdavid.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv

2018/19 RACE4EIGHT PROFESSIONAL HANDBALL TOUR

#1 – 10/5/2018—10/7/2018 – Peachtree Open – Atlanta, Georgia – Rec Atlanta – Entry HERE> ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier & R48Pro Stop)

#2 – 11/1/2018—11/4/2018 – #TheMemorial – Tucson, Arizona – The TRC – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

#3 – 12/28/2018—12/30/2018 – USHA National Juniors – Portland, Oregon – The MAC – Entry HERE> ***ESPN (R48Pro Stop w/open format)

#4 – 1/25/2019—1/27/2019 – Red Death – Missoula, Montana – The Peak – Entry HERE>  **WPHLIVE.TV BROADCAST (WPH Qualifier & R48Pro Stop)

#5 – 3/29/2019-3/31/2019- Olympic Club Invitational – San Francisco, California – Olympic Club – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier, R48Pro & WR48Pro Stop)

#6 – 5/17/2019-5/19/2019 – Aces Players Championship – Salt Lake City, Utah – Sports Mall – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

2018/19 RACE4EIGHT LIGHT (LTE) STOPS ***R48LTE concept explained HERE>

#1 – 2/15/2019—2/17/2019 – New Orleans Mardi Gras Open – Harahan, Louisiana – Oshner Fitness – Entry HERE> **BROADCAST TBD (R48pro LTE & SR48Pro Stop)

2019 New Orleans R48LTE press release HERE

#2 – 3/8/2019—3/10/2019 – USHA Hall of Fame R48LTE– Tucson, AZ-Tucson Racquet Club-Entry HERE >**BROADCAST TBD (R48pro LTE)

#3 – 4/12/2019—4/14/2019 – NYAC Burt Kossoff Invitational – New York City, NY – New York Athletic Club – Entry HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD (R48pro LTE Stop)

 2019 NYAC R48LTE press release HERE

2018/19 RACE4EIGHT PRE-QUALIFIER STOPS ***R48 Pre-Qualifier concept explained HERE>

#1 – 9/8/2018 – Tucson R48 Pre Qualifier – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Racquet Club – Entry HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD

2018 Tucson R48 Pre-Qualifier press release HERE

#2 – 9/22/2018 – Salt Lake City Aces Pre-Qualifier – Salt Lake City, UT – Sports Mall – Entry HERE> **BROADCAST TBD

2018 Salt Lake City Aces R48 Pre-Qualifier press release HERE

#3 – 10/12/2018-10/14/2018– Portland Classic R48 Pre Qualifier – Portland, OR – Multnomah Athletic Club – Entry HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD

2018 Portland Classic R48 Pre-Qualifier press release HERE

#4 – 10/13/2018—10/14/18 – RFC 10/Pittsburgh R48 Pre Qualifier – Pittsburgh, PA – Amerifit Handball Club- Entry HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD

2018 Pittsburgh RFC 10 R48 Pre-Qualifier press release HERE

#5 – 11/9/2018-11/11/2018- Austin R48 Pre Qualifier – Austin, TX – Gregory Gym – Entry HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD

2018 Texas State Singles R48 Pre Qualifier press release HERE

#6 – 12/8/2018–LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier-Los Angeles, CA–Los Angeles Athletic Club–Entry Form HERE>  **BROADCAST TBD

2018 LAAC R48 Pre-Qualifier press release HERE

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WORLD PLAYERS OF HANDBALL FOUNDATION

3602 E Ft Lowell Dr

Tucson, Arizona, 85716

2018/19 R48PRO CODE OF CONDUCT & GUIDELINES [pdf]

Welcome to the 2018/19 Race 4 Eight Season 8 of the professional indoor 4 wall handball tour, administered by the World Players of Handball [WPH; WPHLiveTV]. We at the WPH truly appreciate your dedication to our organization and your attempt to help us grow the sport of handball.

As always, the WPH staff, board of directors, and members are constantly seeking to improve the playing experience for the fans, broadcast viewers, sponsors, advertisers, hosts, players and ESPN, to name just a few.  As we do each season, we survey players and viewers with hopes of making each year better for all involved (i.e. rules, sites, player expectations, sponsor relations, staff expectations, referee responsibilities, scoring formats et al).   This past season was no different.  Please note, our goals are to expose and expand the game of handball; not hurt the integrity of the game or harm the fabric or history of the sport. 

Your participation and feedback are welcomed…

Please read the full 2018-2019 R48Pro Code of Conduct & Guidelines (Below). Once there, you will find similar details and explanations from previous years, plus additional updates and some subtle changes, if any. 

You should note:  All players who participate in our events are doing so under the condition that this document has been read and agreed to.

General Questions:  info@wphlive.tv

WPHLiveTV Executive Director:  David Vincent – dave.vincent@wphlive.tv

JR WPH Donor & Development Director:  David Fink – david.fink@wphlive.tv

WPH Board of Directors:  support@wphlive.tv

How it works:

Locations that select approved non-conflict handball dates; that have high-speed Internet service; that support the WPH mission; and that meet the financial sanction fee requirements are eligible for a Race4Eight Professional Tour stop.  WPH does not collect entry fees at any tour stop locations; rather, is paid a sanction fee by the hosts.  Besides receiving all entry fee money, the host can also raise revenue through webcast advertising, sponsorship, seat sales, raffles, donations and more!  WPH raises all filming costs and prize money separately and seeks donors and investors who are willing to give back to the game during this mass media marketing opportunity.  The WPH is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Foundation. Please do consider hosting, volunteering and donating.  We need you:  info@wphlive.tv

2018-2019 Race 4 Eight Pro Player Agreement

The WPH recognizes that success of professional handball depends largely on public respect for and approval of those associated with the game. The Race 4 Eight tour is an incredible opportunity for handball to gain a widespread audience, attract sponsors, and inspire the next generation of players. To accomplish those goals, the WPH staff, WPH board of directors, and elite players, must form a partnership working toward the same goals. Both the WPH and the Players must serve as ambassadors to the sport at all times, with the aim of growing the game, always serving as the objective. The expectations of the WPH and the elite players are extremely high, and each person involved with organizing and participating in the event are expected to assist in growing the game as a team.

In exchange for participating in a Race 4 Eight event and accepting prize money, invites and travel incentives, all pro players must agree to support the WPH by following “The Player’s Agreement” below (the 2018/19 season is a new one and some code items have been altered. Allowable codes from the past season may not be allowed in the upcoming season.  Please read carefully):

1. Coaching junior clinics- The WPH believes that clinics for junior players, as part of each tournament and outside of tournaments, are desirable and that the voluntary participation of the elite player is essential.
2. Refereeing- During each tournament, all players are expected to volunteer to referee two matches in the division in which they are entered. Volunteer referee slots could be predetermined by WPH administrators, but please be proactive by contacting us
3. Appearance- R48, SR48, and WR48 players will dress appropriately for matches, which includes wearing WPH approved clothing during all filmed matches. Sponsored players can wear their sponsored gear w/WPH logo attached. See the WPH for clarification. Visit com for WPH approved gear
4. WPH fundraising- The R48 is supported solely by donations and membership support. The voluntarily assistance of players, when asked, is needed and appreciated.
5. Non-WPH events- When participating in non-WPH events the WPH requests that players;
   1. Alert WPH to event so you and the event can be promoted and reported @ wphlive.tv, plus social media pages & email blasts
   2. Wear WPH & sponsor apparel
   3. Represent the WPH R48 by supporting the WPH Mission and promoting the game
6. Fitness- Player will not be invited into the Elite 8 with a preexisting injury that precludes quality effort. Take the initiative and be transparent; while seeking proper medical advice. Players will not be penalized for withdrawing from an event with a legitimate injury
7. WPH tournament sponsor relations- Every WPH tournament requires considerable investment of money and time by tournament organizers, sponsors, and admins. It’s a requirement that all players attend sponsor-driven functions (Dinners, VIP Parties, etc.). Thanking sponsors w/hand-written cards, post event and shaking hands is standard. See WPH administrators for sponsor email and mailing addresses
8. WPH staff support- The WPH staff at each tournament relies on help and voluntary assistance such as working shifts at the tournament desk; selling memberships and WPH gear, as well as assigning courts and referees. Assisting in these areas is greatly appreciated and needed. Please Help! Please contact WPH administrators to register for volunteer slots before and/or during events
9. Webcast support- The tournaments are broadcast on ESPN or WPHLiveTV by the WPH broadcast team and cooperation of the players by participating in interviews and assisting in commentary is needed and appreciated. Each Qualified and Elite R48, SR48, and WR48 Player must volunteer w/booth time at each event, outside of pre and post-match interviews and Q&A’s with ESPN reporters.
10. Tournament demeanor- WPH staff and players will act and perform in accordance with the host club and WPH Rules.

In-match Coaching- Coaching is permitted before and after the match; during official 60-second timeouts and between games. Coaching is not permitted during towel timeouts, equipment timeouts, player/referee discussions, 30-second timeouts, or any other non-official timeout (i.e. during play). Coaching violations could result in technical point penalties, removal of coach from the gallery, or forfeiture from the event for the player and coach. Coaches are asked to be respectful of the opposing player and should not be heard giving instructions or requesting appeals at any point during a match. Penalties will be left to the discretion of the referee and/or tournament referee. Hearing a coaching yelling or screaming demands during a match will not be acceptable.

Stalling– The referee has a responsibility to ensure that players play within the accordance of the rules, as the rules pertain to injury timeouts, equipment timeouts, wiping the floor and the 10-second rule. The referee must know the rules and how to apply the rules in these situations, including Rule 3.5 A Players Code: a presumptive code of integrity and honesty, including fairly to represent injuries in the application of Rule 4.10.C, as well as applying technical point penalties for excessive stalling, when necessary. See the 2018-2019 R48 Code and Guidelines for further info. See WPH Head Referee and Level 5 USHA Referee David Fink with any questions

Refereeing: All R48, SR48, and WR48 pro players are required to take a USHA Referee’s Certification Clinic. If a R48, SR48, or WR48 player has not completed the USHA Referee’s Certification Clinic and the clinic is offered at the event in which the R48, SR48, and WR48 pro player is attending, the R48, SR48, and WR48 pro player is required to attend the clinic. If the R48, SR48, or WR48 has previously attended the USHA Referee’s Clinic, he/she is exempt

*Some of the activities above are voluntary and some are requirements and, in the past, have been honored by the majority of the WPH players. These activities are not intended to overly burden the players but are designed to make each tournament successful.

In Conclusion- By accepting your invitation to play in a Race 4 Eight event (if Elite Eight, Women’s Pro, 40+ SR or Qualifier), you agree to the terms printed on this document. If any member of the team does not perform the tournament duties listed in a positive and enthusiastic manner, that member will not be invited to the next event and will be only allowed to participate in future events by having a request to be reinstated approved by the full WPH board of directors.

The decision to not invite an otherwise eligible player to a tournament will not be made lightly by the WPH board of directors based upon recommendations by tournament observers. Examples of violations, which are severe enough to result in non-invites are, but not limited to, refusal to referee, refusal to wear WPH approved gear, refusal to attend sponsor or WPH tournament function (i.e. Blind Draw Ceremony, VIP Banquet, etc.) and behavior which is offensive to sponsors, staff, players or viewers, to name just a few.

Invitations to future events will depend not only on the rankings, but also on the willingness and passion of all of our team members to grow the game and perform the duties listed above. Staff members, volunteers and organizers will be held to the same standard.

If you have any questions regarding the agreement or any grievances, concerns, or suggestions, please email the full WPH BOD at support@wphlive.tv and the WPH Board of Directors will address the concerns or comments.

This document has been approved by the WPH Executive Committee and is transmitted by Fred Banfield, Charlie Charvoz, Doug Clark, Steve Soto & Jeff Healam.

R48Pro, WR48 and SR48: Rules, Prize Money, Bonus Money

Below are the rules for the R48Pro, WR48 and SR48 tours, to include scoring formats, prize money payouts, bonus money payouts, player invites, appropriate on-court gear, memberships, ranking points breakdown, R2sports tournament information, refereeing, draws, clinics and more.

ALL PRO GUIDELINES:  Universally Shared Policies for ALL WPH Players

• The WPH Player’s Agreement is in affect for qualifiers, pro men, seniors and elite women, plus all divisions that offer prize money. It’s the player’s responsibility to contact the WPH requesting a copy of the agreement before every event (Separate document associated with this code, but not to be confused with this document.)  Not agreeing to or ignoring this document will result in a forfeiture of ranking points, cash prizes and ability to continue the tour; All Players may be sent a survey following each event by the WPH Rules Committee to assess his/her compliance with the WPH Player Agreement; This survey will be reviewed by WPH committee(s).  WPH Rules apply only to WPH Sanctioned events and will not apply at ranked events outside of WPH sanctioning, in some cases.  See the WPH for clarifications.
• Those that follow the Player’s Agreement and this document may be selected to play at the next stop; WPH will use the rankings as a guideline for invites but will not automatically select a top invite off of the rankings alone; WPH will invite the top four women and senior 40+ players, plus top eight men (known as, the Elite Eight) from one stop to the next. The Player’s Agreement will highlight the terms of the invite and pact and shall remain private between the player and WPH
• The top 4 Ranked Senior 40+ and Women’s Elite, plus top 8 ranked men’s pros, from the R48 8 regular season (post San Francisco ‘19) of 2018/19 may be given housing or other accommodations and/or free entry into the Player’s Championship; contingent on being compliant with the WPH Player Agreement; qualifiers will be added to the R48 Men’s Pro main draw after the qualifying process in Salt Lake and players outside of the invited ones are encouraged to participate. A non-invited player could gain enough ranking points to catch up and pass an invited player; thus, receiving bonus money, ranking points and more! Please join us and play.
• All players must be an active member of the WPH, holding a current Player’s Card, prior to their first match of the event to qualify for prize money & ranking points. A player w/out a current membership before their first match will be allowed to play but will not receive cash & prizes and, in some cases, ranking points; it’s the player’s responsibility to communicate with the WPH; Player’s Cards will be sold at the venue for $20 or on line at thehandballstore.com. *WPH admins advice: purchase the Mando Ortiz Special: $100 for a five-year Player’s Card!!
• If you are competing in the main draw, you must fill out the name/information ledger prior to your first tournament match. Players in the main draw will not be permitted on the court for their first match until the ledger is completed. Checks will be handed out on Sunday morning by WPH staff or mailed w/in 14 days to those who filled out ledgers. Players who do not fill out ledgers will not receive prize money.  It’s up to the player to be proactive regarding the ledger.  Ask the WPH for a ledger now and keep on file. For those from Ireland or other foreign countries that have not filled out the proper IRS paperwork will not receive prize checks until all official government documents have been penned.
• All WPH Race4Eight Stops can be accessed on r2sports.com; to include information regarding the format, schedule, divisions, prize money, entry fees, hotel and sponsor info, to name just a few. Please use your tabs on that page to access the info.  Still having questions?  Contact the WPH at info@wphlive.tv. The 2018/19 Tour schedule and Info:  https://goo.gl/dcfSX8
• By playing in a WPH event you agree that your image will be captured and used LIVE or for future playback; whether still or motion cameras (video) and shared on social media publicly and possibly even on major TV networks. All broadcast rights are either owned by or shared with the WPH, ESPN & their sponsors and affiliates. Want a copy of your image?  Contact the WPH
• WPH encourages you to recognize sponsors on clothing or apparel by adding approved logos on WPH Jerseys or vice versa. Questions as to what constitutes an official WPH Jersey, please email well in advance of your event (three-week min. notice). If you need more official WPH Jerseys, please visit com. Please send your logos to the WPH prior to the season’s first event (one month before the deadline) and in high resolution format.  Wearing sponsor-only attire may result in no prize payments or ranking points and is a direct violation of the Player’s Agreement for that event; Each player in question must contact the WPH for clarification.  Sponsors are encouraged!
• The WPH will take all measures possible to avoid repeat round of 16 (and 8) matchups throughout the season, with a possibility that a repeat matchup could occur; particularly late in the season. WPH will seed all events for men, seniors, women and qualifiers, when available, as follows:  Top pros will be placed into the draw and drawn one week prior to the event. #1 and #2 will be placed on the top and bottom of the draw, respectively. #3 and #4 will be randomly drawn (flip of a coin), #’s 5-8 will be randomly drawn out of a hat.  WPH blind draws will be recorded and transparent for prosperity.  No WPH employee, that is also in the draw, will be a part of the seeding or blind-draw behind closed doors.  Only WPH Player-Employees allowed to perform blind draws will be doing so openly and transparent in public (i.e. pro qualifier blind draw “out of a hat” process in front of peers).
• If your bracket includes a qualifier… WPH will draw up to eight qualifiers into the main draw with alternating drawing methods; w/qualifier names being drawn out of a hat randomly using traditional blind draw, reverse blind draw, etc. When available, this process will be put onto video for authenticity. Please ask WPH officials how your next stop will be seeded: info@wphlive.tv.
• Ranking points breakdown per event: 1^st: 10, 2^nd: 8, tie 3^rd: 6, 5^th: 4 points, 6^th: 3.5 points, tie 7^th: 3 points, 9^th: 2 points, 10^th: 1.5 points, tie 11^th: 1 point, 13^th: .5/.4/.3/.2 points, *13-16 place points will be determined by most points scored in the first round of the 9-16 playoffs *17^th: 0.1 (17^th if court space and availability) See the WPH for clarification. The 2018/2019 R48Pro VIII season will allocate the same amount of points for every race stop; no double points; Note: a player may win a round to receive payment/prize money/ranking points – a “bye” is not considered a win.  A player who forfeits or is disqualified from a match may not receive points or cash.
• All WPH brackets (SR40+, Women, Qualifiers & Elite Men) will be awarded a 4-minute break between games and halftime in 25-point matches; all R48, SR48, and WR48 main draw scoring will sync at 15-15-15, win by two; qualifier and R48, SR48, and WR48 playoff matches, remains at one game to 25, win by two.
• Players are responsible for checking the draw sheets on site and @ R2sports to map out their scheduled playoff and main court matches; if TV matches are to be played (ESPN), then the player cannot reschedule without asking and being granted approval by D. Vincent. ESPN demands no more than five minutes of dead air time during their full broadcast schedule block and has agreed to film handball if the WPH can provide continuous feeds of the sport with no breaks in action.  For this document purpose, all matches will conclude on Sunday at 2pm.  Booking travel after 3pm is considered standard practice.  In 2018/19, the WPH will make no physical changes to the schedule at the player’s expense (loss of prize money, ranking points, etc.).  If a player forfeits a final or ESPN match due to a flight or early departure from the club/venue, then that player will not be invited to the next tour stop and/or beyond
• There will be no third-place playoff for Elite Men (Salt Lake City potentially excluded) unless specified; Players are not forced to play a playoff match unless on the ESPN calendar; otherwise, a playoff forfeit will not be scrutinized if it is announced and verified by D. Vincent immediately after that player’s last played match; a player who doesn’t announce their forfeit and no-shows will lose ranking points and prizes for that event. WPH does encourage play and remains hopeful all players play out all matches for sponsors and fans; First round and second round main bracket losers will be entered into two brackets; playing for 5^th and 9^th
• Paid referees for R48pro, SR48pro & WR8pro matches will receive $20 per main draw match ($30 if the match is LIVE on ESPN). Main Bracket Playoff matches bring no fee unless it is aired on ESPN.  Refs are paid $30 for the final of Men’s, Senior & Elite Women.  In all cases, players who referee will contact the WPH within 14 days of the match they reff’d w/an invoice requesting payment that includes:  Player’s Name, Social Security Number, Address, Email Address and total amount due.  Player shall also list the match(es) reff’d, round of play, opponents, and whether it was ESPN filmed.  WPH will pay the player w/in two weeks following the invoice completion and approval.  After two weeks’ time, the WPH will consider the tournament closed. Unpaid matches will be viewed as donations (TY in advance).  Please ask the WPH for a sample invoice. 
• All WPH Players are asked to referee two matches in their entered bracket. A player will forfeit ranking points or prize money if referee responsibilities are not met. Ref’s who lost and are forced to ref the next match will get reimbursed (see above).  *Finding a suitable replacement to referee is acceptable, but if that replacement does not show or is late, the blame falls on the player, not the replacement. Beware!
• The WPH will offer junior/collegiate clinics at all R48 stops, unless specified. Players will be asked to coach up to two clinics per season, as a part of the WPH mission and Player’s Agreement. Additionally, the WPH may offer Adult/Elite clinics, when available, in which adult players make donations to Junior WPH to be coached by a top pro (Women/SR/Men). Pros can get paid for these adult clinics; Please ask the WPH Director near you for your next coaching opportunity and please help the WPH mission by growing this game
• All players will take the initiative to visit the broadcast booth, when available, before or after their match. Please approach the broadcast table to either enter the booth or get your clearance; failure to visit will result in ranking points, prizes and a breach in the Player’s Agreement.  Please help the WPH grow the game of handball – your fans want to hear from you.  It’s recommended that each player contact the WPH after the draws are announced to schedule their time with the booth. *All players are required to volunteer to announce one match per event
• All pros, qualifiers; Women’s Elite & Senior 40+ players are expected to attend sponsor-driven functions, dinners and gatherings. Please identify those that have put effort forward to make the event possible and thank them for their service; we strongly encourage, you to email and hand-write thank you letters to all sponsors and volunteers involved.  Contact the WPH if you need these key people pointed out and/or their addresses. *We understand that there may be a stop in which a player will have family in the host city and the WPH will allow for players to miss banquets under these circumstances, when given advanced notice. In the instance that a player cannot attend a banquet, that player will be required to write a handwritten thank you note to the sponsor(s) in the week following the event
• Incentives, airfare, hotels, entry fees and cash considerations, also known as, Player Travel Money, can be granted in some form, after player agreement evaluations, based on the player’s previous tournament’s PA score. Out of good faith, the top 4 Elite Women & SR 40+ -and- Elite Eight Men will have their first event entry fee paid by the WPH at the 2018 Race Stop #1 (R48: Atlanta, WR48: Tucson, SR48: Tucson). All Elite Players must contact the WPH one month before the entry deadline to receive this special beginning of the year bonus.  It is the player’s responsibility to enter and pay for their entry into WPH events (Note:  WPH doesn’t receive entry fee money from the hosts and will not comp players.  A player could lose their invite by not signing up in time).

R48PRO ELITE MEN & QUALIFIER-SPECIFIC GENERAL INFO & RULES:

• Power Rankings are a 12-month rolling system ranking the R48Pro’s best five of seven events through the R48 8 Tucson Memorial ’18, the best six of eight events following the R48 8 Portland ’18 through the R48LTE NYAC ’19, and best six of nine events following the R48 8 Aces Salt Lake City Player’s Championship ’19. Player compliance to the WPH Player Agreement will be combined with the rankings for invites and seeding.
• Current ranked events leading into the 2018/19 R48Pro Tour: Atlanta ‘17, Tucson ‘17, Montana ‘18, Las Vegas ‘18, Houston ‘18, New York ‘18, and Salt Lake City ’18; Upcoming ranked events to start Season Eight: (Elite Men): Atlanta ’18, Tucson ’18, Portland ’18, Montana ‘19, New Orleans ’19 (LTE), Tucson ’19 (LTE), San Francisco ’19, New York ‘19 (LTE) & Salt Lake City ‘19
• The qualifier is open to the first 32 to enter, unless otherwise posted, on a first come first serve basis. WPH may increase the qualifier to allow 46 or more players; likewise, there may be less than 32 also offered. All qualifier matches are on Friday morning at 9am unless specified (ie Thursday evening).
• The qualifiers will play down to the final eight (or pre-determined number) w/just the qualifier winners advancing; unless previously stated.  WPH may alter qualifier formats depending on the numbers of players in the event (Ie.  32 players equal 8 brackets of four w/each bracket yielding one qualifier winner –or- 16 total players equal 4 brackets of four bringing two qualifiers from each bracket, et al).  WPH will determine the format after the entry deadline. *R48 Pre-Qualifier winners in which two players in the R48 top 25 entered are given direct entry into the R48 main draw and will choose the stop in which he/she wants to use his/her direct entry. Thus, there could potentially be a R48 stop in which the qualifier may offer just 5-6 spots.
• The R48 Pre-Qualifier: The winner of a R48 Pre-Qualifier during the 2018/19 R48 8 season will choose to use his/her Race 4 Eight travel stipend at stops in Atlanta (October), Tucson (November), Portland (December), Montana (January), New Orleans LTE (February), Tucson LTE (March), New York LTE (April), San Francisco (March), and Salt Lake City (May). If the Men’s Open Singles champion is unable to attend a Race 4 Eight event during this Race season or is currently ranked in the Race 4 Eight Elite 8, the R48 Pre-Qualifier finalist will receive half of the total stipend dollars after the conclusion of the
  Race season after the approved request from the player (but, within 60 days) is submitted and approved by the WPH. WPH R48 Pre-Qualifier rules, if two or more players ranked inside the R48 top 25 enter a R48 8 Pre-Qualifier, the winner will receive direct entry into Tucson, Montana, or San Francisco (Portland, New Orleans LTE, Tucson LTE. And NYAC LTE are open draws and Salt Lake City does not offer a direct entry option). Confused? We understand!  Contact us:  info@wphlive.tv
• 2018/19 R48 8 Power Rankings: In an effort the reward the R48 players playing the best handball, the 2017/18 R48 7 ranking points will be cut in half at the start of the 2018/19 R48 8 season. The 2018/19 R48 8 season will award full R48 ranking points for all R48 stops and half ranking points for R48LTE stops (see “Ranking Points Breakdown Per Event”). If, for example, a player made the semis at the 2018 R48 NYAC, earning six ranking points, that would be changed to three ranking points entering the 2018/19 R48 8 season.
• Refereeing: The Elite 8 will be asked to volunteer to referee one R48 Men’s Pro main draw match before the tournament and referee an additional R48 Men’s Pro match at some point during the tournament (or find a suitable replacement). Each Elite 8 pro will be required to referee the first match on Saturday morning and Sunday morning at some point during the R48 8 season. If the R48 Elite 8 do not volunteer to referee a match within 48 hours of the event, the WPH staff with assign that player(s) his refereeing responsibilities during the tournament. Referees are required to wear the official referee’s jersey during all broadcast matches
• R48 Men’s Pro incentive (travel) money may be given to only members of the Elite 8 who have fulfilled their Elite 8 tournament obligations, pending financial budget approval by the WPH. In order to receive incentive money, Elite 8 players must meet their refereeing, broadcasting, coaching, and sponsor obligations for that event
• Qualifiers that lose may be placed into a 17^thPlace Playoff, if court space is available.  Matches (when court space is available) will be one game to 21, win by two, halftime at 11 (two minutes), no timeouts. 17^th Place Matches will start on Friday and will award 0.1 R48 ranking points. *see the WPH (17^th ranking rules below)
• “R48 LTE” stops will be held during the 2018/19 R48 season, offering half of the official R48 ranking points and nearly half the prize money
• R48 LTE ranking points: 1^st: 5, 2^nd: 4, tied 3^rd: 3, 5^th: 2, 6^th: 1
• LTE ranking points are only valid to the player if that player qualifies during the season and/or are named in the top eight and have accepted their invite.  Once the player qualifies, then their LTE points become retroactive (same for the Elite Eight member). If a player accrues points at an LTE stop without earning ranking points at one of the six official Race locations (in that current R48 season), those points will be frozen and NOT accounted for until that player qualifies or earns ranking points at a main event R48Pro stop. If/when the player earns points in a full R48 stop, his/her LTE points will be added. If the player does not earn points in a full R48 stop, his/her LTE points will not accessible. *The same rule applies to the 17^th place playoff winner.  Want more clarification?  Info@wphlive.tv
• R48LTE events will be seeded directly by the rankings
• All qualifier and Playoff matches are one game to 25, 4-minute halftime at 15 and win by two. Player who served first to start the qualifier will be returning the serve after halftime
• All main draw matches (SR 40+, Women and Elite Men) are 15-15-15 win by two, two 60-second timeouts per game, one 30-second timeout per game, four minutes between games.
• R48 VIII Round of 16 Draw formats:

Atlanta: By the Rankings

Tucson: Blind Draw

Portland: Open Draw

Montana: Qualifiers choose their opponent

San Francisco: Elite 8 choice (elite 8 choose their qualifier opponents)

Salt Lake City (draw done by the rankings). *In special Reverse/Elite 8 choice/Throwback draws, players will not be able to choose a player he/she has already played in the first round. If conflicts cannot be avoided, a coin flip could decide the opponents

• R48 Men’s Round of 8 Matchups: The first stop of the season will go by the rankings in the round of 8, meaning 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7. 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5. The next three events will be a blind draw in the round of 8, with no repeat round of 8 matchups from the previous tournament permitted. The R48 Men’s Pro Round of 8 draw will reset after the first four events, meaning that any quarterfinal matchup could occur in the remaining R48 events, with no repeat round of 8 matchup from the previous tournament. The Player’s Championship will follow the traditional 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7. 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5 Round of 8 matchups
• Elite Men Regular Stop & Player Championship Payouts: 1^st:   $4,000; 2^nd: $2,000; 3^rd/4^th: $1,500/$1,500; 5^th: $1000; 6^th: $900; 7^th/8^th: $800/$800; 9^th-16^th: $350 or more; 17^th: $100 (and subject to change pending participation)
• Elite 8 Bonus monies to be awarded to the approved final eight ranked pro men post Salt Lake ’19: 1st:  $7,500; 2nd:  $5,000; 3rd:  $4,000; 4th: $3,500; 5th: $3,000; 6th: $2,500; 7^th: $2,250; 8th: $2,000 (and subject to change pending participation). In case of a tie in final points, the WPH will first look at in-season head-to-head matchups; if a tie still occurs, the WPH will pool the player’s bonus winnings and then divide equally between the players.  In all cases, bonus money will come to only those that are ranked in the final eight after the season’s conclusion and to those in attendance who played at least one full round at the Player’s Championship; to those that comply with the Player’s Agreement; within two weeks of receiving the Player Survey. *If multiple players tie for a top eight bonuses and if any of these players occupied a non-top-8-ranking prior to the Player’s Championship, the WPH will pool monies after first projecting payouts, before calculating the final bonus. See WPH for clarification.
• WPH Elite Men & Qualifiers will use the R48Pro Handball thru 2018/19 R48Pro Season VIII

SR48PRO 40+ SENIOR MEN GENERAL INFO:

 The Power Rankings are a 12-month rolling system that rank all the SR events. This season, events will be immediately removed after 12 months, and replaced by the most recent version of the event. If an event is not held, that event will be removed. Season Eight will use the results from these 2018 SR48 stops: Las Vegas ‘18, Houston ‘18, and SLC ‘18 – Counting new results for Tucson ’18, New Orleans ’19 and Salt Lake City ’19.

• All main draw matches are best of three 15-point games, win by two in all games, plus a four-minute break between games. Playoffs matches are one game to 25, halftime at 15 w/4 min break, win by two, three timeouts per match; player who serves to start the match will return serve to start the second half. See the WPH…
• All SR48 matches will be played with the R48Pro Ball; w/no exceptions unless disclosed up front
• 2018/19 R48 8 Power Rankings: In an effort the reward the SR48 players playing the best handball, the 2017/18 SR48 ranking points will be cut in half at the start of the 2018/19 SR48 season.
• The WPH SR48 seeding committee will aim to avoid repeat round of 16, round of 8, and semifinal matchups from Tucson ’17 to New Orleans ’18. The ’18 SR48 Player’s Championship will be seeded directly from the WR48 rankings
• Senior 40+ Payouts (Tucson ’18, New Orleans ‘19, Salt Lake City ’19): 1^st: $1,250; 2^nd:  $750; 3^rd:  $500; Possible Additional Payouts or reductions depending on the numbers of players in the draw.  Note:  a player must win a round to receive payment – a “bye” is not a win. 
• Senior 40+ Year-ending Bonus: 1^st: $2,500, 2^nd: $1,500, 3^rd:  $1,000 4^th:  $750; must be present and play one round at the Player’s Championship to receive bonus money; while agreeing to and following the Player’s Agreement.  Payouts may increase or decrease based on participation and may pay down to 5th.  See WPH officials for details. Players in the SR48 must be 40 years of age or older in the year of the tournament
• Appearance- SR48 players will dress appropriately for matches, which includes wearing WPH approved clothing during all filmed matches. Sponsored players can wear their sponsored gear w/WPH logo attached. See the WPH for clarification. Visit com for WPH approved gear. *We have had several of the SR48 pros not honor the WPH dress code in previous seasons; those players not wearing WPH approved gear will either not be permitted to play and/or not given prize money and/or ranking points. This rule goes for Women and Elite Men; qualifiers and all WPH prize money divisions and is not exclusive to just Senior 40+.
• 2018/19 SR48 Schedule & Entries

#1 – 11/1/2018—11/4/2018 – #TheMemorial – Tucson, Arizona – The TRC – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

#2 – 2/15/2019—2/17/2019 – New Orleans Mardi Gras Open – Harahan, Louisiana – Oshner Fitness – Entry HERE> **BROADCAST TBD (R48pro LTE & SR48Pro Stop)

#3 – 5/17/2019-5/19/2019 – Aces Players Championship – Salt Lake City, Utah – Sports Mall – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

WR48PRO WOMEN’S ELITE GENERAL INFO:

• The Power Rankings are on a 12-month rolling system that rank all the WR events. This season, events will be immediately removed after 12 months, and replaced by the most recent version of the event. If an event is not held, that event shall be removed. Entering the WR48 2018-2019 season, pro women will use 2017/18 results: Tucson ‘17, Las Vegas ‘18, NYAC ‘18 and SLC ‘18 – Counting new results for Tucson ’18, San Francisco ’19 and Salt Lake City ‘19
• All main draw WR48 matches are best of three, 15-15-15, win by two in all games
• All WR48 matches will be played with the Red 21 ball.
• 2018/19 R48 8 Power Rankings: In an effort the reward the WR48 players playing the best handball, the 2017/18 WR48 ranking points will be cut in half at the start of the 2018/19 WR48 season.
• All Playoff matches (unless stated prior) will be one game to 25, four-minute halftime at 15, win by two, three 60-second TO’s per player; player who serves first to start the match will return the serve after halftime. As with the men, Non-TV Playoffs will not have a referee in most cases and could be placed (like the men) on side or back courts
• The WPH WR48 seeding committee will aim to avoid repeat round of 16, round of 8, and semifinal matchups from Tucson ’17 to San Francisco ’18. The ’18 WR48 Player’s Championship will be seeded directly from the WR48 rankings
• Elite Women Payouts (Tucson ’18, San Francisco ‘19, Salt Lake City ’19): 1^st: $1,250; 2^nd:  $750; 3^rd:  $500; Possible Additional Payouts depending on the numbers of players in the draw. Note: a player must win a round to receive payment – a “bye” is not a win. 
• Elite Women Season-ending Bonus: 1^st: $2,500, 2^nd: $1,500, 3^rd:  $1,000 4^th:  $750; must be present and play one round at the Player’s Championship to receive bonus money; while agreeing to and following the Player’s Agreement.  Payouts may increase or decrease based on participation and may even pay down to 5^th or beyond depending on support.  See WPH…
• Appearance- WR48 players will dress appropriately for matches, which includes wearing WPH approved clothing during all matches. Sponsored players can wear their sponsored gear w/WPH logo attached. See the WPH for clarification. Visit com for WPH approved gear. *We have had several of the WR48 pros not honor the WPH dress code in previous seasons; those players not wearing WPH approved gear with either not be permitted to play and/or not given prize money and/or points. This rule is not exclusive to just the Women; all WPH divisions that offer prize money apply
• 2018/19 WR48 Schedule & Entries

#1 – 11/1/2018—11/4/2018 – #TheMemorial – Tucson, Arizona – The TRC – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

#2 – 3/29/2019-3/31/2019- Olympic Club Invitational – San Francisco, California – Olympic Club – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier, R48Pro & WR48Pro Stop)

#3 – 5/17/2019-5/19/2019 – Aces Players Championship – Salt Lake City, Utah – Sports Mall – Entry HERE>  ***ESPN (WPH Qualifier/R48Pro/WR48Pro & SR40+ Stop)

2018-2019 Referee Guidelines + WPH Rules

To become a better referee and to learn interpretations of the rules, including video replay, equipment timeouts, how to deal with stalling, injury timeouts, floor wiping protocol, in-match coaching protocol, calling hinders and avoidable hinders, bad bounces, appeals, referee attire, how to suppress arguments, scoring formats and more, read the 2018-2019 Referee Guidelines + WPH Rules below

WPH Referee Guidelines + WPH Rules

The WPH is committed to training referees to be competent and successful in all Race 4 Eight circumstances. Below is a guideline to help improve a referee’s called match; from the rules in the 15-point / 25-point formats to complicated interpretations of hinders, injury timeouts and stalling. USHA rules chairman, Tom Sove, has been consulted extensively to provide our players and staff with all the knowledge they will need to be confident and assertive when refereeing a match. We understand that no referee is perfect, but our goal is for our referees to be as well prepared as possible for each event. Please read the Referee Guidelines + WPH Rules below, and as always, email the WPH with any questions.

One-game to 25 rules:

• Three 60-second timeouts per game
• Must win by two points
• Halftime comes when the first player scores 15: Four-minute break
• Whoever serves first to start the match receives serve after halftime
• One incorrect video challenge per one game match to 25

15-point game format:

• Two 60-second timeouts per game, one 30-second timeout per game (3 total)
• Four minutes between games
• Win by two in all games
• Tiebreaker is to 15, win by two
• One incorrect video challenge per game

Referee Quick Notes for all matches:

• Referee should announce the names, rankings, and hometown of the players before the first serve
• Referee should have competent lines judges in place before the first point
• Referee should ask to see the player’s gloves and shirts at the start of each timeout and before the start of halftime (if a shirt, gloves, headband change are required, allow a reasonable amount of time, up to one additional minute on top of the timeout for the change)
• Referee should enforce WPH gear for all players on all broadcast matches
• Referee should hand the losing player the scorecard for the next match
• Referee should wear WPH approved gear or a referee’s jersey

Start Time:

The referee must wait for the signal to start the match from the WPH film team before starting the match on all broadcast courts

Arguments:

• Diffuse all arguments quickly, but do listen to the grievances from the player(s) briefly
• Be completely non-confrontationalwhile also being open to the argument quickly
• No argument should last longer than 15 seconds
• Excessive arguing with the referee will not be tolerated and referees will enforce technical violations, even in the absence of vulgar language
• Players are not to address the linesman at any time. All complaints must be diplomatic and go only through the referee. Arguing, intimidating, influencing, etc., the linesman will result in a technical violation.

Example:

Referee calls hinder…

Player “A” screams, “I wanted that shot, I was in position to hit a kill. That’s horrible.”

Referee gives the player a couple seconds to vent (if no vulgar language is used) while not engaging.

Referee (after a couple seconds of listening): (No expression) “I understand what you are saying. I’ll look for it next time. Play resuming. Gaulton to serve. 8-5.”

Presentation:

A referee should never say:

• Good shot
• Great shot
• Nice try
• Great rally
• Or add any other type of commentary that favors a player

The referee should never make jokes or antagonize a player for any reason. Remember, everything you say is mic’d up and streaming live for the world to hear. A referee can professionally issue a technical warning or a technical, when necessary, when behavior causes embarrassing circumstances for the player and the tour

Attire:

The referee should dress professionally, always wearing a WPH shirt (Collared is preferred)

Be prepared:

A referee should be prepared with:

• Stopwatch
• Coin
• Towel
• Extra handballs (opened and pre-warmed up)
• Two competent linesmen
• Scorecard/Pencil
• Knowledge of the Format and Scoring
• Knowledge of the player’s playing (small bio announcement for the crowd), to start the match
• Direct communication line with WPH Directors (Video)

Enforce all rules, to include:

• Foot faults
• Time between points
• Time between timeouts
• Time between games
• Time between glove changes
• Instant replay, when applicable
• Wet gloves (always ask to see them during timeouts and glove changes; between games)
• Wet Shirts and Headbands (always ask to see them during timeouts and glove changes; between games)

Judgment calls, to include hinder calls, screens, and bad bounces are left to the discretion of the referee:

• The referee should allow the play to develop and always give players a chance to make a play before making a call (unless safety of the players is a concern)
• A hinder can always be called late but an early hinder or screen call can eliminate rally-ending opportunities for a player
• A referee should not allow a player to take a shot, miss it, and call a hinder (this is not the NBA with the and 1 rule). If a player is given a shot, he/she must live with the results of that shot
• A referee’s job is to be invisible. If no one knows who the ref was at the end of the match, the ref worked a great match
• A referee should be able to quiet the crowd or restrain the crowd from unsavory comments, when applicable

Referee Responsibilities:

• Announce the player’s name, ranking, and place of residence before starting the match
• Enforce equipment changes (gloves, headband, shirt) during player timeouts and in between games
• Do not allow players to tie and retie shoes during the play unless the shoelaces are indeed untied (player will be charged a timeout if he/she re-ties shoelaces that are not untied; if no time outs remain, opponent will be awarded one point
• Call court hinders (see hinder section)
• Appoint line judges that are not drinking and/or texting. If none can be found, then there are no line judges and we will resort to the broadcast booth for replays (not optimal/only as a last resort)
• A player cannot leave the court before explaining to the referee; and being granted access to the departure.  Leaving too soon equals a time out loss or added point to opponent score (if out of timeouts)

Interpretations:

• Excessive arguing (referee judgment): Technical (loss of point)
• Leaving the court without announcing a reason: Technical (loss of point)
• Three technical violations: Forfeiture from the tournament
• When the referee calls the score, the ball is in play. Talking/arguing or not returning the serve will result in a point for the server
• Not being prepared when a time between games has been called/start of the match/following a timeout/following a glove change: Charged a timeout. If a player does not have any timeouts remaining: Technical (loss of point)
• *Note, the referee’s discretion enables he or she to call a technical on“anything considered to be unsportsmanlike behavior” (Rule 4.9 A 9). This can include but is not limited to excessive stalling, unnecessarily wiping the floor, consistently not being prepared to receive the serve, abuse of appeal privileges, profanity, excessive arguing, excessive or hard striking of the ball between rallies, failing to improperly wear eye protection and abuse of appeal privileges

Official Ball + Scoring:

• Official ball of all R48: R48 Ball
• Official ball of all WR48: 21 Red
• Official ball of all SR48: R48
• All R48 main draw matches: 15-15-15, win by two in all games; 4-minute break between games
• All WR48 main draw matches: 15-15-15, win by two; 4-minute break between games in all games unless administered by a non-WPH Tournament
• All SR48 main draw matches:15-15-15, win by two; 4-minute break between games in all games unless administered by a non-WPH Tournament
• All Playoff matches in R48, WR48, and SR48: one game to 25, win by two. *Note: All non-TV playoff matches will not have a referee for all R48, WR48 or SR48

Timeouts:

• 15-point games: players are given two 60-second timeouts per game and one 30-second timeout per game
• 21-point games: players are given three 60-second timeouts per game
• 11-point tiebreakers: players are given two 60-second timeouts per game
• 25-point games: players are given three 60-second timeouts per game, plus a 4-minute halftime when the first player reaches 15 points

Appeals:

• Appeals on short serves/skip balls must be made in a timely manner and cannot be made in the middle or at the end of a timeout or between games and cannot be made at the suggestion of a coach or the crowd. The referee makes the decision on whether the appeal was made in a reasonable amount of time

Video Replay:

• Players can ask for video replay only if lines-people are working the match; only after first going through the proper appeal process
• The referee must make the official request to the booth for an instant replay by announcing the call into the ref’s video mic
• Players are given two incorrect instant replay challenges per game (11, 15, 21, or 25). If instant replay upholds two calls or is inconclusive, the player has lost his or her replay challenge for that game. Unused replay challenges do not carry over to the next game. Please ask prior to the match or event if replays will be available.
• Allowable appeals to instant replay: short serve, foot fault, skip/non-skip
• Referee judgment calls cannot be appealed, to include hinders, avoidable hinders, screens, ball making it to the wall/not making it to the wall
• Replays will be reviewed by the broadcast booth and must contain irrefutable evidence to overturn a call

Bad Bounces:

• The referee calls all slides and bad bounces: No appeals to instant replay for bad bounces
• If the referee is positioned above the court and cannot see the back wall, the referee can appeal to a linesman with a better view of the back wall. The linesman must be absolute in the determination that a bad bounce occurred for a bad bounce to be enforced
• Only the referee or the offensive player can call a bad bounce and it must be done immediately. Once this call by the referee is made it will be considered a bad bounce.  If the offensive player called the bad bounce and the referee didn’t see it; the referee can appeal with his/her line judges.  If the referee is overturned than the point will be played over.  If the linesmen do not see a bad bounce than the play will be treated like an avoidable on the player calling the bad bounce.  ***A referee shall not take the player’s word on the bad bounce and shall go through the inner-lines-appeal process; additionally, Once the shot has been struck, the bad bounce possibility has been eliminated

Example:

• Offensive player has a back-wall setup, but the ball takes a bad bounce. If the defensive player calls “bad bounce,” the defensive player has lost the rally. The offensive player can play the shot or stop play and ask for a bad bounce
• An offensive player can play a shot immediately after a bad bounce, but that player cannot hit the shot and miss it and ask for a bad bounce. Once the shot has been struck, the bad bounce possibility has been eliminated

 Hinders + Avoidable Hinders

Hinders:

• Referee should allow the play to develop before calling a hinder unless a safety issue arises
• Contact does not facilitate a hinder in many cases; a setup, a rally shot that is unaffected by the contact

Avoidable Hinders:

Examples of avoidable hinders include:

• Server backing into a revolving door shot and taking away the shot
• “Showing” your opponent a shot and stepping in front of the shot as the shot is being hit
• Contacting your opponent while he/she is swinging or following through
• Crossing the line of the ball to return to the center of the court. i.e. if a player is stuck on the left side wall and crosses the ball to return to the center of the court
• Audible hinders are avoidable hinders. This includes talking during a rally. If the player calls two bounces he cannot appeal his own call because the play was dead as soon as he talked during the play, whether he picked up the ball on one or two bounces is irrelevant
• *If a player hits a rally ending shot and calls a double bounce, he can appeal his own call. For example, player A dives and hits a flat kill but calls a double bounce on himself. If the referee determines that the shot was in fact rally-ending and the line judges determined the ball was retrieved on one bounce, the shot will be considered good
• *There is no such thing as an “Avoidable warning.” A ref that gives an “avoidable warning” will be given a non-avoidable fine from the tournament committee

Player Warm-up:

Referee will allow players 10 minutes to warm-up on the court in which they are playing once the court has become available. Players are encouraged to warm-up on adjacent courts if they do not feel that 10 minutes is sufficient.  Referees will start the match 10 minutes after the court is available or when the TV space opens.  Non-prepared players will lose timeouts, then points, then technical.  See Dave Fink for details.

In-match Coaching:

Coaching is only permitted before and after the match and during official 60-second timeouts and between games. Coaching is not permitted during towel timeouts, equipment timeouts, player/referee discussions, 30-second timeouts, or any other non-official timeout. Coaching violations could result in technical point penalties, removal of coach from the gallery, or forfeiture from the event for the player and coach. Coaches are asked to be respectful of the opposing player and should not be heard giving instructions or requesting appeals at any point during a match. Penalties will be left to the discretion of the referee

Handballs:

• The referee is responsible for ensuring that handballs are warmed up in the case of handballs breaking in the middle of matches
• The back-up game balls will be opened, used during warm-ups, and ready immediately upon a ball needing to be replaced
• Players will be given a maximum of 20 seconds to restart play after a new ball is placed into the court

Stalling

All referees need to learn Rule 3.5 A Players Code: a presumptive code of integrity and honesty, including fairly to represent injuries in the application of Ryle 4.10.C. Read below to learn to deal with various stalling situations that can arise

Injury timeouts

• The injury must occur during the match. There is no injury timeout for re-aggravating n existing injury
• Throwing up and cramps are not injuries, and thus, are not permitted under the injury timeout umbrella
• If a player is throwing up or experiencing cramps, he/she can call one of his/her timeouts
• If he/she or not back to the court by the end of the timeout, the referee should call time in, and invoke Rule 3.4.d.4.b: Late Start Penalty
• Rule 3.4.d.4.b: Late Start Penalty penalizes the player one point for every minute he/she is gone

Equipment Timeouts

• The referee determines if equipment needs to be changed, either for a safety issue or to keep the court dry. If the referee feels a player is abusing an equipment timeout (changing socks, changing shoes, changing shorts, etc.), the referee can invoke the Rule 3.4.d.4.b: Late Start Penalty
• Wiping of eye guards should only be done during legal time outs and during the two 10 second intervals of the”10 second rule”.  A player is not granted extra time to wipe eye guards.

Wiping the Floor

• The referee must determine if wiping the floor is necessary, not the player. The floor should be wiped for safety reasons, and the benefit of the doubt is generally given to the player. The towel to wipe the floor can be denied by the referee if the referee does not feel the floor needs to be wiped
• The referee can enforce the Head Band Rule if the player is dropping big drops of sweat off his/her body
• When the towel is thrown onto the court to clean a wet spot, the referee must ensure that the process is timely and that the player is not using the towel to wipe his/her face or touring the court with the towel
• The referee can also impose an unsportsmanlike technical (loss of point) for unnecessary diving to wet the floor, intentionally wetting gloves, etc.

10-Second Rule

• The service returner has 10 seconds to ready himself/herself for the serve before turning around and having the referee call the score. The service receiver “owns” for first 10 seconds after the rally ends
• The server has 10 seconds to serve once the referee calls the score. However, after a rally, the server can’t walk away from the ball that is returned to him.  He gets reasonable time to get the ball, and if the receiver is ready and the server walked away, the ref should call the score and let the server chase down the ball on his own 10 seconds.  If he doesn’t get it and serve before 10 seconds, it is a side out

Know the Rules

• The referee should come into every match knowing the rules and how to apply the rules to avoid stalling, unnecessary and illegal timeouts, and equipment issues. The players and the crowd enjoy playing/watching a properly refereed match

Potential Referee Questions and Situations

What can the referee do in these situations?

(Answers in blue from the Head of the USHA Rules Committee Tom Sove)

1. Excessive diving: The referee determines the player is excessively diving to create stalling opportunities to lie on the ground and subsequently wipe the floor

For example: diving for a ball once the ball is already past him or diving for a ball once the ball has already bounced twice

Rule 4.9 Technical(s) A. 9).  This is unsportsmanlike delay of game.  You can give a technical warning or warn him/her before the tourney match starts and let them know you know what he/she is doing and to stop it. Or, you can warn him/her and then fine them $100 for every flop.  That would be an association decision, not rule book decision. The NBA does it now.

***The WPH has now adopted this “Delay of Game,” rule.  $100 fine will be implemented for Unsportsmanlike Delay of game.  This penalty can be assessed by the referee or WPH Administrators at the time of the play in question, or before the event ends after reviewing the match.  A player cannot appeal this ruling during the match but can appeal to the WPH rules committee after the tournament ends.

2. Player leaves the court for an injury timeout but never announces the injury to the referee

If he left the court without ref’s ok and/or calling a time out, Rule 3.4 Referee D. Forfeitures 3) Leaving the court says he/she forfeits the match.  If the ref lets him/her leave, then the ref must have known it was because the player wanted a regular time out, or an injury time out. The ref is culpable here, he/she should know something!  If a regular time out, then after one minute the ref is to invoke Rule 3.4 Referee D Forfeitures 4) b. Late start penalty.  If none of this applies and you’re stuck at a situation, do what is fair, which probably is to acknowledge the injury and estimate the amount of time the player took, charge it to an injury time out and carry on from there

3. Player takes an injury timeout for a pre-existing injury

Not allowed.

4. Returner of serve was provided with a reasonable amount of time to return the serve, the referee calls the score but after the score is called, the returner of serve turns around to say he/she was not ready to return

After a rally, the receiver has a maximum of 10 seconds to assume the position to return serve, not reasonable time.  The receiver gets to say whether he wants all 10 or less than that.  It is up to the ref to learn the idiosyncrasies of the players to make a food faith determination when they are in position.  At 10 seconds, regardless of the receiver’s position, the ref should call the score. After a fault serve, then the receiver has reasonable time and not 10 seconds.  In your example, if in fact the receiver was not ready, the ref should be sympathetic to that and stop play and get it right.

5. Player excessively towels the floor after each rally, including parts of the floor on the other side of the court from which he/she dove.

Go back to the first question.  Unsportsmanlike delay of game.  The ref is in charge here. He/she should be directing the wipe activity and calling for the towel.  The players have the right to a dry court, but the ref decides if the court needs wiping. And note that the maximum time allowed for wiping is two minutes, it does not say the players have the right to two minutes.  The ref gets to decide how much time he/she wants to give for this. If the player wants to wipe in a different spot, then he/she should ask permission.  Max time for an equipment time out is also two minutes, but the referee can make this time shorter; it is not required for the player to take two minutes for a headband, for example.  Additionally, during a towel time out, both players shall remain on the court.  Any player leaving the court must get permission from the referee.  Delay of game if they leave before being allowed to.

6. Player either intentionally or unintentionally wets his gloves by placing the gloves on his/her sweaty shorts, legs or head

Unintentional, simple equipment timeout. Intentional, purposeful delay of game: technical.

7. The player takes more than one minute for a timeout

Once again Rule 3.4 Referee D Forfeitures 4) b. Late start penalty 

8. The player takes more than one minute for a timeout with no timeouts remaining

Same as above, no extra penalty to invoke because he has none left. The ref is dealing with the time out he/she did have, not one he doesn’t have.

9. The player’s parents, fans or spouse is sitting next to the referee influencing the referee’s calls and judgments. For example, the player’s father is sitting next to the referee urging the referee to call foot faults on his son’s/daughter’s opponents and influencing hinder calls against his son’s/daughter’s opponent…

The ref can kick out that person.  See Rule 5.6 Tournament conduct.  In fact, if your Tournament Director or Chief of Referees sees this happening, he/she should remove that abusing spectator.

10. Player dives and lays on the floor for an additional 10-20 seconds before asking for the towel, accumulating 45-60 seconds of delay.

More of the same, but is this systemic behavior?  If the ref wants to be a stickler, he/she can strictly interpret Rule 4.1 Serve E. Time.  He/she can say the receiver’s 10 seconds have elapsed, and then call the score, then say the server’s 10 seconds have elapsed and therefore side out.  But the ref should know the rule and enforce it fairly, including giving a heads up by calling the score in there somewhere.

11. Returning player overly-inspecting/ask for the ball from the server to disrupt the rhythm of the server.

More delay of game.  Nowhere does the player have the right to do any of that.  He/she can ask the ref to inspect the ball; the ref doesn’t have to inspect it.

12. Obvious stalling: The referee determines that a player is intentionally stalling because he/she is trying to break the rhythm of his opponent or to recover from long rallies.

Simple knowledge and use of Rule 4.1 Serve E. Time and Rule 3.4 D Forfeitures 4) b Late start penalty helps solve this behavior 

Questions: 

1. Is a back spasm considered a cramp?

      I’m not a doctor, but aren’t spasms pretty much a cramp, caused by one’s condition and/or state of hydration?  That’s something he/she brought to the court with him and not an injury.  If you have a doctor there who says the spasms are an injury, then that’s what it is. 

2. What exactly is the “reasonable amount of time” given to the server and the receiver after the referee calls point or side out? Does the “reasonable amount of time” should be 10 seconds or could the “reasonable amount of time” be less than 10 seconds. For example, server serves a crack ace right in front of the returner, neither the server nor the returner moved more than a foot during the one-shot rally. Does the referee need to wait 10 seconds to call the score?

No, doesn’t have to be 10 seconds. 10 seconds is the maximum, therefore reasonable would be less than that. Reasonable is designed for the server, where he/she should go and get the ball.  If the receiver assumes his/her position very quickly, the ref does not have to give the score at that time, he can wait for the server to get the ball.  This assumes the server is going about to retrieve the ball in an orderly and reasonable manner.  Also, after a fault serve, the receiver does not have a new 10 seconds to assume his position, he has reasonable time to do so. Nothing has happened except to retrieve the ball, so the receiver does not have anything to recover from.  In your example, no, the ref does not have to give the 10 seconds again, same reason as the last sentence

3. Can a catchall rule be implemented: anything that’s unsportsmanlike or delay of tourney as deemed by the tourney director’s results in a technical, a deduction, or a forfeiture.

Already there, I think you’ll see that all the above rules mentioned will work in your favor to achieve what you’re looking for.

Contact WPH R48Pro Director, David C Vincent, on how to add your event:  info@wphlive.tv