Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Table Tennis NZ recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document and is committed to upholding the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation.
Policy 1: Code of conduct
Purpose
This code of conduct aims to:
- provide guidance on the behaviour expected of all people when participating in Table Tennis NZ’s activities, or in activities provided by any organisation affiliated to Table Tennis NZ
- support an inclusive environment where all people are treated with dignity, respect, and courtesy
Application
This code applies to anyone involved in Table Tennis NZ, or organisations affiliated to Table Tennis NZ and their members. This includes as a participant, employee, contractor or volunteer, player, official (referee or umpire), Board or committee member or office holders, administrator, coach, supervisor, manager, member, caregiver, parent, whānau or supporter.
This code is to be read together with all Table Tennis NZ’s policies and procedures. Table Tennis NZ, as a Member of the International Table Tennis Federation, adopts the Code of Ethics contained in the ITTF Handbook, as amended from time to time, applying its provisions and principles to activities and matters under the jurisdiction of Table Tennis NZ.
Expected Behaviours
Table Tennis NZ knows everyone involved in table tennis is here because of a shared passion for table tennis and care for the people involved. Table Tennis NZ aims to provide a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for everyone involved in its activities. People are expected to show respect, integrity, and courtesy in their interactions with others.
Children and young people must be cared for, treated with respect and their welfare placed at the centre of everything we do in table tennis. Everyone involved in table tennis joins with good intentions and we are all expected to do our part responsibly and to comply with our policies and rules and behave according to Table Tennis NZ values:
Integrity, Do the right thing
Community, Stronger together
Innovation, Learn and Lead
Everyone
Everyone involved with Table Tennis NZ or organisations affiliated to Table Tennis NZ must obey the law at all times, and is expected to:
- Act in good faith towards Table Tennis NZ
- Show commitment to Table Tennis NZ’s Purpose
- Follow the principles of fair play and encourage others to do the same
- Respect the rights, dignity, and value of others
- Be considerate and treat everyone fairly and equally
- Be a positive role model
- Communicate with others in a way that is polite, honest, and considerate
- Be committed to providing a quality service/activity and a safe sporting environment
- Behave professionally, responsibly, and ethically, at all times
- Not behave in a way that is discriminatory, bullying, harassing, racist, sexist, violent, abusive or otherwise inappropriate towards others, in person or online or via any media
- Remain free of the influence of drugs, performance enhancing substances and alcohol while involved in table tennis activities
- Always ensure safe and healthy practices
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
- Follow this code, Table Tennis NZ’s policies and procedures, and any applicable rules issued by Regional Table Tennis Associations, ITTF -Oceania and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
- Report breaches of this code, Table Tennis NZ’s policies and procedures, and any applicable rules issued by Regional Table Tennis Associations, ITTF -Oceania and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in a timely and appropriate way
Participants
Participants are expected to:
- Play competitively and fairly
- Play by the rules of table tennis
- Be humble in both success and defeat
- Be respectful of officials/referees, coaches, team managers, teammates, and other competitors
- Refrain from arguing with or abusing officials/ referees, coaches, and team managers
- Be cooperative with officials, referees, coaches, team managers, teammates, and other competitors
- Display courtesy, respect, honesty, and professionalism to everyone involved in the activities of Table Tennis, including, but not limited to family/whānau, other competitors, coaches, officials/referees, media, spectators and team managers
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
- Avoid intimidating behaviour on the court side, against the opposition, when supporting fellow team members
Family/Whānau
Family/whānau of participants are expected to:
- Lead by example
- Remember participant enjoyment of table tennis is most important
- Encourage participants, not force them
- Focus on participant effort and performance, not the end result
- Never punish participants for making a mistake or not winning
- Encourage participants to play by the rules of the sport
- Encourage low-level resolution of disagreements
- Be appreciative and courteous of officials, referees, coaches, supervisors, volunteers and team managers and respect their decisions
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
Coaches and Supervisors
Coaches / supervisors are expected to:
- Lead by example
- Respect and treat all participants fairly and equally
- Support participants to reach their full potential, keeping in mind their individual talents, developmental stages and table tennis goals
- Provide all participants with equal attention and opportunities
- Operate within the rules of table tennis, and the principles of fair play, while encouraging participants to do the same
- Advocate a sporting environment free of drugs, alcohol and performance enhancing substances, guided by the Sport Integrity Commission
- Display courtesy, respect, honesty and professionalism to everyone involved in the activities of Table Tennis NZ including family/whānau, other competitors, coaches, officials/referees and team managers
- Remain professional and refrain from initiating a close intimate relationship with a participant, and discourage any attempts by participants to do so
- Accurately represent all qualifications, experience, competence and affiliations they have
- Provide a quality service to participants, including:
- maintaining qualifications as appropriate
- seeking continuous improvement and development opportunities for themselves
- providing structured training that is appropriate to participants’ needs and goals and
- seeking advice and assistance where required
- Provide a safe sporting environment, as far as possible by:
- making sure all equipment and facilities meet health and safety standards
- making sure all equipment, rules, training and environments are appropriate, taking into account participants’ ages, maturity (physical and emotional), experience and ability
- encouraging participants to seek medical advice when sick or injured
- being considerate and proactive toward sick and injured participants
- be alert to the abuse of participants, verbally, physically, and emotionally
- Avoid unaccompanied and unobserved one-on-one activity (when in a supervisory capacity or where a power imbalance will exist) with people under the age of 18 years
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
- Ensure that any physical contact with a person should be appropriate to the situation and necessary for the person’s skill development
Team Managers/Supervisors
Team managers/supervisors are expected to:
- Be responsible and accountable for the overall management and wellbeing of the team/group
- Create a collaborative and inclusive team/group environment
- Have a good understanding of Table Tennis NZ policies and other relevant ITTF-Oceania, International Table Tennis Federation and WTT (rules or guidelines, ensuring the team/group acts in accordance with them
- Respect and treat all players fairly and equally
- Be alert to the abuse of participants, verbally, physically and emotionally
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
- Remain professional and refrain from initiating a close, intimate relationship with a participant, and discourage any attempts by participants to do so
Referees/Officials
Referees/officials are expected to:
- Officiate matches fairly and impartially, placing participant safety at the heart of their approach
- Have a thorough understanding of table tennis rules
- Condemn unsporting behaviour and encourage respect for competitors
- Support other referees/officials and encourage respect for them
- Treat all participants equally, and with dignity and respect
- Conduct themselves in an ethical way
- Provide a quality service to participants, including:
- maintaining their qualifications as appropriate
- seeking continuous improvement and development opportunities for themselves
- seeking advice and assistance where required
- Be a positive role model
- Communicate with others in a way that is polite, honest, considerate and not intimidating
- Follow all Table Tennis NZ policies relating to child protection and working with children
Reporting A Breach
Individuals who wish to report an alleged breach of this policy should follow the Table Tennis procedures outlined in the Complaints, Disputes and Appeals Policy including following the ‘Raise A Concern’ guidelines.
Version: February 2025