Talent Pathway

1. UK ITF Ranking competitions

For each ITF International Championship season (from September to the following summer) the UK ITF British and English competitions are designated ‘Ranking’ for the purposes of UK ITF selection of TeamUK.

The ranking system will include all competitors across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland) to form one TeamUK. Competitors are awarded points according to their placement in each competition (see 1.1 below). The four competitors with the greatest number of points will be invited to National Squad Training. An invitation to National Squad represents eligibility to be considered for selection for TeamUK (see section 2).

1.1. Points awarded for Ranking Competitors

Points are awarded according to placement at the UK ITF British and English Championships, as follows: 1st Place = 10 points 2nd Place = 6 points 3rd Place = 4 points Plus 1 point for every round won.

1.2 Ranking Championships: General Principles

British
The British Championship, as the first competition of a given selection season, will be non-seeded. A reportage system will be utilised in order to identify the top 4 ranking competitors. There will be two 3rd places and no 4th place.
English
The English Championship will be seeded based on results of the British. Thus the top 2 ranked competitors will be placed in opposite sides of a draw. There will be two 3rd places and no 4th place.
Round-robin
A round-robin system will be run in degree ranking categories for patterns and sparring when there are only 3 in a category.
Pattern Ranking
Competitors must enter at their current grade, not their ‘anticipated’ grade at the time of an International Championship. Points obtained in one degree category can’t be carried over to the next degree category. UK ITF Ranking, Selection, Sponsorship Policy Feb 2014 Version 02 2 It is therefore recommended that a competitor should defer their grading if they are due to grade between the UK ITF English Championship and the ITF International Championship.
Sparring ranking
A competitor can change weight categories between competitions; however, any points that have been achieved in one weight division will not be carried over to another weight division.
Age
A competitor can chose to enter more than one age division to obtain ranking in both divisions when they will move age categories in an International Championship selection season. This will incur an extra entry fee.

2. Selection for TeamUK

The UK ITF will define at the beginning of each ITF Championship selection season the criteria for TeamUK selection – see below for general principles and Attachment 1.

2.1 National Squad Training

The top four ranked competitors from each identified UK ITF ranking competition will be invited to National Squad training. Receipt of an invitation to National Squad Training confirms eligibility to be considered for TeamUK for a given selection season.

Eligibility to National Squad is valid only when a competitor remains in the top four ranking. Should a competitor no longer be ranked in the top four they will forfeit their eligibility for National Squad Training.

2.2 TeamUK Selection

The final selection of TeamUK remains at the discretion of the Selection/Coaching Committee. Ranking is used to select for National Squad eligibility only. Other criteria such as depth of field, commitment and team spirit at National Squad Training will also be considered when selecting competitors for the TeamUK. See Attachment 1 for criteria for selection.

Wild-card competitors may be selected in exceptional circumstances e.g. a new group joining the UK ITF immediately prior to an International Championships and thus unable to attend all UK ITF Ranking Competitions. In such circumstances the Selection/Coaching Committee will take into consideration criteria such as previous and current performance at External/Open competition.

2.3 ITF European Championship

A TeamUK will be identified to represent the UK. See Attachment 1 for Selection criteria. Sponsorship requirements are in section B. UK ITF Sponsorship and Attachment 2.

The numbers of entrants per country are not restricted for the ITF European Championship. Therefore, at the Coaching Committee discretion, competitors who are not ranked may attend (to gain experience) outside of the UK ITF Ranking system. Should an Instructor identify a student who they wish to propose to attend the ITF European Championship, they should speak to the Coaching Committee. These individuals will not be eligible for the UK ITF sponsorship.

e.g. 1st kups likely to be 1st degree at the time of the European Championship. Consideration should be given to where they placed and depth of field at the ranking competitions in the kup categories.

2.4 ITF World Championship/Cup Championship

The ITF World Championship represents one of the highest accolades available to a competitor in the ITF. A TeamUK will be selected from the National Squad as outlined in Attachment 1. Sponsorship criteria are in section B. UK ITF Sponsorship and Attachment 2.

The numbers of entrants per country are restricted for the ITF World Championship. Therefore a competitor may only attend the ITF World Championship if they have been selected for TeamUK. The same procedure will be followed for an ITF Cup Championship.