From the 2011-2012 season, Tchoukball UK competitions are changing to a new model designed to provide all players of all abilities with well-pitched and frequent competition.

Previously, Tchoukball UK has been able to offer a lot to elite players but less in the way of competition to new or developing players.  There are now 3 types of competition / event that Tchoukball UK runs:

- Development
- Regional Championships
- National Championships

Development:

These are competitions that run in October, January and April.  These days are designed to suit the local needs of your region. On these days, there will be no other tchoukball played. In the South-East, there is already well-developed competition for beginners - the Southern Tchoukball League (now called the South-Eastern Tchoukball League). Regions don't have to follow this format; they are free to run open days, days to increase participation in minority groups - whatever works best. The objective is very simply to get more people playing, and the region has complete control how it achieves this.

Regional Championships:

Where there is more than 1 team in the region (even if it's the same club), there should be a Regional Championships organised in months October, December and March. This will be organised by the region but with backing from Tchoukball UK, whether financially or logistically. So if the Yorkshire and Humber region has Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster as teams, there would be a Yorkshire Regional Championship of 3 teams, all run to the highest standards. The purpose of the Regional Championships is that the winner qualifies for National Championships for the following year. The regionals are therefore very important but also offer clubs the opportunity to enter a second team or to enter players that perhaps aren't ready nationally, but still need a level of competition akin to their own ability. If there is only 1 team in a region, then they automatically qualify for next year's National Championships.

Tchoukball UK will set the number of teams qualifying for the National Championships.  Therefore it is likely that the 2nd place and maybe the 3rd place teams in some regions will be able to participate in the following year's National Championships. For example, if Broadland finish 2nd in the East, Portsmouth finish 2nd in the South-East and Leeds Carnegie finish 2nd in Yorkshire and Humber, we would have 5 regions with winners.  If Tchoukball UK set the National Championships to be 8 teams, we would take the 3 second place teams and have a National Championships of 8 teams. The threshold will be decided each year and if necessary, play-offs will decide the 2nd / 3rd place teams that compete the following year.

National Championships:

The 2011-2012 National Championships is open to all clubs because the above rules for qualification weren't running last year. However, the National Championships from next year will have Regional Champions and various runners-up playing in them.

Although the new model will take players some getting used to, there are some great advantages.  It means that new regions can get involved straight away at a national level and that Tchoukball UK can offer new clubs and regions participation.  Tchoukball UK's resources will be concentrated right across the UK instead of in a few particularly well-populated regions - one of our key aims over the next few years.

Still unsure about our competitions - just contact us and we'll explain all you need to know.