FIPPA COUNCIL DECISION
Cash Prizes in International Opens

The FIPPA Council has approved amendments to the amateur status guidelines and the provision regarding the awarding of cash prizes to the winners of FIPPA approved International Open competitions and WPPT events. FIPPA Council has decided the level of cash prizes FIPPA Open tournament organisers may award to those players with the best results in such tournaments. Players may not, however, receive payment for merely participating in such events.

This initiative is restricted to FIPPA International Open tournaments at the discretion of the organising committee of such events and WPPT tournaments. The following changes will be made to the FIPPA rules.

GUIDELINES ON AMATEUR STATUS

Pitch and Putt is essentially an amateur sport.

1. A player may not:

· Compete for prize money except as provided for in Special Provision A

· Receive payment or compensation for giving instruction other than as part of an approved programme

· Accept a prize or prizes of a retail value in excess of €1,500.00

· Exchange any prize for cash.

· Use a prize voucher to pay for all or part of a Club subscription.

· Accept honorary membership, or membership at a reduced rate, as an inducement to play for a Club.

2. A player may:

· Enter a voluntary Sweepstake (a club members' pool competition).

· Give instruction on a voluntary basis.

· Accept symbolic prizes which are permanently and distinctively engraved and are, therefore, exempt from the prize limit of €1,500.00

· Accept free food and beverage at a competition, provided the same isoffered to all competitors.

· Receive expenses for participating in team, promotional and international events.

Infringement of these guidelines will result in automatic exclusion from registration for competition. Reinstatement will only be considered by the

players association on written application, but only after one year of the event giving rise to the loss of amateur status.

The following Special Provision A will apply

In FIPPA approved International Open competitions

1)The total prize fund may include accumulated cash prizes of a maximum of €3,000.00

2) First prize of a maximum of €750.00 may be awarded

3) Subsequent cash prizes may be awarded subject to the overall maximum of €3,000.00

4) In addition, Sports equipment prizes to a total value of €2,500.00 may be awarded

5) First prize may include Sports equipment to a maximum value of €500.00 in addition to a maximum cash prize of €750.00

6) Subsequent Sports equipment prizes may be awarded in addition to cash prizes

b) The decision of whether or not to award cash prizes is at the discretion of the organising committee.

c) Cash prizes will be paid as gross amounts and any personal taxes will be the responsibility of the individual participant. EPPA and FIPPA will not be responsible for the tax treatment in any particular jurisdiction.

d) The participant's levy per competing player in a FIPPA Open will be €3.

If the organising committee decides not to award cash prizes, the FIPPA participant's levy does not apply.

e) The organising committee may award a trophy or other form of prize if accepting a cash prize might contravene or prejudice the amateur status of a player in another sport. The organising committee will inform the participants in an international open competition of this possibility.

f) Acceptance of cash prizes in accordance with the terms of this provision will not debar a player from participating in EPPA or FIPPA individual or team championships.

05/06/2024