A new points scoring system will affect many players from September.

An 11 points best of five games will be used instead of the 21 points best of three, which has been unchanged for 90 years since the sport started in London in 1911.

At the annual meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation in Osaka, Japan, only seven nations voted against the new way of scoring.

However, the English Table Tennis Association will allow local leagues to carry on with 21 points.

Most leagues are expected to continue with 21 points in Sussex, but some may look further ahead and see the whole sport eventually using 11 points.

The move is designed to make the sport more exciting with more 'crisis' points. From September 2002, there will be a 'clean-up' on service. The ball must be visible at all times to the receiver.

Adham Shahara, president of the International federation said: "We have now completed a package of improvements to take the sport forward. The larger ball has been accepted without any real problems. The service will be tidied up next year and now we have 11 points."

Andy Meads (Crawley) from the Ifield club is an outspoken critic of ITIF go forward policies.

He said: "This is change for the sake of change. Many players, especially veterans, do not want 11 points."

Horsham have finished third in the British League premier division after the 9-5 defeat of Norwich in their last match.

Laurence Trumpauskas was unbeaten against Norwich.

Next Sunday, Horsham is the venue for the Seaman and Nicholls Cups for the top eight Sussex players. Ritchie Venner (Crawley) and Rose Rainton (Bexhill) will defend their trophies.