This has been backdated to March 8 and will continue on until March 9 of next year, depending on the global situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMMAF made the decision after the cancellation of all of its tournaments in 2020, with the exception of the Oceania Open that took place in Australia earlier this year from March 6 to 8.

There is an expectation from IMMAF to resume its competitions in 2021.

"The reason for this decision by the IMMAF Board is to ensure fairness in light of the cancellation of competitions this year," said IMMAF President Kerrith Brown.

"This is to allow the value earned in ranking points to be carried over to when competitions recommence.

"We are fully planning to come back bigger and stronger in 2021 and we will make sure, for our athletes, that it will have been worth the wait."

IMMAF's rankings are determined by points accrued by athletes and teams through participation in IMMAF Continental Open events and World Championships.

When there are 20 or more national teams competing at an event, full points are awarded, while those events with less than 20 receive 50 per cent of the full ranking points.

The points window covers a two-year period, with the value of points after 12 months halving.