Is it legal to have more than one rubber on one side of a racket?

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As long as all the ITTF logos were visible, would it be legal to have more than one rubber on a side?

Let’s say that somebody had 60% of one side of a racket covered with one rubber and the other 40% with a rubber that had a completely different characteristic. Would this be a completely legal way to frustrate the opponent, as they would have a hard time figuring out what was coming back at them?

Has anybody ever done this?
 
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I do not know the answer, but I suspect the umpire would reject this if the racquet was challenged by the opponent, since this would make it difficult for the opponent to inow which portion of the rubber is striking the ball.

The whole point of requiring front and back rubbers to be of differing colors is to allow the opponent to read which rubber is striking the ball.

—Tim
 
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You should Also be able to see what rubbers are used (name and number). And I don't think a line/Gap in the middle (where the 2 rubbers meet) is allowed. Would be somewhat similar to using a ruined rubber.
And as already mentioned, their is a reason why it's not allowed to have 2 sides of the same color.
But interesting question :)

Sendt fra min SM-A202F med Tapatalk
 
says Spin and more spin.
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As long as all the ITTF logos were visible, would it be legal to have more than one rubber on a side?

Let’s say that somebody had 60% of one side of a racket covered with one rubber and the other 40% with a rubber that had a completely different characteristic. Would this be a completely legal way to frustrate the opponent, as they would have a hard time figuring out what was coming back at them?

Has anybody ever done this?

Here is the rule that gives you your answer:

2.4.5 The blade, any layer within the blade and any layer of covering material or adhesive on a side used for striking the ball shall be continuous and of even thickness.​


If you had two separate pieces of rubber cut to fit on one side, there it would be two pieces and that would not fit the definition of the word CONTINUOUS.

So, absolutely against the rules.

Also, you should know, if you came to a tournament with a rubber that had a tear in the topsheet, even if you glued the two sides of the tear back together, that could get your racket disqualified. If you had an old beat of blade where there were chunks missing from the blade face that caused the rubber to be lumpy, that could get the racket disqualified. So could a bad glue job that caused the rubber to be lumpy.

But for sure, two separate rubbers are not ONE CONTINUOUS SURFACE. :)
 
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says Spin and more spin.
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This rule also has some impact on the issue:


2.4.7.1 Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of colour due to accidental damage or wear may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.


There is no possible way that two separate surfaces would NOT change the playing characteristics, which was the point of why you thought it would be a nifty trick. It would be sneaky and opponent's could not be able to tell what you just did to the ball, whether you spun it or are letting spin reversal occur.

So, the idea, is basically an attempt to circumvent things like the reason they made the two color rule so pips or antispin players could not use black for both sides so it was harder to see if they used grippy or non-frictioned rubber on the shot they made.

If you have never seen footage from before the two color rule, it might be worth watching a match or two. It is torture. Over and over you have people missing and making crazy errors because the opponent is twiddling between grippy and frictionless rubbers and they are both the same color. The top level pros looked like they were not even fit to play in Aunt Mildred's garage.
 
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This rule also has some impact on the issue:


2.4.7.1 Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of colour due to accidental damage or wear may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.


There is no possible way that two separate surfaces would NOT change the playing characteristics, which was the point of why you thought it would be a nifty trick. It would be sneaky and opponent's could not be able to tell what you just did to the ball, whether you spun it or are letting spin reversal occur.

So, the idea, is basically an attempt to circumvent things like the reason they made the two color rule so pips or antispin players could not use black for both sides so it was harder to see if they used grippy or non-frictioned rubber on the shot they made.

If you have never seen footage from before the two color rule, it might be worth watching a match or two. It is torture. Over and over you have people missing and making crazy errors because the opponent is twiddling between grippy and frictionless rubbers and they are both the same color. The top level pros looked like they were not even fit to play in Aunt Mildred's garage.

Imagine a regular inverted rubber with antispin.
 
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Single layer is the wording.
Sandwich rubber is a single layer of sponge + a single layer of top sheet.
If you double it, it is not a single layer anymore, hence illegal.

2.4.3 A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary
pimpled rubber, with pimples outwards having a total thickness including
adhesive of not more than 2.0mm, or sandwich rubber, with pimples inwards or
outwards, having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4.0mm.
2.4.3.1 Ordinary pimpled rubber is a single layer of non-cellular rubber, natural or
synthetic, with pimples evenly distributed over its surface at a density of not
less than 10 per cm² and not more than 30 per cm².
2.4.3.2 Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single
outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber
not being more than 2.0mm.
 
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[size=+1]Continuity of the racket covering SHALL be disrupted. Rule 2.4.5[/size]

/I'm not a human, I'm a judge/
 
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