NO MORE HIDDEN TOSS. Give a try to the updated service rule.

[igorponger]

2.6.4 From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, a̶n̶d̶ i̶t̶ s̶h̶a̶l̶l̶ n̶o̶t̶ b̶e̶ h̶i̶d̶d̶e̶n̶ f̶r̶o̶m̶ t̶h̶e̶ r̶e̶c̶e̶i̶v̶e̶r̶ b̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶r̶ o̶r̶ h̶i̶s̶ o̶r̶ h̶e̶r̶ d̶o̶u̶b̶l̶e̶s̶ p̶a̶r̶t̶n̶e̶r̶ o̶r̶ b̶y̶
a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ w̶e̶a̶r̶ o̶r̶ c̶a̶r̶r̶y̶.̶
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘢r𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Shown in italics is an additional provision to the Service Rule, purposely designed to stop the server from the "hidden service.".
Also, the term of the "hidden ball" is now deleted from the rule as it was found impracticable for umpire to surely decide the situation of the hidden ball .

COMMENTARY
Could this novelty rule prevent all the hidden service during a gameplay? Just enter the playing court and try for the hidden toss with the new service rule. Tell us if you manage to cheat on service. Just have a try, and you can see there is no way, no chance to shield the ball with any part of your body when performing service action under the new rule. The most desired result the players and umpires looked for so much.

 

[Archosaurus]

This would invalidate quite a lot of legitimate forehand serves.

 

[golden_son]

This would invalidate quite a lot of legitimate forehand serves.

Really? As I read it it just means "keep it in front of your body," which most serves already should be. Imagine your outermost ear (so your right ear if you're a righty, your left ear if you're a lefty) as the barrier. The space between the end of the table and that plane is fair game. That's where most of your body is anyway. Just don't toss the ball backward away from the table and don't lean in so your head covers it up.

That said, this wording doesn't actually say you can't hide the ball with something else that's between the back of your head and the table (e.g. your tossing arm), so I think we're right back where we started 😂.

 

[sebi]

They should just bring back hidden serves, they could play against back then they can do now. It will never be fair if a rule has to forbid something what would have to be checked every serve every time. For me there is no fair way this way

 

[NextLevel]

They should just bring back hidden serves, they could play against back then they can do now. It will never be fair if a rule has to forbid something what would have to be checked every serve every time. For me there is no fair way this way

The game was really ugly when we had hidden serves, don't watch highlights, watch whole matches. Unless you believe the new balls are sufficient compensation (I do not, but I am open to being convinced) in rewarding the returner, it would be a major step backwards.

 

[NextLevel]

This would invalidate quite a lot of legitimate forehand serves.

Those serves are often already illegal using current rules but no one enforces them anyways.

 

[sebi]

The game was really ugly when we had hidden serves, don't watch highlights, watch whole matches. Unless you believe the new balls are sufficient compensation (I do not, but I am open to being convinced) in rewarding the returner, it would be a major step backwards.

The game now is way better, but if its just about fairness and equal playing grounds only hidden serves acomplish that.
For md there are two options.
Bring back hidden serves. Then nobody can complain
Or check every serve immediatly and punish everything. So have a camera that is always right behind the reciving player to check if he can see. And then the system has to inform referees imediatly after each serve about corectness.

Right now this is not possible so hidden serves are fair for everyone

 

[igorponger]

Faulty service action. 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
The ball descending behind the server's head. The new rule shall effectively preclude the hidden service like this.

 

[Archosaurus]

I'm sure the ITTF could enforce the hidden serve rule in sanctioned international competitions if they got off their ass and stopped focusing on corruption and started focusing on enforcing the rules.

 

[igorponger]

Here is a living illustration of how the new rule works. The ball stays visible all the time, no hidden toss behind the head.

 

[jonol]

Bring back hidden serves. Then nobody can complain
Or check every serve immediatly and punish everything. So have a camera that is always right behind the reciving player to check if he can see. And then the system has to inform referees imediatly after each serve about corectness.

Right now this is not possible so hidden serves are fair for everyone

The most logical change would be to make the rule that the ball should be always visible from the centre-point of the table on the receiver's side.

That way both the server and the receiver know the exact boundary between legal and illegal, and it only takes a single fixed camera to accurately review each serve.

There would be some adjustment required, but making it a single fixed point means that the rule is simple to understand, enforce and review for both officials and players. I can't wrap my head around why this wasn't the immediate resolution implemented when they first started tackling hidden serves.

 

[igorponger]

Cудья держит ладонь вверх пальцами и двигает ладонь вверх пальцами от одного плеча до другого плеча , не сгибая ладонь.

Umpire's gesture to indicate the case of "the ball being struck behind the server's head". In addition to the set of ITTF URC manu

al signals.

 

[golden_son]

Here is a living illustration of how the new rule works. The ball stays visible all the time, no hidden toss behind the head.

Visible, but I'd be willing to bet that toss is >30° from vertical

To be honest, I find the verticality rule more ridiculous than the hiding bit. As long as it's tossed and visible the whole time, who cares if it's not vertical?

 

[songdavid98]

2.6.4 From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, a̶n̶d̶ i̶t̶ s̶h̶a̶l̶l̶ n̶o̶t̶ b̶e̶ h̶i̶d̶d̶e̶n̶ f̶r̶o̶m̶ t̶h̶e̶ r̶e̶c̶e̶i̶v̶e̶r̶ b̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶r̶ o̶r̶ h̶i̶s̶ o̶r̶ h̶e̶r̶ d̶o̶u̶b̶l̶e̶s̶ p̶a̶r̶t̶n̶e̶r̶ o̶r̶ b̶y̶
a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ w̶e̶a̶r̶ o̶r̶ c̶a̶r̶r̶y̶.̶
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘢r𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Shown in italics is an additional provision to the Service Rule, purposely designed to stop the server from the "hidden service.".
Also, the term of the "hidden ball" is now deleted from the rule as it was found impracticable for umpire to surely decide the situation of the hidden ball .

COMMENTARY
Could this novelty rule prevent all the hidden service during a gameplay? Just enter the playing court and try for the hidden toss with the new service rule. Tell us if you manage to cheat on service. Just have a try, and you can see there is no way, no chance to shield the ball with any part of your body when performing service action under the new rule. The most desired result the players and umpires looked for so much.

Is this your addition or ITTF's addition?
With this addition, I can still hide the ball with my other hand.

 

[Grumms]

Here is a living illustration of how the new rule works. The ball stays visible all the time, no hidden toss behind the head.

Faulty serve :

 

[Grumms]

Faulty service action. 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
The ball descending behind the server's head. The new rule shall effectively preclude the hidden service like this.

The current rule also applies on this serve and it's already faulty.

 

[Zezima]

They should just bring back hidden serves, they could play against back then they can do now. It will never be fair if a rule has to forbid something what would have to be checked every serve every time. For me there is no fair way this way

I rarely reply to other comments but man you have such bad takes I just have to call you out for once.

 

[sebi]

I rarely reply to other comments but man you have such bad takes I just have to call you out for once.

I am totally fine by being called out.
The Problem I have is, at the biggest WTT Ittf, stages they can have all the equipment to check for illegal serves. But when the magnitude of the Event gets lower, Feeder or wtt contender, they don´t have that. They even have issues at contender with TTR right now. If they can make sure it works at every LVL i am 100% down with it, but right now I can´t imagine it working as it should be.

 

[Zezima]

I am totally fine by being called out.
The Problem I have is, at the biggest WTT Ittf, stages they can have all the equipment to check for illegal serves. But when the magnitude of the Event gets lower, Feeder or wtt contender, they don´t have that. They even have issues at contender with TTR right now. If they can make sure it works at every LVL i am 100% down with it, but right now I can´t imagine it working as it should be.

It's not about that. I am also for rules that work in amateur play. It's that your solution to this is to allow illegal serves. We shouldn't go backwards but make it less frustrating for everyone.

 

[Grumms]

People could train their serves as much as the ones that are better than them. That's the way to make the old rule fair.