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Here is the ITTF Umpire Training Video - Hand Signals for Illegal Serves
It includes camera shots of various illegal serves from different angles, including from the umpire's position.
This is the relevant rule:
"Not clearly legal" implies doubt or not sure about it's legality. So if there is any doubt or if not sure about it's legality, it's supposed to be deemed incorrect. Instead, the umpires have been giving the players the benefit of the doubt which is opposite what the rule states!
I'm personally against being overly strict about serve rules such as perfectly vertically tossed ball or hiding the ball etc. Many umpires don't understand how these players are just so used to serving that way it's impossible for them to suddenly change it and serve more "appropriately". They don't do it on purpose. It is so deeply rooted in their technique it is just part of their service, they're used to it and other players just have to learn how to receive it instead of complaining and accusing of illegal service all the time.
I'm talking about some of the unfair umpires like that umpire idiot that Michael Maze had to come across such as in the match against Xu Xin which got Michael Maze spurious.
Well, my only concern about elimination of serve hiding is that with the advent of banana flick from anywhere the game can be completely dominated by the receiver, like volleyball. Which can be bad. At the same time, I suspect that pros just don't care about hiding the serve because I guess they practice against it all the time. There was even a video from CNT with Liu Guoliang serving for the players and hiding it with his free hand. Next time Dan interviews some pro, we should definitely submit some questions about it
That's nonsense. Look at Jan-Ove Waldner, who played during the hidden serve era. He made the transition without any problems. Timo Boll and Vladimir Samsonov achieved high rankings without using hidden serves. A lot of the younger players never played during the hidden serve era so they really have no excuse other than the need to cheat to win.I'm personally against being overly strict about serve rules such as perfectly vertically tossed ball or hiding the ball etc. Many umpires don't understand how these players are just so used to serving that way it's impossible for them to suddenly change it and serve more "appropriately".
If you do an analysis of some of the younger players who've risen in the rankings fairly rapidly, you will find that it coincides with their increased use of illegal serves. That and the fact that umpires aren't calling them on it allows them to become brazen about it. Their mentality is as long as the umpire doesn't call it, they will continue using it. So yes, they are doing it purposely.They don't do it on purpose.