Did the ball hit the table? Huge controversy - World Cup 2017!

[TableTennisDaily]

The Women's World Cup final between Zhu Yuling and Liu Shiwen took place last night and sparked one of the most controversial points in history! Did the ball hit the edge? See for yourself in the video below:

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What do you think?

 

[yoass]

Seeing the zoomed-in slo-mo footage, I think it did graze the table very, very lightly. When viewing in real time I didn't think so, and had I refereed it the point would have been LSW's — based upon honest human observation.

 

[Xylit]

I think it did touch the edge.

 

[Cornel]

Adam Bobrow posted on facebook that after the match the ITTF video team reviewed this situation and came to the conclusion that it hit the table :



It's good that Zhu Yuling still managed to win the match because this could have been a crucial point.

 

[langel]

If you look the video frame by frame - every frame has several phases of the ball motion, and on one of the frames where the ball is near the edge you will see that the lowest ball phase is moved higher than the previous trajectory. So I think the ball touched the edge with a horse wind.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

On the playback it's clear that the ball hit the edge.

 

[Tinykin]

Use of mics for edge ball

I once set up a microphone on a TT table for recording a video. It was amazing how clearly audible was a brush-type edge ball. Now I did this with equipment that cost less than 20GBP.
Maybe the ITTF needs to consider something similar.

Edit: come to think about it, that's probably one of the inputs that the ITTF video review team used to determine that the ball hit. So how do we get this info to the umpire in less than 30sec following a protest/query? In a cost effective way of course

 

[jamesmith]

yes for sure it hits the edge

 

[NextLevel]

In the first game at 5-4, there was another point which I felt that LSW won where the ball also hit the edge but no one noticed. In the end, these errors are part of table tennis. If we introduce reliable replay, let's use it, but if not, let the umpire's decision stand.

 

[suds79]

I don't know how we can say for sure on these angled playbacks if it hit the edge or not.

Still, how does the ITTF not have replay and a video camera fixed on the edges at table height so we can clearly determine these things? Or simply use tennis's replay feature that they use. Quick & to the point.

Seems so obvious that I can only assume will be part of the game in a year or two from now.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

I don't know how we can say for sure on these angled playbacks if it hit the edge or not.

Still, how does the ITTF not have replay and a video camera fixed on the edges at table height so we can clearly determine these things? Or simply use tennis's replay feature that they use. Quick & to the point.

Seems so obvious that I can only assume will be part of the game in a year or two from now.

The ball changed it's direction, that's how we can say for sure

 

[Michal_Z]

In the first game at 5-4, there was another point which I felt that LSW won where the ball also hit the edge but no one noticed. In the end, these errors are part of table tennis. If we introduce reliable replay, let's use it, but if not, let the umpire's decision stand.

I am sure that the ball you mentioned did touch the table.
But this was blood for blood match!
There were at least 10 edges or net quotes - and there was NONE apology!
This was just brutal.
And I think both - controversial and also the one you mentioned - both touched the table.
Both should be confirmed by players that were closer to the hit.
In this case - the universe was fair - it gave one point like this to ZYL, second to LSW.
Only LSW got it at the setpoint..

 

[JHB]

If the players don't/can't agree, let the umpire call it and move on. Wtf else can you do ? Reminds me of a local league match I was once umpiring where I called a net service at 19-20 (yes, it was that long ago) and the woman who had served the ball simply refused to accept that the ball had touched the net. The game was held up for five minutes of argument until finally the receiver agreed to accept the score was now 20-20 so that we could get the match finished !! What I should have done (as team captain as well as umpire for that game) was to have abandoned the match and reported the b**** to the league, however in those days I was young and wimpish and caved in instead. I've never forgotten it though !

 

[yoass]

[…] let the umpire call it and move on.

Yes, that’s how much of a nobrainer this should be. For the sakes of all concerned.

I also happen to consider attempts to claim such lucky points to be in poor form. Conversely, though, I have no qualms about pointing such out on my disadvantage, sportsmanship in the end being a greater good than winning matches.

(‘Show me a gracious loser, and I’ll show you a loser’, some insisted. I disagree. Show me an ungracious winner, and I’ll show you a pitiful human being, I’d rather state.)

 

[TTHopeful]

Looks like it touched! Time for ITTF to bring in hawk eye like Tennis?