ITTF Racquet Control Changes for 2025 (...don't shoot the messenger!)

[Wakkibatty]

For those who don't know (but might potentially care), the ITTF have changed their racquet control procedures going forward.

I just read through the changes...

..... and now my brain hurts -- a lot!🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

I mean the guidelines were pretty bloody extreme before, but now they're BEYOND loony tunes!

Without hyperbole, these new post game compliance testing procedures (where match officials disassemble your bat immediately after a match, then measure it for flatness 🤦🤦) will only get a LOT of honest players disqualified, with others just being severely out of pocket.

Don't take my word for it... read the new rules for yourself.

Click on the following link, and then click on the relevant Racquet control link to download the new guidelines for match officials (the 2025 amendments are marked in green):

ITTF-Equipment

equipment.ittf.com

Let's see who can spot the obvious problems with disassembling a bat immediately after a match (...cause clearly the ITTF haven't) 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

For those not into reading, here's the ITTF's official instructional video for match referees on how to go about it:

 

[Lazer]

For those who don't know (but might potentially care), the ITTF have changed their racquet control procedures going forward.

I just read through the changes...

..... and now my brain hurts -- a lot!🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

I mean the guidelines were pretty bloody extreme before, but now they're BEYOND loony tunes!

Without hyperbole, these new post game compliance testing procedures (where match officials disassemble your bat immediately after a match, then measure it for flatness 🤦🤦) will only get a LOT of honest players disqualified, with others just being severely out of pocket.

Don't take my word for it... read the new rules for yourself.

Click on the following link, and then click on the relevant Racquet control link to download the new guidelines for match officials (the 2025 amendments are marked in green):

ITTF-Equipment

equipment.ittf.com

Let's see who can spot the obvious problems with disassembling a bat immediately after a match (...cause clearly the ITTF haven't) 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

For those not into reading, here's the ITTF's official instructional video for match referees on how to go about it:

Dismantling... downright ridiculous... and like a non flat racket should be an advantage ha ha ha...

Cheers
L-zr

 

[lightspin]

What if while dismantling the racket, the ittf ruins it? This new procedure is insane. But its the ittf so it is par for the course.

 

[NetProphet]

At this stage it'd just be easier to have the players assemble their naked rackets in the racket room and hour before the match.

Watch them sit down with blades (several?), rubbers, glue and scissors.
Check the blade beforehand and tell them if it passes the ridiculous tests. If not players usually have 3 or 4 blades anyway!

Do it first match of the day and take the racket from them and return it if they have a 2nd match later.

It would honestly be more transparent and fairer than this ridiculous protocol they've just released

 

[Conehead]

Thank goodness I'm not a pro.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

What if while dismantling the racket, the ittf ruins it? This new procedure is insane. But its the ittf so it is par for the course.

they will just reimburse the money.... i wonder how long it will take for the money to appear though

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

At this stage it'd just be easier to have the players assemble their naked rackets in the racket room and hour before the match.

Watch them sit down with blades (several?), rubbers, glue and scissors.
Check the blade beforehand and tell them if it passes the ridiculous tests. If not players usually have 3 or 4 blades anyway!

Do it first match of the day and take the racket from them and return it if they have a 2nd match later.

It would honestly be more transparent and fairer than this ridiculous protocol they've just released

finally,
someone with some brains. Really good idea from an "assembly" point of view, so no need to disassemble.
I wonder if igor and all those brains has even come close to this super good idea.

Then since umpires want to play cop, they can have one umpire follow each player into the training hall, and make sure the "passed" racket is the one that is used, and then returned to umpires for safe keeping when the player stops training.

soon we will have a police state, i mean racket control

however, I won't trust any umpire with my racket for safe keeping..... so much foul play can happen.
I think ITTF just needs to give up on this matter.

 

[Yurnero]

At this stage it'd just be easier to have the players assemble their naked rackets in the racket room and hour before the match.

Watch them sit down with blades (several?), rubbers, glue and scissors.
Check the blade beforehand and tell them if it passes the ridiculous tests. If not players usually have 3 or 4 blades anyway!

Do it first match of the day and take the racket from them and return it if they have a 2nd match later.

It would honestly be more transparent and fairer than this ridiculous protocol they've just released

I mean the problem for me here would be the amount of time it takes for the glue to dry and complete the bond.
If you look at Timo Bolls video of how he glues his racket. He wants to let the glue dry for 1-2 hours before assembling the racket.

Personally I feel the racket feels different if I play with it 1-2 hours after gluing compared to day after.

I don't really see the problem with boosting either, I think it's good they can control the rubbers for VOC or other toxic materials. But boosting, if people want to do it, everyone could easily do it.
Just have a rule like there is today with maximum thickness or similar.

I would also like to see a rule that players could only play with rubbers and blades that are commercially available. But that would be impossible to follow I guess.

 

[Wakkibatty]

Yeah

What if while dismantling the racket, the ittf ruins it? This new procedure is insane. But its the ittf so it is par for the course.

I agree. One of the many things that made me laugh (then epically facepalm) about this, is the ITTF will only reimburse you for any damage done to the rubbers.

IE: if they lift fibers from the outers in the process, then you're basically shit out of luck.

What's more, that blade is basically also eternally stuffed for international comp in the process. Good luck trying to get a repaired blade through the new rules. The guidance clearly states any sanding of the surface is grounds to have the bat disassembled.

But there's an even bigger problem than that ... And it's sweat-induced wood movement.

Say it with me fellow blade makers:

All.
Wood.
Swells.
Up.
When.
It.
Gets.
Wet.

The ITTF are going to be measuring a piece of wood for sub-millimeter shifts in flatness, immediately AFTER it has been in contact with a wet hand for God knows how long.

Plus just to make things worse, as you can see in the original linked video, they are going to be placing the base of the flatness gauge right on top of the point where your hand touches the playing surface!

So players will now need to add extra sealant to that whole section of the blade, to ensure it stays dry.... But oh wait, they can't do that either, because the ITTF now regards excess sealant on the handle as a sign of illegal post manufacture modification!!! And they are under instructions to remove any excess sealant before measurement ! So If it doesn't fail in the first disassembly test, it's guaranteed to fail in any subsequent one, because some ITTF bat testing drongo scraped off the waterproofing sealant!!! 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

If I facepalm any harder over here, my nose will invert completely and I'll be drowning in the smell of my own spinal fluid!!! 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

What the actual f***K were they thinking???

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I mean the problem for me here would be the amount of time it takes for the glue to dry and complete the bond.
If you look at Timo Bolls video of how he glues his racket. He wants to let the glue dry for 1-2 hours before assembling the racket.

Personally I feel the racket feels different if I play with it 1-2 hours after gluing compared to day after.

I don't really see the problem with boosting either, I think it's good they can control the rubbers for VOC or other toxic materials. But boosting, if people want to do it, everyone could easily do it.
Just have a rule like there is today with maximum thickness or similar.

I would also like to see a rule that players could only play with rubbers and blades that are commercially available. But that would be impossible to follow I guess.

you are correct
but once your rubber is forcefully removed, you need to glue it back....
so that is another 2 hour

it is a whole mess.

I wonder how many umpires play table tennis, that they need to glue rubbers every few days.
I highly doubt there are pro players turned umpires... at most amateurs at best

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yeah

I agree. One of the many things that made me laugh (then epically facepalm) about this, is the ITTF will only reimburse you for any damage done to the rubbers.

IE: if they lift fibers from the outers in the process, then you're basically shit out of luck.

What's more, that blade is basically also eternally stuffed for international comp in the process. Good luck trying to get a repaired blade through the new rules. The guidance clearly states any sanding of the surface is grounds to have the bat disassembled.

But there's an even bigger problem than that ... And it's sweat-induced wood movement.

Say it with me fellow blade makers:

All.
Wood.
Swells.
Up.
When.
It.
Gets.
Wet.

The ITTF are going to be measuring a piece of wood for sub-millimeter shifts in flatness, immediately AFTER it has been in contact with a wet hand for God knows how long.

Plus just to make things worse, as you can see in the original linked video, they are going to be placing the base of the flatness gauge right on top of the point where your hand touches the playing surface!

So players will now need to add extra sealant to that whole section of the blade, to ensure it stays dry.... But oh wait, they can't do that either, because the ITTF now regards excess sealant on the handle as a sign of illegal post manufacture modification!!! And they are under instructions to remove any excess sealant before measurement ! So If it doesn't fail in the first disassembly test, it's guaranteed to fail in any subsequent one, because some ITTF bat testing drongo scraped off the waterproofing sealant!!! 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

If I facepalm any harder over here, my nose will invert completely and I'll be drowning in the smell of my own spinal fluid!!! 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

What the actual f***K were they thinking???

it should just be gladiator mode
ITTF prepare weapons, and the players have a lucky draw and fight with what ever luck comes their way

 

[Wakkibatty]

it should just be gladiator mode
ITTF prepare weapons, and the players have a lucky draw and fight with what ever luck comes their way

Brilliant idea.

I hereby challenge the entire ITTF racquet control committee to a friendly game under this new rule.

For the first match, I choose a baseball bat as my weapon of choice.

 

[Wakkibatty]

it should just be gladiator mode
ITTF prepare weapons, and the players have a lucky draw and fight with what ever luck comes their way

You wanna know what really shits me about this Tony?

It proves categorically (in case anyone doubted it) that the ITTF are full of shit, and this latest interpretive rule change has nothing to do with fairness, or consultation with stakeholders.

According to the ITTF's own press releases, it's just finished a huge round of consultations with stakeholders, regarding potential rule changes, on everything from equipment to that whole ZPP mess

The press release below has more details:

ITTF Task Force Engages Players and Stakeholders in Wide-Ranging Consultations - International Table Tennis Federation

The ITTF Task Force, established to address players’ concerns, has been actively gathering feedback from all key stakeholders of the table tennis community. Over the past weeks, it has consulted directly with players, coaches, Member Associations, entourage representatives, and manufacturers to...

www.ittf.com

The above release also claims that the ITTF have been in regular contact with the Federation of International Table Tennis Manufacturers (FIT).

Every single large multinational manufacturer in the world from Andro to Yasaka is a FIT member (with the odd exception of Xiom apparently), and liaising directly with the ITTF over the rules and requirements of the game is the FIT's main purpose for being. Details here: http://tt-brands.com/

It is unimaginable to me, that the FIT have never bothered to point out to the ITTF during these supposed 'consultations' -- not even just once, verbally and in passing even -- that a piece of unsealed wood is going to move and swell up in the presence of moist air, or wet sweaty hands.

So either the press release is wrong, and the FIT were not consulted before this rule change over post play testing...

Or else the press release is right, the FIT *were* consulted, but somehow they refused to state the obvious, or else the ITTF didn't listen.

Whatever drove this rule change, it had absolutely nothing to do with fairness. The justification for the change has no merit and no logic whatsoever.

So what the F**** is going on?

 

[backspacer]

you are correct
but once your rubber is forcefully removed, you need to glue it back....
so that is another 2 hour

it is a whole mess.

I wonder how many umpires play table tennis, that they need to glue rubbers every few days.
I highly doubt there are pro players turned umpires... at most amateurs at best

You are actually required to have umpires in clubs here. The more teams you have the more umpires are needed. We are at five teams here atm, but once the six-players-teams are cut we will have to register at least one more team and then we will need two umpires. By that time I will have become one out of self-interest, but some club members are basically forced to take the exam just to fill the quota because no one else would do it otherwise.

 

[JustANoob]

This seems like some bullshit nobody is going to enforce or it will be left open as a harassment option.

 

[Tyce]

Why would FIT care, if a racket is discarded, a new one needs to be bought.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Brilliant idea.

I hereby challenge the entire ITTF racquet control committee to a friendly game under this new rule.

For the first match, I choose a baseball bat as my weapon of choice.

they will want you to unassemble it first

 

[Wakkibatty]

Why would FIT care, if a racket is discarded, a new one needs to be bought.

I don't think it's the FIT driving this.... (But then again who knows?)

The only possible reason I can see, for creating a rule interpretation that is potentially guaranteed to disqualify almost everyone and anyone that is ever subjected to it,...

...is so organisers have a tool for hobbling (or disqualifying) any player they want, on a technicality, at any time, from any tournament.

I really hope I'm wrong in this.

But at time of writing, given the ridiculous way the ITTF intends to enforce this, I honestly cannot see any other potential reason for creating such an interpretation.

If anyone has any alternate theories, please share them with me... I truly dislike being so cynical...

 

[Tyce]

They're probably not driving it, but also don't have strong objections...

But nuance to this whole thing, the disassembly thing will only take place if prior tests raise suspicion but aren't conclusive.
So if anything, it can serve as a warning to start being more careful, and not trying to find or stretch the limits

 

[Wakkibatty]

They're probably not driving it, but also don't have strong objections...

But nuance to this whole thing, the disassembly thing will only take place if prior tests raise suspicion but aren't conclusive.
So if anything, it can serve as a warning to start being more careful, and not trying to find or stretch the limits

Entirely possible. Really hope you're right.👍