says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Okay here is the scenario: this guy is serving a backhand serve from the forehand side of the table. His girlfriend is complaining that his serve is illegal because she says he taps his racket on the table as part of his pre-toss ritual and the tap is distracting her. A person who knows the couple and me, and knows I enjoy this kind of thing, calls me over and asks my opinion.
I tell them I have to see the serve. He does the serve. I ask him to demonstrate a second time. I watch again. I have seen it twice. The tap is light. It is the edge of his rubber tapping the end line. Not a bang.
I respond that his serve is not legal but that it is not because he is touching the table with his racket before serving. When he reaches forward with his racket to tap the table, his left hand moves back and hides the ball. The ball is also not in his palm. Then, without presenting the ball, he tosses from the hidden hand. Not legal. a friend also sees and says the tap in and of itself constitutes an intentional distraction and he would call "let" and tell the person not to tap the table.
Now I played this guy about 2 months ago and I did not even notice that he was doing this.
If, after he tapped, he were to present the ball before tossing it, the ball was in his open palm and not cupped in his fingers and there was a pause while he presented the ball where his hand is stationary,
WOULD THE TABLE TAP BEFORE PRSENTING BE LEGAL?
or
WOULD TAPPING THE TABLE IN AND OF ITSELF BE AGAINST THE RULES EVEN IF THE BALL IS NOT YET IN PLAY?
Some of us in NYC think the tap itself is not a problem. Others say that the tap constituted a premeditated distraction and is not legal. What do you guys have to say on the issue?
Is stomping your foot--in my opinion a bigger distraction than this light tap of the table--legal or against the rules?
The New York Table Tennis email group is up in arms over this issue. I thought I would see what insights could be gleaned from Table Tennis Daily and the international Table Tennis Community.
I tell them I have to see the serve. He does the serve. I ask him to demonstrate a second time. I watch again. I have seen it twice. The tap is light. It is the edge of his rubber tapping the end line. Not a bang.
I respond that his serve is not legal but that it is not because he is touching the table with his racket before serving. When he reaches forward with his racket to tap the table, his left hand moves back and hides the ball. The ball is also not in his palm. Then, without presenting the ball, he tosses from the hidden hand. Not legal. a friend also sees and says the tap in and of itself constitutes an intentional distraction and he would call "let" and tell the person not to tap the table.
Now I played this guy about 2 months ago and I did not even notice that he was doing this.
If, after he tapped, he were to present the ball before tossing it, the ball was in his open palm and not cupped in his fingers and there was a pause while he presented the ball where his hand is stationary,
WOULD THE TABLE TAP BEFORE PRSENTING BE LEGAL?
or
WOULD TAPPING THE TABLE IN AND OF ITSELF BE AGAINST THE RULES EVEN IF THE BALL IS NOT YET IN PLAY?
Some of us in NYC think the tap itself is not a problem. Others say that the tap constituted a premeditated distraction and is not legal. What do you guys have to say on the issue?
Is stomping your foot--in my opinion a bigger distraction than this light tap of the table--legal or against the rules?
The New York Table Tennis email group is up in arms over this issue. I thought I would see what insights could be gleaned from Table Tennis Daily and the international Table Tennis Community.