Rule on serve

[Tdinh]

Hi all, I have a question regarding to service.
Can a receiver make any kind of distraction like stomping the feet just right before the other player making a serve? I have seen professional player stomping a foot when making a serve. Also is that legal? Also during play players make noise when hitting the ball, but can the other player make noise before even contacting the ball? I have not seen these things even mentioned in the table tennis rule book. I know its not a good sportmanship to distract opponent player, but since its not mentioned in the rule book anywhere? Then its permitted?

Thank you
Tdinh
Central Florida table tennis club

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I cannot find footage. But I have seen footage where someone got a point taken away for waving hands and stomping feet while the opponent was about to take his shot. It was in a decently high level USATT tournament with an umpire.

But I think, you would be well within your rights to hold up your hand and call a let just like you would if a ball from another table crossed your court. If there is an umpire when you do it, you point out the behavior of the opponent. If there isn't, and it is in an actual tournament, you call one over.

If it is just in match play, you can always walk away in the middle of the match and tell the person you don't want to play with someone who is doing things that are so unsportsmanlike.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Someone stomping their foot while they serve, it is hard to make that against the rules because it can be said to be part of the motion of the stroke. Some people use it to cover the sound of contact so you can't hear if it is flat or spin contact. But it is also part of the body movement of the serve motion. It definitely helps you get your hips moving forward into the stroke. And the noise happens when the player contacts the ball not when the opponent is about to contact the ball. So, noise happening while I make a shot is different than me making noise to distract you while you are about to make a shot. Same with grunting while making a shot. And making that sound while you are about to make impact on a stroke will definitely give your stroke more power because strong, forced exhales (which is what a grunt is) cause muscles to contract more strongly. The phonation (use of voice) enhances that contraction which is why you will commonly hear certain players make sound or breathe forcefully in time with their stroke. This happens in tennis and baseball as well.

 

[igorponger]

The receiver in black stomping reiterately.