The Table Tennis Pioneers Monthly Special @ Ping-Pong.com

Shown below is a summary of 1998 ITTF Rule Changes as listed in ITTF Bulletin 259 dated July 1998. These changes will take effect September 1, 1998.

- There will be no specific restrictions on badges on the front of a shirt.

- There may be 1 temporary advertisement on each half-side of the table-top and one on each end, clearly separated from any permanent advertisements; they must not be for other table tennis equipment suppliers and must each be contained within a length of 60cm.

- There may be up to 4 advertisements on the floor of the playing area, 1 at each end and 1 at each side of the table, each contained within an area of 2.5 sq. meters; none of them must be less than 1m from the surrounds and those at the ends must not be more than 2m from the end surrounds.

- Advertisements on flooring and on the ends of the table top must be in a slightly lighter or slightly darker shade of the background color.

- Players may not receive advice between the end of the practice period and the start of a match.

- Organizers must provide a separate, properly ventilated area for the attachment of coverings to rackets, and liquid adhesives must not be used elsewhere in the playing venue.

- The regulations concerning betting will be deleted.

It was also agreed that:

- For the time being, the "time-out" system will be used only in Pro-Tour tournaments.

- No further authorization will be granted to racket coverings with height/ diameter ratio greater than 1.1 and that the authorization for those currently having greater height/diameter ratios will lapse on June 30 1999.