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Q: I have had several people say that my serve should be called illegal because of my body position. I have been trying to copy Jimmy Butler where he serves from the forehand position very close and next to the table on the back-hand corner.
I am careful to keep the paddle and ball behind the projection of the back of the table at all times prior and during ball contact. The ball is served off of a high toss from a flat hand in accordance with rule 7.1-7.4.
People insist at the club that the whole body must be behind the projection of the back of the table. The rule does not state body position.
Can you help me with this?

- Submitted by Stephen Gallagher on Aug 22th, 1996

A:The whole body DOES NOT have to be behind the end-line. Only the ball and the racket must be behind the end-line AND ABOVE the level of the playing surface. And this has to be the case during the whole serving procedure, that is from the moment the ball is resting on the flat palm, until the contact with the racket. You can, in fact begin service with your arm and part of your free hand OVER the playing surface, provided the ball itself is clearly behind the end-line and above the plane of the playing surface.

- Answered by Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire