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Paul Kovac	See if you can Stump the Ump... E-mail questions to Paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire. Please note: Questions which have answers that are easily found by consulting the rules may not merit a reply.

Q:

Is there anything in the rules which prohibits one from switching the paddle to the other hand? I know this is ill-advised, but I am curious anyhow. What about a player having a paddle in each hand?

How do USATT rules differ from ITTF rules?

- submitted by Abe Mantell on 4 Nov 1996

A: To your question #1: You can switch the paddle from hand to hand any number of times you wish. The hand in which you carry the racket is than defined as "the racket hand". If you have a racket in both hands, you are engaged in a sport other than Table tennis.

To your question # 2. The differences between the USATT and ITTF rules are minimal. At big tournaments held in this country, all ITTF rules are normally applied and enforced. When you compare the official ITTF rules ( I recommend that you buy a copy of the official ITTF book of rules from the USATT headquarters, it costs about $ 4.00 ) with the USATT rules, as posted on the Internet, you find that the USATT rules are not a simple replica of the ITTF version. I personally find no need for this, it may lead to confusion, because the material differences between the two sets of rules are almost nil. The USATT version of the rules is organized in a little different way from that if the USATT rules which, unfortunately, may give a not very careful reader a false idea that the USATT rules might differ more substantially than they do. The wording of some of the rules are different, although the original USATT intent of the rules is preserved. At smaller tournaments, the tournament director may lax the dress-code, or the internationally established requirements for the playing area may not be strictly followed.

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