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Q: I have seen quite a few players customize their "approved" rubber sheets in the following manner and am wondering if this is legal.
It is possible to mechanically separate an inverted pimpled rubber sheet from the sponge that it was manufactured with. I have seen many people do this and have seen these rubber sheets used with entirely different sponges, and in some cases, with no sponge at all!
Clearly, when you look at the top surface of this modified sheet, you see the approved ITTF insignia. Some argue it is therefore an approved rubber sheet! Yikes!
I disagree on the premises that it is the combination rubber and sponge together that is approved by the ITTF, JTTA, or whoever. Therefore it is not the components alone or any combination thereof that is approved.
As an umpire, can I disqualify this type of rubber surface from play at a sanctioned tourney?

- submitted by Arthur R. Theroux Jr on 14 Jan 97

A: You are also right, perhaps without even realizing it, that it is NOT the combination rubber and sponge together that is approved by the ITTF. However, we (the umpires) have to allow players to abuse their equipment as much as they please, as long they do not cross the line specified by the Rules of TT. When you read carefully the description of the Racket, especially ITTF Rules 2.4.3.1 and 2.4.3.2, you will see that there is nothing disallowing the use of the ordinary pimpled rubber originating from a sandwich rubber by separating it into the sponge part and the rubber part. By the same token, separation of a sandwich rubber into components and the use of the sponge from one sandwich in combination with the rubber from another sandwich is also allowed, as long as the rubber is ITTF approved, and that the total thickness, including adhesive, is no more than 4 mm (ITTF Rule 2.4.3). This means that when you, as an umpire, inspect players' rackets, these rackets are not automatically legal when the covering carries the ITTF logo. The total thickness of the covering must also be inspected, as a player might replace the sponge originally supplied with a sponge sponge of greater thickness, or even with sponge not meant for use as part of Table Tennis racket (which does not automatically make it illegal), or use a "perfect", unaltered sandwich rubber whose total thickness is greater than allowed by the rule because of poor manufacturer's quality control.

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