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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: If a servers ball touches the net in the course of serving and the receiver volleys the ball either in front of or behind his end line, is this considered a let? Rule 10.1.1 seems to indicate so, but I'd like some clarification.

- submitted by Roy SeGuine 6 Feb 97

A: The ITTF Laws of Table Tennis are much clearer on this matter than the USATT rule you refer to. Rule 2.9.1 clearly states that the rally shall be a let if in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it, provided the service is otherwise good or is obstructed by the receiver or his partner.

In order for anyone to make the right decision about your question, one has to understand well the definition of obstruction. Rule 2.5.8 is now very helpful: A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in play when IT HAS NOT PASSED OVER THE PLAYING SURFACE OR HIS END LINE, not having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.

Thus, when the receiver of the serve touches the ball before it passes his end line, (he/she obstructs the ball), after the ball had touched the net assembly, the rally is a let (this is the answer to the first part of your question).
If in serving, the ball, after having touched the net assembly, does not touch the correct court, and the receiver volleys the ball behind the end line (now the ball is not being obstructed), the receiver scores the point (this is the answer to the second part of your question).

- answered by paul Kovac - your friendly on-line USATT umpire