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Q: In a tournament with no umpire present, if there is a dispute regarding whether the ball actually hit the top surface of the table or merely the side, what should be done? And what if there are 2 people watching the match who both say it hit the side of the table? What if one of the people watching is a certified umpire but was not in that capacity while watching the match, but merely a spectator; does he/she have any standing authority?

-submitted by Len Winkler

A: Players should bear in mind that TT Rules are written with the understanding that every match has been assigned a qualified umpire who decides the outcome of each rally. In a tournament, there must be a way for players to get an umpire assigned to their table if they wish so, and this is what they should ask for at the first occasion when there is a dispute. They should do that without losing any energy arguing. Arguments at the table are counterproductive, and seldom yield results without one party feeling cheated. In the situation you describe, the problem occurred during play, without an umpire assigned to the match. Having said the above, I hope you understand that the rule does not address such a situation, and I can only tell you what I consider a reasonable way to do.

1. If spectators opinion on the rally is not unanimous, their view should be disregarded. A qualified umpire/spectators voice has no more weight than anyone else's. The players or the spectators should not feel that a qualified umpire/spectator will necessarily see more than anyone else (e.g. was it an edge ball or not). He/she, however, can be very helpful in the interpretation of the Laws, if that happens to be part of the dispute. In such a case the umpires counsel should be accepted.
2. If spectators opinion on the rally is unanimous, the disfavored player(s) should consider accepting the verdict.
3. If #1 is the case and the spectators opinion is disregarded, or if the disfavored party refuses to accept the verdict, the players should call it a let. This, because no umpire or the referee of the tournament when called to the table can make a different decision if he/she was not present when that rally was played.

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