Umpiring

Umpiring in Table Tennis

If you participate in competitive table tennis, it is essential to be well-versed in the laws of the game. Familiarity with the rules is important because you will be expected to

umpire during league matches or tournaments,
resolve disputes that may arise during matches, and
ensure competitors play within the established regulations—especially when it comes to serving legally

Frequently Misunderstood Rules

The following rules are often a source of confusion, understanding them will help you avoid disputes.

A Good Service

The service must start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server’s stationary free hand. It is not required for the palm to be perfectly flat.

From the start of service until the ball is struck, it must remain above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line. It must not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server, or their doubles partner.

The server should then project the ball “near vertically” upwards, without imparting any spin, so that it rises at least 16cm (approximately the height of the net) after leaving the palm and then falls without touching anything before being struck.
This means it must rise within a few degrees of the vertical and that it must rise far enough for the umpire to be sure that it is thrown upwards and not sideways or diagonally. In Diagram 1 (above) services B and C are acceptable, whilst A and D are not. The height of the toss is also a factor in determining whether the toss is near vertical. In Diagram 2 the ball is projected from, and struck at, the same place, but service A is a fault, whilst B is acceptable.
To guarantee visibility of the ball resting freely on the palm, it must remain stationary above the level of the playing surface. The free hand should not be held still, lowered beneath the table surface or over the table, and subsequently lifted with a continuous arm motion to initiate the serve; if the hand does not pause again above the playing surface (and behind the server's end line), the service is considered illegal.

As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm must be removed from the space between the server’s body and the net.
There is no longer a requirement for the racket to be above the playing surface at the start of service.
If you believe a player has served illegally, you are not required to issue a warning. The receiver is awarded the point. However, if you are unsure about a serve, you may call a let and warn the server.
The current service law requires the server to ensure the ball remains visible to the receiver throughout the entire service. The umpire or assistant umpire must be confident that this visibility is always maintained, that it is not hidden from the receiver by any part of the body, clothing, or equipment belonging to the player or their doubles partner. Additionally, after the ball is projected upwards, the server’s free arm, including the free hand, must not come between the ball and the net.
The ball must start above the playing surface when serving. There is no rule requiring the receiver to see the racket, so the server can begin with the racket hidden, such as behind their back.

When there is only one umpire per table, it can be difficult to judge if a serve near the end line or beside a player's body is legal. However, it is the player's responsibility to make their service clear and visible, serving close to illegality risks being penalised.

A Let

A rally is declared a let if, during service, the ball touches the net assembly while passing over or around it.
There is no restriction on how many times this can occur consecutively; each occurrence is a let.

The Order of Serving, Receiving and Ends

The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends is decided by lot. The winner of the lot may opt to serve or receive first, or to start at a particular end.
Once a player or pair has made a choice (for example, to receive first), the other player or pair is entitled to the remaining option (such as choosing ends).
It is common for a player to give away the right to serve, expecting to choose ends. However, by giving away serving, they have selected to receive and their choice is made. The other player(s) then choose ends.
In each game of a doubles match, the pair with the right to serve first selects which partner will serve, and the receiving pair decides who will receive first in the first game. In subsequent games, the first receiver is the player who served to them in the previous game.
At the start of each game, the first server can be either player in the pair.
In doubles, after each change of service, the previous receiver becomes the server, and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver.
The player or pair serving first in one game will receive first in the next game. In the final possible game of a doubles match, when one pair reaches 5 points, the receiving pair must change their order of receiving.

Practice

Players are entitled to practise on the match table for up to two minutes immediately before the start of the match.

Intervals

Play should be continuous throughout the match, with the following exceptions:
Each player is entitled to an interval of up to one minute between successive games in a match.
Brief intervals for towelling are permitted after every six points from the beginning of each game, as well as at the change of ends in the final possible game of a match.

Misbehaviour

Players and coaches or other advisers shall refrain from behaviour that may unfairly affect an opponent, offend spectators or bring the sport into disrepute, such as abusive language, deliberately breaking the ball or hitting it out of the playing area, kicking the table or surrounds, throwing their bat and disrespect of match officials.
We don’t use yellow and red cards in league play, but I now tell players if their action would result in a yellow card if an official umpire was present.
As someone said to me recently any behaviour which you’d be embarrassed for your mum to witness is a good indicator of misbehaviour.

Further Information

For more detailed information about the laws of table tennis, consult the Rules Extract or the ITTF Handbook for Match Officials. If you are interested in becoming an umpire or simply wish to test your knowledge of the rules, test papers can be found in the Table Tennis Scotland site. The rules for a Countback in a round robin format are also worth knowing.

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