Table Tennis Serve Rules 8 Key Points, What Rules World Champions Break Often?
Table tennis serve rules may be more subtle and complicated than those in other ball games.
Reading the eight key points below, you won’t only be able to easily meet the requirements of Olympic serving rules, but also be capable of discerning the subtleties and appreciate the serves of world-class players from the perspective of an international referee.
8 Key Points of Table Tennis Serve Rules
1. No need to be diagonal in singles. It’s only necessary in doubles.
Table tennis isn’t like tennis. The white line in the middle of the table is used for serving in doubles. You can forget about it when playing singles.
“What are the unique of ping pong doubles rules?”
2. Throw the ball at least 16 cm high. Measured from the moment the ball moves upwards and leaves your palm.
You don't need a ruler to measure this, just roughly the height of the net (15.25 cm), or about chin height when you throw the ball.
You can only touch the ball when it drops.
3. Throw the ball from the palm. The ball must be placed on the palm of your hand.
If you throw it from your fingers, you’ll lose one point.
4. Close fingers and open your palm.
This should be like a child asking for Lai See in Chinese New Year. If you curl your fingers or throw the ball up like a five-clawed golden dragon, you’ll lose one point.
5. Serve behind the end line.
Throughout the entire serving process, the ball, hands, and racket, everything must be after the end lines of table. Anything placed on the table, you’ll lose one point.
(Image source: tablettenniscoach.me.uk)
6. Serve above the table height.
Throughout the entire serving process, the ball, hands, and racket, everything must be above the table at the same time.
Let the opponent can see them clearly. Trading under the table isn’t allowed. Otherwise it’ll be another point.
7. Toss the ball as close to vertical as possible. Tossing not straight up is foul.
8. No hiding.
Throughout the entire serving process, your body, clothing or anything else is not allowed to be placed between the ball and the net to block the opponent's view.
Table Tennis Serve Rules Even World Champions Often Break
Among the above rules, those most affect fair competition are point 8, 2 and 7 in sequence.
There’re mainly two original intentions of the remaining points.
First, prevent players from increasing the spin and force of the ball with their hands when throwing the ball.
Second, use special rubbers such as long pips and anti-loop rubbers to disrupt the spin.
With today's equipment and regulations, the impact is no longer significant. It can be said that they’re a bit outdated.
Regarding point 2, umpire isn’t difficult to identify and there’s no big problem. Only point 8 and 7 are the most controversial, especially the former.
(Image source: arabnews.jp)
Hiding directly results in loss of points. Even with the current "Hawk-eye system," there’re often disputes. It’s the most controversial part.
This’s because when receiving a serve, if the vision is obstructed, one cannot see the racket angle at which the opponent touches the ball. The spin cannot be judged. It easily leads to direct loss of points.
When throwing the ball at an angle, the force can be increased. But if it isn’t thrown low, the impact should be smaller, it just looks uglier.
By the way, the German star, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, may be the player in the world who is most opposed to point 6. Looking at his backhand serve (Please refer to the photo above), he hides everything allowed below the table, as if in solemn protest...
In the past, the Chinese table tennis team had strict standards for obeying serve rules.
In the generations of Wang Liqin, Ma Lin and before, the entire team, regardless of gender, top players or newcomers, was always recognized by the world as a textbook model.
No one had ever been warned, let alone penalized.
However, from the time Wang Hao, he started tossing the ball at an angle.
At present, the new top player, world champion Wang Chuqin, has not only been repeatedly called for fouls in major competitions, but has also violated at least four different rules, which is jaw-dropping!
(Please see the attached video below for point 2, 5, 7 and 8 above)
Would world champions of other ball sports also commit serving fouls like that?
Have you ever seen other stars break rules?
Examples of Wang Chuqin's Serving Fouls
"12 Droll Quizzes of Table Tennis Rules"
