RULES - A Necessary Evil:

Every good sporting event has rules to follow and umpires to ensure that they are adhered to. In the past, we have enlisted the assistance of the Ottawa Table Tennis Club to run the schedule and court administration for us during our Finals. They do a wonderful job and we look forward to working with them in the future.

RULES:

Below is a summary of the rules for the Smash-iT for Cancer event. For a complete description of the rules, please click here.

Scoring

A match is played best 2 of 3 games. For each game, the first player to reach 11 points wins that game, however a game must be won by at least a two- point margin. 

A point is scored after each ball is put into play, no matter who is the server. 

The edges of the table are part of the legal table surface, but not the sides.

A player will lose a point if the ball touches their clothes or body, with the exception of, above the wrist of the racket hand.

Match

There is a coin toss at the beginning of a match.  The winner of the toss chooses to either serve or receive, or, selects the side of the table they prefer.  For example, if the winner of the toss chooses to select his/her preferred table side, the loser of the toss gets to choose to either serve or receive. 

Each player serves twice in a row and then the server is switched. However, if a score of 10-10 is reached in any game, then each server serves only one point and then the server is switched. After each game, the players switch sides of the table.  The player who started serving in the previous game becomes the receiver.  In the final game (ie. 3rd game), the players switch sides again after either player reaches 5 points.  The serve order remains intact.

The ball must bounce on the table before striking it.  If a player strikes a ball above the playing surface without letting it bounce on the table, a point goes to his/her opponent.

 Each player has one time out per match (not per game).  The time out is one minute.  The time out can be called at any time between rally points. 

After each game, there is a one-minute break between.

If a ball enters the court, or if there are any other distractions, a let is called and the point has to be played again.

Serving

The ball must rest on an open hand palm. Then it must be struck so the ball first bounces on the server's side and then the opponent's side.

If the serve is good except that it touches the net, it is called a let serve. Let serves are not scored.

The ball must not be hidden from the opponent during the serve.

Equipment

Note – this is a charity tournament and courts are not official tournament size.  Each player’s paddle should have a red and a black side. No hats during the match.  No white shirts.

Rules for Doubles:

The service must go diagonally, from the server's right-hand side to the receivers right-hand side.

A doubles pair must strike the ball alternately.

At the change of service, the previous receiver becomes the new server and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver.

Most Importantly…

Remember it’s a FUN event… do your best, be a good sport, have a great time, meet new friends and know that you are helping to support the fight against cancer locally.