Joy N Joy - Weekend Homes

Table Tennis Rules

All rules are subject to change at the Joy-N-Joy Weekend House Sports Committee.

Descipline

In a team event, players may receive advice from anyone.
In an individual event, a player or pair may receive advice only from one person, designated beforehand to the umpire. If the players of a doubles pair are from different team, each may designate an adviser. If an unauthorized person gives advice, the umpire shall hold up a red card and send him away from the playing area.
Players may receive advice only during the intervals between games, during a time-out or during other authorized suspension of play. If any authorized person gives advice at other times, the umpire shall hold up a yellow card to warn him that any further such offense will result in his dismissal from the playing area.
After a warning has been given, if in the same team match or the same match of an individual event anyone again gives advice illegally, the umpire shall hold up a red card and send him away from the playing area, whether or not he/she was the person warned.
In a team match, the dismissed adviser shall not be allowed to return, except when required to play, until the team match has ended. In an individual event, he/she shall not be allowed to return until the individual match has ended.
If the dismissed adviser refuses to leave or returns before the end of the match, the umpire shall suspend play and report to the referee.
These regulations shall apply only to advice on play and shall not prevent a player or captain, as appropriate, from making a legitimate appeal nor hinder a consultation with an interpreter or team representative on the explanation of a juridical decision.

Misbehaviour

Players and coaches shall refrain from conduct that may unfairly affect an opponent, offend spectators or bring the game into disrepute. Examples are: abusive language, deliberately breaking the ball or hitting it out of the playing area, kicking the table or surrounds or disrespect to match officials.
If at any time a player or coach commits a serious offence the umpire shall suspend play and report immediately to the referee. For less serious offences the umpire may, on the first occasion, hold up a yellow card and warn the offender that any further offence is liable to incur penalties.
If a player who has been warned commits a second offence in the same individual or team match, the umpire shall award one point to the player's opponent and after a further offence he shall award two points to his opponent, each time holding up a yellow and a red card together.
If a player against whom 3 penalty points have been awarded in the same individual or team match continues to misbehave the umpire shall suspend play and report immediately to the referee.
A warning or penalty incurred by either player of a doubles pair shall apply to the pair, but not to the non-offending player in a subsequent individual match of the same team match. At the start of a doubles match the pair shall be regarded as having incurred the higher of any warnings or penalties incurred by either player in the same team match.
If a coach who has been warned commits a further offence in the same individual or team match the umpire shall hold up a red card and send him/her away from the playing area until the end of the team match, or in an individual event, the end of the individual match.
The referee shall have power to disqualify a player from a match, an event, or a competition for seriously unfair or offensive behavior whether reported by the umpire or not. As he/she does so he/she shall hold up a red card.
A player who is disqualified from 2 individual matches of a team or individual event shall automatically be disqualified from that team event or individual competition.
The referee may disqualify for the remainder of a competition anyone who has twice been sent away from the playing area during that competition.
Cases of serious misbehavior shall be reported by the manager or attendant on duty to the Joy-N-Joy Weekend Homes disciplinary committee.

Dress Code:

Playing clothing shall normally consist of a short-sleeved shirt and shorts or skirt, socks, and playing shoes; other garments, such as part or all of a track suit, shall not be worn during play except with the permission of the attendant on duty.

Clothing may be of any color or colors except that:

The main color of a shirt, skirts, or shorts, other than sleeves or collar of a shirt and trimming along side seams or near the edges, shall be clearly different from that of the ball in use.

A playing garment may carry:

The maker's normal trademark, symbol, or name contained within a total area of 24 sq. cm.
Not more than 3 clearly-separated advertisements contained within a combined total area of 200 sq. cm. on the front or side of a shirt and one advertisement, contained within a total area of 200 sq. cm. on the back of a shirt.
Not more than two advertisements contained within a combined total area of 80 sq. cm. on shorts or a skirt.
Any markings or trimming on the front or side of a playing garment and any objects such as jewelry worn by a player shall not be so conspicuous or brightly reflecting as to unsight an opponent.
Players must wear socks and soft-soled shoes.
Clothing shall not carry designs or lettering which might cause offense or bring the game into disrepute. Absolutely no playing without a shirt, no cutoffs, no jeans, and no tank shirts. Women may wear sleeveless blouses.
Opposing players and pairs shall wear clothing that is sufficiently different to enable them to be easily distinguished by spectators. If the players or pairs cannot agree on who will change if necessary, the umpire will decide by toss.
Any question of the legality or acceptability of playing clothing shall be decided by the referee.
Warm-up suits should not be worn during play unless with special permission of the manager or attendant on duty. It is his discretion of conformity to the above requirements.

Singles Play:

I. General Rules:

The choice of playing position at the table and order of service are determined by the toss of a coin. If the winner of the toss prefers to have first choice of playing positions, the opponent then has the choice of whether to serve first or receive first, and vice versa.
The change of service takes place after 5 points have been scored. A point is normally awarded when the play of a service is concluded. The receiver then becomes the server and the server becomes receiver, and so on, after each 5 points until the end of the game or the score is 20-all. Whenever the score becomes 20-all, the receiver becomes the server and the server the receiver, and so on after each point until the end of the game.
At the start of a new game, the player who served first in the previous game becomes receiver and the receiver becomes server and so on, alternating after each game.
The players exchange ends after each game, and if play consists of more than one game, in the deciding game of the match the players change ends when one player reaches a score of 10 points.
A game is won by the player who first scores 21 points with a 2-point margin.
A match consists of the best two (2) of three (3) games.

II. Service:

A good service is delivered by projecting the ball from the free hand, which must start from above the playing surface. The ball must be resting in the palm of the free hand. The ball is tossed into the air.
As it starts to descend, the ball is struck so that it touches the server’s court first and then, passing directly over or around the net, touches the receiver’s court. At the instant of contact of the racquet on the ball in service, both handle and ball must be behind the end line of the server’s court.
A good return of a served ball must be struck by the receiver on the first bounce so that it passes directly over or around the net and touches directly on top of the opponent’s court.

III. Points:

A point is awarded to the opponent in the following circumstances:

Failure to make a good service, unless a let is declared.
Failure to make a good return of a good service or a good return made by the opponent, unless a let is declared
If the player, the racquet, or anything that the player wears or carries touches the net or its supports while the ball is in play.
If the player, the racquet, or any wearing apparel moves the playing surface while the ball is in play or touches the net or its supports
If the player’s free hand touches the playing surface while the ball is in play
If, after being struck by the opponent, the ball comes in contact with the player or anything the player wears or carries before it has passed over the end lines or sidelines, not yet having touched the playing surface on the player’s side of the table.
If at any time the player volleys the ball – that is before the ball hits the table top – except as provided in Rule A under “Let” (below).

IV. Let:

A let ball, which is then replayed, is called in the following cases:

If the served ball, in passing over the net, touches it or its supports, if the service would otherwise have been good or volleyed by the receiver.
If a service is delivered when the receiver is not ready
If either player is prevented by an accident not under his/her control from serving a good service or making a good return
If either player gives up a point, as provided in Rules C-G under “Points”, owing to an accident not within his/her control

V. Scoring:

A point is scored by the side that makes the last successful return prior to the end of a rally. An unsuccessful return occurs whenever the ball is missed, is hit off the table, sent into the net, or hit onto the player’s own half of the court on the return. Failure to make a good serve also scores a point for the opponent unless it is a let.

VI. Ball in Play:

The ball is in play from the moment it is projected from the hand in service until one of the following has occurred:

It has touched one court twice consecutively.
It has, except in service, touched each court alternately without having been struck by the racquet immediately
It has been struck by either player more than once consecutively.
It has touched either player or anything that the player wears or carries.
It has touched any object other than the net and supports.

Doubles Play:

I. Good Service:

The service is delivered (as described in Singles), except that it must touch first the right half of the server’s court or the centerline on the server’s side of the net and then, passing directly over or around the net, touch the right half of the receiver’s court or the center line on the receiver’s side of the table.

II. Choice of Order of Play:

The team winning a coin toss has the option of choosing:
The choice of ends
The right to receive or serve first
The right to require the losing team to make the first choice
After choice A & B have been made, the other team makes the remaining choice.

III. Order of Service

The first five services must be delivered by the serving partner (Player 1) of the pair who has the right to do so. The service must be received by the receiving partner (Player 3) of the opposing pair.
The second five services must be delivered by the receiver of the first five services (Player 3) and received by the partner of the server (Player 2) of the first five services.
The third five services must be delivered by the partner of the first five services (Player 2) and received by the partner of the server (Player 4) of the first five services.
The fourth five services must be delivered by the partner of the receiver (Player 4) of the first five services and received by the server (Player 1) of the first five services.
The next five services start over as in Rule A of “Order of Service”

Intervals:
Play shall be continuous throughout a match except that any player is entitled to:

An interval of up to 1 minute between successive games of a match.
Brief intervals for toweling after every 6 points from the start of each game and at the change of ends in the last possible game of a match.
A player or pair may claim one time-out period of up to 1 minute during a match.
In an individual event the request may be made by the player or pair or by the designated advisor. In a team event it may be made by the player or pair or by the team captain.
The request for a time-out, which shall be made only when the ball is out of play, shall be made by making a "T" sign with the hands.
On receiving a valid request for a time-out the umpire shall suspend play. Play will be resumed when the player or pair who called it is ready to continue or at the end of one minute, whichever is sooner.
The referee may allow a suspension of play of the shortest practical duration, and in no circumstances more than 10 minutes, if a player is temporarily incapacitated by an accident, provided that in the opinion of the referee the suspension is not likely to be unduly disadvantageous to the opposing player or pair.
A suspension shall not be allowed for a disability which was present or was reasonably to be expected at the beginning of the match, or where it is due to the normal stress of play. Disability such as cramp or exhaustion, caused by the player's current state of fitness or by the manner in which play has proceeded, does not justify such an emergency suspension, which may be allowed only for incapacity resulting from an accident, such as injury caused by a fall.
If anyone in the playing area is bleeding, play shall be suspended immediately and shall not resume until that person has received medical treatment and all traces of blood have been removed from the playing area.
Players shall remain in or near the playing area throughout a match except with the permission of the referee. During intervals between games they shall remain within 3 meters of the playing area under the supervision of the umpire.

Timings:

08.00 AM to 12.30 Noon: For All.
02.00 Noon to 04.30 PM: For Member's wife & Ladies Guests.
04.30 PM to 06.00 PM: For Members, Children’s & Adult Guests.

Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays:
08.00 AM to 10.00 AM: For All (No Restriction)
10.00 PM to 12.30 Noon: For Members, Children’s & Adult Guests.
02.00 Noon to 04.30 PM: For Member's wife & Ladies Guests.
04.30 PM to 06.00 PM: As Usual.