NAME: MARC AUGUSTUS T.

GARCIA
SECTION: ME2A2
TEACHER: SIR PEPITO MOSQUITO
DATE: APRIL 22, 2022

“NATURE OF THE GAME TABLE TENNIS”

Starting a Game
• According to ITTF rule 2.13.1, the first service is decided by lot, normally a coin toss. It is also
   common for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other hand, usually
   hidden under the table, allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball is in.
• The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the option to choose to serve, receive, or to
choose
   which side of the table to use.
• (A common but non-sanctioned method is for the players to play the ball back and forth three
   times and then play out the point.
• This is commonly referred to as "serve to play", "rally to serve", "play for serve", or "volley for
   serve".)
 
Service and Return
• In game play, the player serving the ball commences a play. The server first
   stands with the ball held on the open palm of the hand not carrying the paddle,
   called the freehand, and tosses the ball directly upward without spin, at least 16 cm (6.3 in)
   high. 
• The server strikes the ball with the racket on the ball's descent so that it touches first his court
   and then touches directly the receiver's court without touching the net assembly.
• In casual games, many players do not toss the ball upward; however, this is technically illegal
and
   can give the serving player an unfair advantage.
• The ball must remain behind the end line and above the upper surface of the table, known as
the
    playing surface, at all times during the service.
• The server cannot use his/her body or clothing to obstruct sight of the ball; the opponent and
the
   umpire must have a clear view of the ball at all times.
• If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service they may first interrupt play and give a
   warning to the server. If the serve is a clear failure or is doubted again by the umpire after the
   warning, the receiver scores a point.
• If the service is "good", then the receiver must make a "good" return by hitting the ball back
before
   it bounces a second time on receiver's side of the table so that the ball passes the net and
touches
   the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.
• 
Thereafter, the server and receiver must alternately make a return until the rally is over.
• Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move is
often
   the least predictable and thus most advantageous shot due to the numerous spin and speed
choices
   at his or her disposal.
 
Let
• A Let is a rally of which the result is not scored, and is called in the following circumstances:
  ◊ The ball touches the net in service (service), provided the service is otherwise correct or the
ball is
     obstructed by the player on the receiving side. Obstruction means a player touches the ball
when
     it is above or traveling towards the playing surface, not having touched the player's court
since
     last being struck by the player.
  ◊ When the player on the receiving side is not ready and the service is delivered.
  ◊ Player's failure to make a service or a return or to comply with the Laws is due to a
disturbance
     outside the control of the player.
  ◊ Play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.
  ◊ A let is also called foul service, if the ball hits the server's side of the table, if the ball does not
pass
     further than the edge, and if the ball hits the table edge and hits the net.
Scoring
• A point is scored by the player for any of several results of the rally:
   The opponent fails to make a correct service or return.
    ◊ After making a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than
       the net assembly before being struck by the opponent.
    ◊ The ball passes over the player's court or beyond their end line without
       touching their court, after being struck by the opponent.
    ◊ The opponent obstructs the ball.
    ◊ The opponent strikes the ball twice successively. Note that the hand that is holding the
racket
       counts as part of the racket and that making a good return off one's hand or fingers is
allowed. It
       is not a fault if the ball accidentally hits one's hand or fingers and then subsequently hits the
       racket. The opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface is not
covered
       with rubber.
    ◊ The opponent moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly.
    ◊ The opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.
    ◊ As a receiver under the expedite system, completing 13 returns in a rally.
    ◊ The opponent that has been warned by the umpire commits a second offense in the same
       individual match or team match. If the third offence happens, 2 points will be given to the
       player. If the individual match or the team match has not ended, any unused penalty points
can be transferred to the next game of that match.
• A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points unless both players score 10 points,
when
   the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points. A match shall
   consist of the best of any odd number of games.[44] In competition play, matches are typically
best
   of five or seven games.
Alternation of Services and Ends
• Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until
the
   end of the game, unless both players score ten points or the expedite system is operated, when
the
   sequences of serving and receiving stay the same but each player serves for only one point in
turn
   (Deuce).
• 
The player serving first in a game receives first in the next game of the match.
• After each game, players switch sides of the table.
• In the last possible game of a match, for example the seventh game in a best of seven match,
   players change ends when the first player scores five points, regardless of whose turn it is to
serve. • If the sequence of serving and receiving is out of turn or the ends are not changed, points
scored in
   the wrong situation are still calculated and the game shall be resumed with the order at the
score
   that has been reached.
 
Expedite System
• If a game is unfinished after 10 minutes of play and fewer than 18 points have been scored, the
   expedite system is initiated.
The umpire interrupts the game, and the game resumes with players serving for one point in
• 

turn. • If the expedite system is introduced while the ball is not in play, the previous receiver
shall serve
   first.
• Under the expedite system, the server must win the point before the opponent makes 13
   consecutive returns or the point goes to the opponent.
• The system can also be initiated at any time at the request of both players or pairs.
• Once introduced, the expedite system remains in force until the end of the match.
• A rule to shorten the time of a match, it is mainly seen in defensive players' games.
 

Competitions
• Competitive table tennis is popular in East Asia and Europe, and has been
   gaining attention in the United States.
• 
The most important international competitions are the World Table Tennis
   Championships, the Table Tennis World Cup, the Olympics and the ITTF
   World Tour. Continental competitions include the following:
    ◊ European Championships
    ◊ Europe Top-16
    ◊ the Asian Championships
    ◊ the Asian Games
• Chinese players have won 60% of the men's World Championships since 1959; in the women's
   competition for the Corbillin Cup, Chinese players have won all but three of the World
   Championships since 1971.
Other strong teams come from East Asia and Europe, including countries such as Austria, 
• 

   Belarus, Germany, Hong Kong, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden,

and Taiwan.
• There are professional competitions at the clubs level; the respective leagues of Austria,
Belgium, 
   China (China Table Tennis Super League), Japan (T. League), France, Germany (Bundesliga),
   and Russia are examples of the highest level. There are also some important international club
   teams competitions such as the European Champions League and its former competition the    
   European Club Cup, where the top club teams from European countries compete.

Naturalization in Table Tennis

• According to the New York Times, 31% of the table tennis players at the 2016
   Summer Olympics were naturalized.
• The rate was twice as high as the next sport, basketball, which featured 15%
   of naturalized players.
◊Feng Tianwei, a Chinese-born player representing
   Singapore, has medaled in three Olympic table tennis events, more medals
   than native Singaporeans have won in all other sports combined (two). These
   successes have been somewhat controversial in Singapore. In 2014, Singapore
   Table Tennis Association's president Lee Bee Wah quit over this issue; her
   successor, Ellen Lee, later favored the application for citizenship of Zeng Jian,
   a China-born paddler.
• The rate of naturalization accelerated after the ITTF's 2009 decision (one year
    after China won every possible Olympic medal in the sport) to reduce the
    number of entries per association in both the Olympics and the World Table
    Tennis Championships.
• In 2019, the ITTF adopted new regulations which state that players who 
   acquired a new nationality may not represent their new association before:
    ◊ 1 year after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered and
has
        never represented another association
    ◊ 3 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered and
has
       already represented another association
    ◊ 5 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 18 but at least 15 years
of age
       when registered
    ◊ 7 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 21 but at least 18 years
of age
       when registered
    ◊ 9 years after the date of registration, if the player is at least 21 years old when registered