National Veterans Golden Age Games

Event 15: Table Tennis Ambulatory

Event 15-A: Table Tennis Wheelchair

Age Groups

Men and Women Compete Together

• 55-59
• 60-64
• 65-69
• 70-74
• 75-79
• 80-84
• 85-up

Equipment

The National Veterans Golden Age Games host will provide standard table tennis tables and nets, regulation table tennis rackets (paddles) and balls. Competitors may use their own table tennis rackets if they are deter­mined to be regulation by the officials and they are of the same type as those supplied by the host.

Other Equipment: scorecards, drinking water and first aid kit.

Facility

The National Veterans Golden Age Games host shall provide a facility of adequate size to allow the competitors to move freely and safely around the table and with a ceiling of enough height to allow for the ball to be played without interference. Adequate lighting should be a consider­ation. A spectator area a distance away from the table ten­nis tables is desirable. The host will provide a minimum of ten tables for this competition. If possible, one table, separate from the competition, should be set aside for photographs.

Competition

Competitors will compete individually in singles table tennis. The competition will be set up in a single elimination tournament format. Whenever possible, competitors from the same medical center will not be matched against each other in first round matches. All matches will be played as a best three out of five games. Third place game will match the two losers of the two semi-final games against each other. White shirts or jackets are not permitted for competition.

Rules

Rule 1:00 The Table

The surface of the table shall be rectangular, 9 feet in length and 5 feet in width; it shall be 2 feet 6 inches above the floor, and shall lie in a horizontal plane. It shall be made of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of not less than 8 inches and not more than 9 inches when a standard ball is dropped from a height of 12 inches above its surface. The upper sur­face of the table shall be termed the "playing sur­face;" it shall be non-reflecting, of a dark color and a white line 3/4-inch broad along each edge. The lines at the 5-foot edges or ends of the playing surface shall be termed "end lanes." The lines at the 9-foot edges or sides of the playing surface shall be termed "side lines."

Rule 2:00 The Net and Its Supports

The playing surface shall be divided into two courts of equal size by a net running parallel to the end lines and 4 feet 6 inches from each. The net and its suspension together shall be 6 feet in length; its upper part along its whole length shall be close to the play­ing surface. The net shall be attached at each end to an upright post 6 inches high; the outside limits of each post shall be 6 inches outside the sideline on the same side.

Rule 3:00 The Ball

The ball shall be spherical. It shall be made of cel­luloid, pale in color and not be less than 4 1/2 inches or more than 4 3/4 inches in circumfer­ence; it shall not be less than 37 grains (2.40 grams) and not more than 39 grains (2.53 grams) in weight.

Rule 4:00 The Racket (Paddle)

The racket (paddle) may be any material, size, shape or weight. If approved by the National Official, competitors may use their own racket (paddle) or those provided by the host.

Rule 5:00 The Scoring of Points

A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points, unless both players have scored 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.

Rule 6:00 The Choice of Ends and Service

The choice of ends and the right to be server or receiving player in every match shall be decided by coin toss and the winner of the toss may choose to serve or receive first, or to start at a particular end. The winner of the toss may, if he/she prefers, require the other player to make the first choice.

Rule 7:00 The Change of Ends and Service

After each 2 points have been scored, the receiving player shall be­come the serving player, and so on until the end of the game unless both players score 10 points, when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn. The player at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a match the players shall change ends when first one player scores 5 points.

Rule 8:00 Out of Order of Ends or Service

If a player serves out of his/her turn, the player who should have served shall serve as soon as the mistake is discovered. If however, a group of five services has been completed before such discovery, the service in the subsequent groups of services shall continue in the same order, as if the sequence had not been discontinu­ous. In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery shall be reckoned.

If the players have not changed ends when ends should have been changed, the players shall change ends as soon as the mistake is discovered, unless a game has been completed since the error, then the error shall be ignored. In any circumstances, all points scored be­fore the discovery shall be reckoned.

Rule 9:00 The Order of Play

The server shall first make a good service, the receiving player shall then make a good return and thereafter server and receiving player shall each al­ternately make a good return.

Rule 10:00 A Good Service

The service shall be delivered by the server re­leasing the ball by open palm only, without im­parting a spin. The ball must be projected from an opened palm for the service. The ball shall then be struck so that it touches first the server's court and then, passing directly over or round the net, touches the receiving player’s court. At the moment of the impact of the rack­et on the ball in service, both players shall be behind the end line of the server's court and between an imag­inary continuation of the sidelines. (New for 2012) Server cannot serve outside of the end lines of the table.

Rule 11:00 A Good Return

A ball having been served or returned in play shall be struck by the player so that it passes directly over the net or around the net and touch­es directly on the opponent's court. If the ball, having been served or returned in play, returns with its own impetus over the net or round the net, it may be struck by the player so that it touches directly on the opponent's court.

Rule 12:00 A Let

The following is a let:

• If the ball served touches the net or its supports, provided the service would be otherwise good or be volleyed by the receiver.
• If a service is delivered when the receiver is not ready, provided that he/she is not deemed ready by attempting to stroke at the ball.
• If either player is prevented by an acci­dent, not under his/her control, from serving a good service or making a good return.
• (New for 2012) If the server releases the ball but does not make an attempt at the ball, he/she may attempt the serve again.

Rule 13:00 A Point

Either player shall lose a point:

• If he/she fails to make a good service, ex­cept as provided in Rule 12 (a let).
• When a good service or a good return having been made by his/her opponent, he/she fails to make a good return.
• If he/she or his/her racket (paddle), or anything that he/she wears or carries, touches the net or its supports while the ball is in play.
• If he/she or his/her racket (paddle), or anything that he/she wears or carries, moves the playing sur­face while the ball is in play.
• If his/her free hand touches the playing surface while the ball is in play.
• If, before the ball in play has passed over the end lines or side lines and has not yet touched the playing surface on his/her side of the table and ball comes in contact with him or any­thing that he/she wears or carries.
• (New for 2012) If the ball in play has passed over the end lines or side lines, has not yet touched the playing surface of his/her side of the table and ball comes in contact with him/her, a point will be awarded the player that the ball came in contact with during rest. (example - line drive)
• If at any time he/she volleys the ball, except in serving.
• (New for 2012) If the server makes an attempt on the ball and does not make contact with the ball on serve attempt, a point will be awarded to the receiver.

Rule 14:00 In Play

The ball is in play from the moment at which it is dropped from an open palm until:

• It has touched one court twice consecu­tively.
• It has, except in service, touched each court alternately without having been struck by the racket (paddle) immediately.
• It has been struck by either player more than once consecutively.
• It has touched either player or anything that he/she wears or carries, except his/her racket or his/her racket hand below the wrist.
• On the volley it has come in contact with the racket or the racket hand below the wrist.
• It has touched any object other than the net, supports, or those referred to above.

Rule 15:00 Further Definitions

The period during which the ball is in play shall be termed a rest. A rest, the result of which is scored, shall be termed a point.

The player who first strikes the ball during the rest shall be termed the receiver.

If the ball, in passing over the net or around the net touches it or its supports, it shall, nevertheless, be considered to have passed directly, except as referred to in Rule 14b.

If the ball in play comes in contact with the racket or racket hand, not yet having touched the playing surface on one side of the net since last being struck on the other side, it shall be said to have been volleyed. The racket hand is the hand carrying the racket (pad­dle); the free open hand is the hand not carrying the racket (paddle).

Note: (New for 2012) All wheelchair competitors must stay in full contact with seat of wheelchair. The footrests or the feet touching the floor during play shall not result in the loss of a point providing the competitor’s bottom does not leave the seat of the chair or scooter. The competitor may not use their legs in any way to gain an advantage over their opponent.

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