Rules

Registration

Registration for the Fall season are Monday-Wednesday, September 7^th-9^th, 2009 in the CUB Lobby from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, or in BWH room 111 during office hours.

Registration Fee

There is no registration fee for ping pong!

Mandatory Meeting

The MANDATORY meeting for all participants will be held at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 in BHW 100N. Come to the meeting prepared with any times/dates that may cause problems for your team to participate.

Divisions of Competition

• Men's (Singles and Doubles)
• Women's (Singles and Doubles)
• Mixed Doubles

Valid ID Cards

Players must be prepared to furnish a valid Gettysburg College Picture Identification upon request. Intramural Supervisors reserve the right to not allow any player to participate who does not present a valid ID. 

Play by Date

A ‘play by date' is simply the date that a given match must be played and reported. Following the match the winning player must email results to campusrec@gettysburg.edu or call x6322. Each week, suggested times for play and court's availability will be emailed to all participants. 

Forfeits

If you are unable to reach an agreement as it pertains to time and the Play by Date, contact the director x6322. If you and your opponent agree on a time but one of you fail to attend the match it will be treated as a forfeit and a loss for the offending player. If no notification is given by the end of the Play by Date, defined as 11pm on that date, a double forfeit for that match will be in effect.

Location of Play

Matches will be played at the "Attic" where there will be two table tennis courts set up. The "Attic" is located behind Bream Gym. Additional tables are availabe in Apple Apartments, as well as the Chapel basement. Games may be played on any ping pong table, so long as both sides agree to play there first.

Rules

The 2009 USA Table Tennis rules shall govern all intramural games with exceptions listed in these rules; The Campus Recreation Department having the authority to modify rules at its discretion.

Definitions

• A rally is considered the time in which the ball is in play.
• The ball is in play from the last moment at which it is stationary on the palm of the free hand before being intentionally projected in service until the rally is decided as a let or a point.
• A let is a rally of which the result is not scored and a point is a rally of which the result is scored.
• The player must hit the ball with his racket. If the ball touches any part of the person's body other than the racket, it is considered dead. If the ball bounces on the receiver's side and then touches any part other than the racket of the receiver than the person who hit the ball would receive the point. If the ball hits the receiver outside the playing surface before it bounces on the receiver's side, then the receiver wins the point.
• The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally and the receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.
• The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net assembly if it passes anywhere other than between the net and the net post or between the net and the playing surface.
• The end line shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions.

A Good Service

• Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand.
• As the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that it touches first his court and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver's court; in doubles, the ball shall touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.
• From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server or his doubles partner; as soon as the ball has been projected, the server's free arm shall be removed from the space between the server's body and the net.
• If the receiver is doubtful of the legality of a service he/she may, on the first occasion in a match, declare a let and warn the server.
• Whenever there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a good service, no warning shall be given and the receiver shall score a point.

A Good Return

• The ball, having been served or returned, shall be struck so that it passes over or around the net assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.

A Let

The rally shall be a let:

• If in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it provided the service is otherwise good or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his/her partner.
• If the service is delivered when the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither the receiver nor his partner attempts to strike the ball.
• If failure to make a good service or a good return or otherwise to comply with the laws is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player.

Points

      Points are awarded to the opponent for any of several errors in play:

• Allowing the ball to bounce on one's own side twice
• Double hitting the ball. Note that the hand above the wrist is considered part of the racket and making a good return off one's hand or fingers on the racket-holding hand is allowed, but hitting one's hand or fingers and subsequently hitting the racket is a double strike and an error.
• Allowing the ball to strike anything other than the racket (see above for definition of the racket)
• Causing the ball not to bounce on the opponent's half (i.e., not making a "good" return)
• Placing one's free hand on the playing surface or moving the playing surface
• Offering and failing to make a good serve (i.e., making a service toss and failing to strike the ball fairly into play)
• Making an illegal serve
• Hitting the net with racket or any body part.
• By volleying the ball (not allowing the ball to bounce on your side)

Game and Match Procedures

• Each game will be first player/team to 11 points. If both sides have 10 points each, it will be first to win by 2 points. 
• A match will consist of a best of five series; meaning first to win three games will be considered the winner.
• After each game, the player/team switches sides.

Alternation of Service

• Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until a player reaches 11 points with at least a two-point lead, or until both players have 10 points a piece. If both players reach 10 points, then service alternates after each point, until one player gains a two-point advantage.
• In doubles, service alternates every two points between sides, but also rotates between players on the same team. At the end of every two points, the receiving player becomes the server, and the partner of the serving player becomes the receiver.

Doubles Game

In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. In doubles, all the rules of single play apply except for the following:

• A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rule, which is that service, must originate from the right hand "box" in such a way that the first bounce of the serve bounces once in said right hand box and then must bounce at least once in the opponent side's right hand box (far left box for server). 
• Play then continues normally with the exception that players must alternate hitting the ball. For example, after a player serves, the receiving player makes his or her return, the server's partner returns the ball and then the service receiver's partner would play the ball. The point proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the point is then awarded to the other team.
• Also, when the game reaches the final set, the teams must switch side and the team that receives the service must switch receiver when one of the teams reach 5 points.