My husband and I are very competitive table tennis players (against each other).
We are having a big fight about the following:
Before serving, my husband has a ritual where he taps the ball against his bat three times as he prepares to serve. It drives me nuts. I say he can't do it as he is covering the ball.
He says (a) he is not actually serving at that point so he can do whatever he wants (like in tennis, when the server bounces the ball a few times to get concentration before serving, and (b) I can still see the ball as he taps it so it doesn't matter.
- Your husband must hold the ball in the open palm of his stationary free hand before serving. So he can tap away, but he had better hold the ball still in his free hand before serving. No tapping and serving all in the one motion to surprise you.
ITTF Laws of Table Tennis
2.6.1 Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand.
2.5.2 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. - Play is supposed to be continuous. That means that your husband can't tap for 5 minutes between each serve. Most umpires will give a few seconds leeway for a pre-service ritual, but 20 taps is not on. 3 taps would generally be OK though.
ITTF Handbook for Match Officials
13.2.1 The requirement is for play to be continuous throughout a match, apart from authorised intervals, but if, for example, the ball goes outside the playing area, clearly play cannot continue until it is returned. The intent of the regulation is to prevent deliberate timewasting, such as by repeated bouncing of the ball, long pauses before serving and prolonged discussions with a doubles partner, which should be firmly discouraged.Hope this helps,
Greg
