Readers Respond: Are Edge Balls In or Out? What Do You Think?

Responses: 10

By Greg Letts, About.com Guide

If you hit the edge of the table, is the ball in or out? Share your opinion here. Share Your Opinion

Q: If a player makes a return and the ball strikes the outermost edge of his opponent's side of the table, and leaves the edge in a downward direction (because it only "brushes" the table, is it a good return? Or does the ball have to bounce in an upward direction for for the return to be legal? - submitted by Marc Johnson A: The ball does not have to bounce in the upward direction to be considered a good stroke. The rule is written with the assumption that every match has a qualified umpire at the table. He/she decides the legality of everything what happens during play. When there is no umpire at the table, the players control the legality of play. They are expected to do that to the best of their knowledge of the rule while observing common sense, respect of the opponent, fair play and sportsmanship. The rule does not say anything about which way the ball has to bounce. The rule only makes a distinction between the playing surface and the side of the playing surface. Edges c
—Guest USATT Stump the Ump Ruling

The entire top, flat surface is the playing surface--and any contact with this surface is in. Any contact with the side or end surface is clearly out. The major problem in a game is that some balls contact the playing surface lightly, so there is not much noise generated and the change of ball trajectory is not easily detected.
—1arne

so long as the ball tips the edge it is in, and willbreak, because the area between the line and the edge of the surface is very small, even if you do consider the edge of the table to be out, the small area between the line and the edge would be considered in because it would be nearly impossible for the ball to only touch small area outside the line without nicking the line itself(the line is considered in)
—Guest ME

Edge balls are good. My paint lines touch the edge of my table. If you read the ITTF handbook is doesn't say that the lines are out. The lines are in because they are part of the table surface. Oh and in doubles when the ball hits the middle white line its out right? no the lines are just edge markers.
—Guest Snytsina

this was taken from a stump the ump question page at http://www.usatt.org Q: If a player makes a return and the ball strikes the outermost edge of his opponent's side of the table, and leaves the edge in a downward direction (because it only "brushes" the table, is it a good return? Or does the ball have to bounce in an upward direction for for the return to be legal? A: The ball does not have to bounce in the upward direction to be considered a good stroke. The rule is written with the assumption that every match has a qualified umpire at the table. He/she decides the legality of everything what happens during play. When there is no umpire at the table, the players control the legality of play. They are expected to do that to the best of their knowledge of the rule while observing common sense, respect of the opponent, fair play and sportsmanship. The rule DOES NOT say anything about which way the ball has to bounce. The rule only makes a distinction between the playing surf
—Guest scootermcgavin

As long as it hits the paint, an edge ball is in, even if u have just lost three ping pong games in a row.
—Guest Jason Harrison

Sorry Greg, but edge balls are always out. I haven't seen a table where the lines touched the edge - there's always a bit of space between the edge and the line. In addition, if edge balls could be considered IN, then there would be no point in having the lines along the edges of the table. But since they do have the lines there, then there must be a reason for that - because edge balls are out!
—elitetrader12

balls that hit the side of the table and bounce down are out. balls that bounce the edge and bounce up are in.
—Guest gilbert@gsimons.org

Imagine the arguments that would ensue if paint lines defined playing boundaries instead of the top surface of the table and those lines didn't include the entire top surface! Then balls that bounce perfectly on the surface might be out. Yikes.
—Guest willbreak1000