by John Pahl
USATT is the governing body in the USA for table tennis.
For complete information go to usatt.org
Let’s assume you know the rules of table tennis, have an approved racket,
and are ready to play in a usatt sanctioned tournament. The following is an overview
to help avoid conflicts and help make your tournament experience a pleasant one.
Tournaments are fun, good exercise, and competitive at every level.
Don’t put off playing in a tournament because your table tennis skills are not up to what you would like.
We are all looking to improve, (& everyone thinks they are under rated).
Through contact with a usatt sanctioned club,
you will be given an approximate rating for seeding purposes.
Our 1 and 2 star tournaments are usually round robin events, while other 3 and 4 star tournaments
(star rating based on prize money), may be round robin or rating events.
The Entry form:
Mail in your entry early to reserve your place.
Membership in usatt is required; you can opt to pay the yearly membership ($40)
or a one time $10 first time tournament pass to try it out.
If you play in more tournaments, this $10 can be deducted from the yearly membership.
A rating fee, usually $4 is also mandatory.
This is a processing fee paid to usatt and separate from the entry fee.
Now you’re in.
At a Charlotte Open you will play a 4 person round robin preliminary event.
Your results in these first 3 matches will determine your fate for the rest of the day
placing you in Class A, B, C or D. Depending on the number of entries allowed,
you will play a second round robin, usually 7 more matches.
Preparation:
Dress to work out, bring your racket and preferably a spare. Balls are supplied.
A small cooler with drinks is allowed, but not at the table.
Be there early if you need to warm up & remember warm ups are just that,
not extended practice sessions.
The Match:
Make sure you or your opponent brings a pencil & scorecard to the table.
Do not enter or pass through playing courts until action has stopped.
You are allowed to examine your opponents racket: different surfaces (pips in, out, etc)
will have varying effects on the ball. A player may not change rackets during a match unless
it gets damaged. A brief 2 minute maximum warm up is allowed.
After deciding who servers first and choice of ends, you are ready to actually play.
Games are to 11, changing serves every 2 points, & changing serve every point at deuce.
Matches are best 3 out of 5 unless specified as different.
Criteria for legal serves is covered in section 6 of the usatt rules section.
Often serves are the root of most complaints.
If you feel your opponent is serving illegally, a friendly reminder may remedy the situation.
If the action persists, you may call for an umpire.
When called, an umpire will officiate for the remainder of the match.
Be forwarned: the umpire is there watching both participants, not just the accused.
A 1 minute break is allowed between games. Do not leave the playing area.
A single 1 minute time out is allowed per match. Do not leave the playing area.
You are allowed to quickly towel off during a game every 6 total points.
Coaching is allowed between games, but not during.
If your ball enters another playing area, wait for the action to stop before retrieving or
asking for help. If a stray ball enters your area or distracts you, you may call a let,
stop the action & replay the point. If no let has been called, and the point has been played,
the player nearest the incident in question,(an edge ball for example), will make final determination.
The rules do not allow do-overs, or replaying points. There is always a point of rule for resolution.
Intimidation is a tactic some use to gain an advantage.
Know the rules ahead of time & stand up for your rights for fair play.
Feel free to call an umpire to settle a question on rules or settle a dispute.
Once the players leave the court and the match is over,
the outcome of the games or match can not be altered.
It is the responsibility of the winning player to make sure the results are delivered to the
tournament director at the operations desk.
More often than not, matches are played without incident or conflict.
Ratings:
Tournament results are usually processed in 2-3 weeks.
Your new or adjusted rating is available online: http://64.144.108.98/history/
You now have the opportunity to defend and/or improve your rating every time you enter another
usatt sanctioned tournament.
The following table shows the points exchanged based on the difference in ratings between
opponents; you will see that if the higher rated player wins, they will receive fewer
points than if a lower rated player wins. This rewards players that improve their game.
| POINT SPREAD |
|
EXPECTED RESULT |
|
UPSET RESULT |
| BETWEEN PLAYERS |
|
HIGHER PLAYER WINS |
|
LOWER PLAYER WINS |
|
|
|
|
|
| 0-12 |
|
8 |
|
8 |
| 13-37 |
|
7 |
|
10 |
| 38-62 |
|
6 |
|
13 |
| 63-87 |
|
5 |
|
16 |
| 88-112 |
|
4 |
|
20 |
| 113-137 |
|
3 |
|
25 |
| 138-162 |
|
2 |
|
30 |
| 163-187 |
|
2 |
|
35 |
| 188-212 |
|
1 |
|
40 |
| 213-237 |
|
1 |
|
45 |
| 238+ |
|
0 |
|
50 |
|