TABLE TENNIS RULES - RecSports

TABLE TENNIS RULES
Participation in the University of Tennessee Recreational Sports Programs is voluntary and individuals
use facilities at their own risk. Participation in any physical activity involves inherent risk and even when
safety precautions are utilized, injuries and accidents can occur. The Recreational Sports Department
would like to encourage each individual to consult their physician and obtain adequate personal
health/accident insurance prior to participation in our programs. The University of Tennessee does not
provide personal health or medical insurance coverage for participants.
RULE 1: PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
1. Participation is limited to currently enrolled, fee-paying University of Tennessee students
and faculty/staff members with Recreational Sports Memberships.
2. Participants must present their VolCard or current Recreational Sports Membership Card
in order to participate.
3. Players can compete for only one single sex team and one coed team, regardless of league
classification (e.g. - participants cannot play for a men’s recreational team and a men’s
competitive team).
4. All participants must meet the eligibility requirements as stated in the Intramural Sports
Participant Handbook.
5. Once a participant has signed in for a team, he/she may not transfer to another team.
RULE 2: TEAM COMPOSITION
1. TEAMS: Depending on the type of league/tournament each team will consist of the
number of players listed below:
a. Doubles – 2 players
b. Singles – 1 player
c. Teams must have the correct amount of players to play the game
2. PARTICIPANTS: Team representatives including players, coaches, spectators, and other
persons affiliated with the team are subject to these sport rules and all intramural
policies.
RULE 3: FORFEITS, DEFAULTS, AND PROTESTS
1. FORFEITS: If a team fails to appear for a scheduled game or match by game time a forfeit
will be declared. If a team forfeits a contest, the captain’s student account will be charged
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a $20 forfeit fee, the team will be ineligible for postseason competition, and the team
may be dropped from the league if there is a wait list team to replace them. A team with
two forfeits will be automatically dropped from the league.
2. PROTESTS: If a team wants to submit a protest, the team captain must stop play
immediately and notify the games officials and intramural sports manager. The
intramural sports manager will document the appeal and forward it to the Intramural
Sports Graduate Assistants or Coordinator if they cannot settle the protest on site. Teams
cannot protest an official’s judgment.
RULE 4: PLAYING AREA AND EQUIPMENT
1. PLAYING AREA: All games will be played in the upstairs lobby of the Student Aquatics
Center (SAC).
2. TABLE TENNIS BALLS/PADDLES: The table tennis balls and paddles will not be provided.
All participants may check equipment out at the SAC front desk.
3. SHOES: All players must wear shoes. Tennis/running shoes or rubber molded cleats are
permitted. No metal, hard plastic, polyurethane spikes or shoes with detachable cleats are
allowed.
4. PADS/BRACES: No pads or braces may be worn above the waist. Leg and knee braces
made of hard material must be covered on both sides and all edges with appropriate
slow-recovery padding.
5. JEWELRY: No jewelry may be worn. Jewelry must be removed before the participant will
be allowed to participate. Medical alert bracelets are permitted but they must be taped
down. Taping of all other jewelry is not permitted.
6. BLOOD RULE: If a player is bleeding, has an open wound, or an excessive amount of blood
on his/her uniform the player will be directed to leave the game. The injured player is not
to return until the bleeding has stopped, the wound is covered, and the bloody uniform is
changed.
7. The Intramural Sports Staff has the right to deem certain equipment unsafe or illegal.
RULE 5: TIMING
1. SELF-SCHEDULING: It is the responsible of both parties to contact each other to schedule
a time and place to play. This match must be scheduled and played prior to the deadline
posted for the round.
2. MATCH: Shall consist of the best 2 out of 3 games.
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3. GAMES: Shall be won by the player to first score 21 points and win by a 2 point advantage.
RULE 6: PLAYING THE GAME
1. BEGINNING THE GAME: To determine the serve in the first game of the first set, the sides
will volley. Once the ball has legally crossed the net three times, the ball will be "live."
The person who wins the volley has choice of serve/receive or side. At the end of the first
game the receiver shall become the server, and the server shall become the receiver.
This order is repeated throughout the match.
2. RALLY SCORING: A point shall be awarded on every service.
3. SERVING: The service must touch the server’s court first, then pass directly over the net,
and touch the opponent’s court. The server will have service for 5 total points.
4. RE-SERVE: If the ball hits the net, passes over and lands into the opponent’s court, there
will be a re-serve.
5. SWITCHING SERVES: The players will switch every five serves until a winner is decided.
Exception: when each player has 20 points, the serve will alternate until a player wins by
2 points.
RULE 7: DOUBLES MODIFICATIONS
1. SERVING: The pair who has the right to serve shall decide which partner will serve first.
The opposing pair shall then decide who will receive first.
2. ORDER OF HITS: The server must make a good service and the receiver a good return.
Then, the partner of the server shall make a good return and the partner of the receiver
shall make a return. The order will continue to switch until a point is decided. No player
shall hit two consecutive shots in doubles play.
3. SWITCHING SIDES: After each game, the pairs shall change ends. The pair serving first in
the previous game shall become the first receivers in the next game and vice versa.
RULE 8: SPORTSMANSHIP
1. RATING: Each team will begin the contest with a 5 sportsmanship rating and shall be rated by
the officials at the end of the contest. The authority of the officials’ ratings exists prior to,
during, and following all contests to which that official is assigned, and extends to all persons
on, at, or near the playing site. Sportsmanship ratings shall be marked on the score sheet
prior to captain signing off on the score and sportsmanship rating.
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a. 5 – Excellent Sportsmanship: Players cooperate fully with the intramural sports
staff and opposing team members. If necessary, the captain converses calmly with
officials about rule interpretations and calls.
b. 4 - Good Sportsmanship: Team members verbally complain about some decisions
made by the intramural sports staff and/or show minor dissent which may or may
not merit a conduct warning (unsportsmanlike penalty / technical foul / yellow
cards / etc.). Teams that receive one conduct warning will receive no higher than a
"4" rating.
c. 3 - Mediocre Sportsmanship: Team constantly comments to the intramural sports
staff or the opposing team. The team captain exhibits little or no control over
teammates or him/herself. Teams that receive one ejection or two conduct
warnings (unsportsmanlike penalty / technical foul / yellow cards / etc.) will
receive no higher than a “3” rating.
d. 2 - Below Average Sportsmanship: Team constantly comments to the intramural
sports staff or the opposing team. The team captain exhibits little or no control
over teammates or him/herself. Teams that receive one ejection and one conduct
warning or a combination of three conduct warnings (unsportsmanlike penalty /
technical foul / yellow cards / etc.) will receive no higher than a "2" rating and the
game will be forfeited.
e. 1 - Unacceptable Sportsmanship: Team is completely uncooperative. Captain has
no control over teammates and/or him/herself. Any team that receives two
ejections or four conduct warnings (unsportsmanlike penalty / technical foul /
yellow cards / etc.) will receive a "1" rating and the game and season will be
forfeited.
RULE 9: PLAYOFFS
1. QUALIFICATIONS: To qualify for postseason competition, teams must meet the following
criteria:
a. Finish 1 st or 2 nd place within the team’s division (time slot) with a .500 or better
winning percentage
b. Finish the regular season with no more than 1 loss.
c. Completion of the captain’s quiz.
d. Zero no-show forfeits.
e. Have an average sportsmanship rating of a 3.0 or better throughout the regular
season.
***If there are multiple teams with the same winning percentage tied for 2nd place in a
division (time slot), each team will be eligible for the postseason play provided the team
meets all other criteria.
2. During the postseason, teams are required to obtain a sportsmanship rating of a 3 or
higher each game in order to continue through the playoff. At any point during the
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game, if a team falls below a 3 sportsmanship rating, the game officials will end the
game and that team will be out of the playoffs.
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