Inspecting opponents bat
Equipment
Les Edmunds Asked 11 years ago
I know you are allowed to inspect your opponents bat before a match but are you allowed to actually hold their bat and even slide a ball over both sides to get an idea of how much grip is on the rubber.
Thanks very much.
Les (Enfield England)
Alois Rosario Answered 11 years ago
Hi Les,
You are allowed to hold the bat. I don't know about sliding a ball over the rubber though. You should try to learn the qualities of the rubbers. As long as you have a general idea about each type of rubber's properties that should be enough.
Thoughts on this question
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Les Edmunds Posted 11 years ago
Thank you for your reply. It is good to know that I can at least hold the bat. As there are so many different rubbers on the market today and they would also be in so many stages of wear which would then have so many different levels of friction it would be so much easier and more precise to know what effect the rubber would have by sliding the ball over the rubber, but I need to know if I have a right to do this..........Les
Rene van der Kleij Posted 11 years ago
One can hold my bat, look at it in whatever angle, read the rubber markings, but please NO rubber touching, with finger, nail, ball, etc.
Les Edmunds Posted 11 years ago
Hi ,
You say you would allow your bat to be inspected but not touched or to have a ball slide over it, but if the rules allow you to do so then you will not be allowed to stop them.
What we have to establish is do the rules allow a player to slide a ball over the opponents rubber. Who can tell me ?
Rene van der Kleij Posted 11 years ago
I wouldn’t make a big issue of it, just common sense not to touch/slide your opponent’s rubbers, I suppose he prepared and cleaned it before the game as I did.
Take a look at the following link, chapter 7.3, reference is made to inspection of the blade by the empire, and opponents must always be given the opportunity to examine any racket that is to be used. I could find no rulings about rubber touching by opponents though.
http://www.ittf.com/ITTF_Misc/Handbook_for_Match_Officials_14th_edition.pdf
Les Edmunds Posted 11 years ago
Hi and thanks for your response.
I would like to say first of all that I don't think I am making a big issue of it. I just want an official ruling on it.
I checked out the site you suggested and you are right it does say that the opponent must be given the opportunity to examine the bat and again you are right there is no ruling saying that the rubber can be touched by sliding the ball against the rubber. On the other hand there is no ruling saying that it cannot be done. If you are talking about common sense surely the best way to gauge the exact grippiness or non grippiness of a rubber is by sliding a ball over it's surface after all it is what you will be contacting in the game. Despite what the rubbers say on them ie brand or description type, how does one determine what grip is left on them as they could be brand new rubbers but used extensively or old rubbers that have hardly been used.
If no one on this site can give an answer maybe the ITTF should clarify exactly how in depth the word examine in their ruling is.
Les