Position of the receiver of the serve

Salman Banani Asked 4 months ago

Hi there,

I just had an argument with a friend over position of the receivers racket.  I understand that for the server, at the time of contact during the serve, the point of contact should be behind the line of the table.  Does the receiver have to keep their racket behind the line of the table on their side as well?  Or the receiver can hover their racket over the table (while not touching the table) as the server serves?

Alois Rosario Answered 4 months ago

Hi Salman,

Thanks for your question. The rules regarding the position of the receiver's racket in table tennis are quite straightforward. Unlike the server, who must make contact with the ball behind the end line of the table and above the playing surface, the receiver has no such restrictions concerning the position of their racket. The receiver can position their racket anywhere on their side of the table and can even hover their racket over the table or be touching the table with their racket as they prepare to return the serve. The only requirement is that the receiver does not touch the table with their free hand, as this would be considered a fault. 

So, you are correct in your understanding. I hope this clears up the confusion.