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Liebe Sportfreunde
mit der Stellungnahme des ITTF-Präsidenten auf eine ähnliche Fragestellung, will ich das oben gesagte noch einmal unterstreichen.
"The new rule is very simple and equally simple to apply and implement. There is no need to complicate matters. The rule the way it was written last year did in fact meet all the objectives of the General Assembly as it was passed.
Unfortunately, many umpires did not apply the rule as it was intended. Although as you say the rule was very clear, however, it was not applied as intended by a majority of umpires. Therefore, the rule degenerated into hiding the ball with the free arm and with the server's stomach in some instances.
A solution, which was adopted at the AGM this year, is to force the server to remove the free arm from the area between his body and the receiver. This is very simple and ensures visibility to the receiver and easier judgement by the umpire. We no longer refer to any pyramid or imaginary space. This was the documentation from last year which was necessary to help umpires and players in the interpretation of the rule. It is now much simpler, and as long as the player removes his non-playing arm as soon as he has projected the ball vertically upwards, then the service should be legal. Of course forehand services are permitted and very possible. Do not forget that the player can rotate the trunk and is not static with his body. The top players, and even the young players I have seen do not have any problem with this. As a matter of fact that was the case last year in the beginning of the season., until the players discovered that they could tuck the free arm into their bodies, or that they could remove the free arm at the last possible moment. The new rule prevents these two instances."
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