Hello from ITTF President

[adham]

Zitat von Duque

Hello Adham,

thank you for being in this forum and your patience to reply our questions.

Well, a matter of particular interest are the rules and regulations which will be subject to modifications for the upcoming season.

Can you give us an impression of what rules and regulations are under discussion at the ITTF at the moment. What can we await for the next months or next year?

Not really any changes planed. There is one proposal from China to reduce the thickness of the racket covering to 3.8 mm in total instead of 4mm. This is to allow for a margin of 2 mm for glue.

Nothing else of great consequence.

Adham

[Tackiness]

Can you tell us about the testing devices used this year - there is "Enez 2", and a new apparatus as well? When will their results be taken into account for disqualification etc.?

[Mighty]

Zitat von adham

Not really any changes planed. There is one proposal from China to reduce the thickness of the racket covering to 3.8 mm in total instead of 4mm. This is to allow for a margin of 2 mm for glue.

Nothing else of great consequence.

Adham

Could you, please, post the link to the full text of this proposition?

[Tackiness]

All the propositions are posted here:
http://www.ittf.com/World_Events/200...ns3-3-2009.pdf

[Mighty]

Thanks, Tackiness.

I find this interesting:

"Proposed by the Rules Committee

To try a new the Service Rule at a few selected tournaments on experimental basis. The Board of Directors is requested to select 4 ITTF Pro Tour events in 2009 at which the service rule 2.6.6 will be implemented in a modified way on experimental basis, so that the umpire or AND the assistant umpire can follow the correctness of the service.

By this experimental rule change players would have to serve in front of their body".

[adham]

Zitat von Tackiness

Can you tell us about the testing devices used this year - there is "Enez 2", and a new apparatus as well? When will their results be taken into account for disqualification etc.?

Yes, thanks for the question. What we refer to as Enez-2 is the second generation of Enez with a more stable sensor. It is always used with a very sophisticated R.A.E device as a backup. The RAE device is very expensive and only used by the ITTF at racket control to make usre the Enez is providing the correct result. Enez is available for all to buy at a reasonable price. We were hoping to have the new device called ELIZE in early January and use it at all ITTF events and then make it the offical testing device. However, the device will only be available for mass distribution in early Aoril. So, although the ITTF has it already and we dud use it at the Qatar Open, it will only be used "officially" as of 1 July 2009. In the meantime we will continue to use it for statistical and educational purposes. This device detects very low levels of VOCs directly at the surfave of the rubber. So, in fact it does detect tuners and boosters that do contain low levels of VOCs.
In QAtar, all rackets passed the Enez test, but 77 rackets out of 210 failed the ELIZE test. The players that failed the ELIZE test were informed and advised accordingly, but only the ENEX test counted officially. In fact, we are using this period as a transition period, and educational period and also a gradual move to the goal of "0" levels of VOCs.

As of 1 July 2009, the ELIZE testing device will be the official device used but as usual we will allow voluntary tests to the players before the match to make sure that their racket meets the ITTF rules. Also the ELZE will be available on the mass market and could be used nationally or at other levels as each national association may decide.

[adham]

Zitat von Mighty

Could you, please, post the link to the full text of this proposition?

You will find all the informnation about the ITTF meetinsg and propositions at the following link:

http://www.ittf.com/competitions/com...&category=WTTC

left side Column, click on "AGM and BoD Documents" to get the PDF report.

[Torsten von Bayern]

Adham,

thank you for sharing the AGM agenda with us. In reading the propositions paper I found Proposition 7 by the Rules Committee, which to me seems very helpful: No need any more, as an umpire acting without assistant, to tell players to change their service position just because I cannot see it all time, whereas I am sure that it is correct.

What is interesting, is that at the same time, the Rules Committee is asking the BoD in Resolution B for an experimental change of the service rule in such a way that both umpire and assistant umpire have to see the serve.

At a first glance these two steps seem to me to contradict each other. Will the experiment from Resolution B, aiming at a "stronger" service law, still be carried out if the AGM accepts Proposition 7 which is aiming at a "weaker" service law ? Or is it just a fall back option in case of AGM rejecting the proposition ?

I am asking, besides personal interest, in order to respond to a service rule discussion which is going on in another subforum. Can you imagine there was somebody saying, in view of Resolution B, that in the future an umpire, when officiating alone, will have to call "fault" if he or she sees the serve but is suspecting that the imaginary assistant umpire would not have been able to see the serve ??!

Anyway, I am now absolutely curiously looking forward to the Racket Control Workshop in Bremen this Saturday, which arised from the ITTF/DTTB coordination of what we started here in this thread in December 2008. My team is already planning next season's regional ENEZ testing and can't wait to get an impression about ELIZE.

TvB

[adham]

It is best to see the result of the vote at the AGM and the BoD before we comment on the Service Rule.

I attended a few minutes of the Racket Control seminar and I am very happy that it all started here. It was nice seeing you there, it was also a very good German Open in Bremen. We covered it live on itTV on the ITTF website.

[TSC]

I'm not quite sure wether Adham still follows this thread, but anyway...

In another thread in this forum, a member mentioned that the first retailers begin to sell (self-)treated pimpled rubbers to customers. While the owners (usually) mention that these rubbers are not allowed under ITTF rules, it is obviously meant for those who don't care (who's going to buy illegal equipment for practice sessions only?).

I wondered wether it makes sense to write (friendly) complaints to the manufacturers and ask them to take appropriate measures regarding these retailers.
I thought I'll ask you wether this is feasible and wether the manufacturers would indeed take action as you (or other ITTF comission members?) probably know the responsible people on the manufacturers side.

cheers