Fight versus Boosters: New rules for rubbers by the ITTF?

[Gangarth]

2016 ITTF AGM & BoD Documents, March 2016

Propositions to the Board of Directors Simple majority required
Document G
Proposed by the Japan TTA to include following principles in the Rule paragraphs 3.2.1 - 3.2.4
§ PROPOSAL 1: Changing the way in Authorising Sandwich Rubber pimples in (referred as 'rubber' hereafter).

1.1.1 To authorise a new rubber, ITTF will use Pyrolysis Chromatograph Analyser to measure any sort of oil component within the rubber.
Then, only the product that contains oil component below 10% of the total mass of the rubber may be pre-authorised.
1.1.2 After the rubber has been pre-authorised, ITTF will operate a bounce test under certain conditions (temperature controlled room), and if the rubber shows higher result than the limit, the rubber may not be authorised.
NOTE: Other sports using balls such as Tennis, Baseball and Golf have bounce tests with maximum repulsion depending on the material of the equipment.

§§ PROPOSAL 2: New Racket Control Procedures
1.2.1 All ITTF approved events (including Olympics) shall apply the new racket control test to the following players.
a) Individual Events: All players who has got to Semi-Finals and Finals, or any other player who has been chosen by the referee at random.
b) Team Events: The Referee shall choose players from the team that has got to Semi-Finals and Finals, and any other players at random.
1.2.2 The new racket control is to test the rubber of the racket which the player will be using in the next match. The test will be carried out using a bounce test with ITTF
authorised equipment. Any racket that has a higher repulsion than standard level may not be used.
1.2.4 If there is any protest to be made against the above 2 sections, the player shall pass his rubber to the ITTF Control Panel.
ITTF shall then test the rubber using their Pyrolysis Chromatograph Analyser and compare their result against the result from the same product authorised by the ITTF which has not been in use.
ITTF will then conclude, rightfully on this allegation whether boosting was conducted by the player or not.

2. Reason for this Proposal
2.1 At the 2013 ITTF Board Meeting JTTA made a formal proposal to set a limit on repulsion of the rubber so that any boosting that takes place after purchasing the rubber may be eliminated. Then the then President Mr. Sharara announced that this proposal was discussed thoroughly within the Board meeting and this matter still has to be studied. But it was not yet reached to any conclusion.
2.2 At the 2015 AGM ITTF Athletes Commission made a proposal on having the thickness of the rubber to 4.25cm. (this has been rejected.) At the same time it was reported that players have been boosting their rackets after purchase secretly.
2.3 ITTF has banned the use of booster posf-factory, but have been turning a blind eye on boosting at the manufacturing phase, and consecuently ITTF had to turn a blind eye to boosting by the players after purchase.
2.4 ITTF ought to enforce players into respecting the rules and using fair and equal equipment (FAIR PLAY provision), Such is an urgent necessaty of today's, to the good of our sport. . As being an important member of IOC and to withhold the trust from the world's athletes community, this problem needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

3. Implementation Setup
3.1 Required Equipment
The following equipment’s need to be prepared as ITTF authorised device.
3.1.1 Pyrolysis Gas Chromatograph to measure the Agent increasing
repulsion of the rubber.
3.1.2 An appropriate Bounce Test device to measure the maximum repulsion needs to be developed through the past experiment results.
3.1.3 Temperature Humidity Control Cabinet to adjust the test.

3.2 Related Procedures
3.2.1 To avoid the differentiation of repulsion due to different blades, we would need to set a wide range for maximum repulsion. Will need to have a plate (benchmark) to put the rubber on to when measuring. In case there is no Temperature Humidity Control Cabinet, there should be a list made that contains a wide range of results for different types of racket on different temperatures to be used as a measurement.
3.2.2 When a new rubber is subjected from the manufacturers for ITTF approval, they need to supply the rubber sheet with sponge put together. Also the sample rubber/sponge must be the thickest available.
3.2.3 For the ITTF to run this proposed test, ITTF will provide (rent) the equipment Pyrolysis Gas Chromatograph if possible, and Bounce Test device to the host association.
3.2.4 In order to analyse this test, ITTF will prepare a guideline and provide a practice session at WTTC or other events.

3.3 Timing of implementation
3.3.1 This Proposal (1) shall take effect as of January 1st, 2018.
3.3.2 Proposal (2) shall be implemented as of January 1st, 2019.

[Retrospektive]

But this will be very costly and will certainly raise many problems.
And it needs to be designed a master table.
Then the Chinese Rubbers have to be changed. I do not think that you can play so without tuning. And many Rubbers are factory tuned

[jcd]

The whole benchmark is nonsense, testing every rubber on an always growing number of blades. They will never achieve consistent test results ,considering the deviations in production of the blades. Just use a somewhat lighter slower version of a blade and you can boost your rubber to some extent. It would be the same situation as before but probably with slower equipment.

[marv1337]

Well. Let bty give you a tenergy 05 with bryce highspeed lable and you can boost it like crazy.

[Townsman]

The whole fight versus boosters is stupid.

They should give boosters free!

There should be the same regulations as for rubbers, that the companies must send their boosters to the ITTF and the equipment committe will proof the boosters and put the aproofed boosters on a list. Then everybody can see which boosters are allowed and not unhealthy, then the players know which boosters they can use.

They should stop this nonsense with their stupid fight versus boosters and better spent their time on important things which make really sense.

[Retrospektive]

The following boosters are good :

Dian Chi Oil

Falco Long Time Booster

Haifu Seamoon Booster

TRF

[Townsman]

TRF and Falco Long Time Booster are old school and first generation boosters from Belgium.

Dian Chi Oil and Haifu Seamoon Booster are second generation boosters from China.

In my country all nationalteam players use the secret Dima-Booster from Germany. This is not like oil, it looks more like water, but it is the best booster and new third generation.

[Retrospektive]

The booster which the Chinese used before was from Haifu but without additional names 170 $
per bottle. Special manufacture
Nevertheless, the others are also very good
Water ?? hmm Dymax Maximizer could be possible

[Stanis1980]

Zitat von Townsman

In my country all nationalteam players use the secret Dima-Booster from Germany. This is not like oil, it looks more like water, but it is the best booster and new third generation.

Do you have any more details on this. Seems to be secret because can't find any information on that "Dima-Booster".

[masl83]

DYMAX Maximizer 37 ml