Service rule

Hey Alois and Jeff,

There is a bit of speculation going on in our local club on one of the service rules; this came after one of our members read the August edition of the Butterfly newsletter, link given: http://www.butterfly-world.com/newsletter/butterfly-news76.pdf , page 17. In the description of the service, there is a sentence which states that the player has to swiftly move his/her serving shoulder forward while making contact with the ball else the service would be against the rule.

My question is which rule is this. Is there a specific rule about moving one's body or shoulder forward during service, or is it the rule pertaining to requirement that the receiver should be able to see the ball contact the paddle during the service? 

Also I heard that some of Ma Lin's services were also made illegal, is it, once again, because he strikes the ball behind his body, making it difficult for the receiver to see the ball contact with the paddle, or is it the shoulder issue again?

Thanks in advance and keep up the excellent work.

Eric.

Hi Eric,

This sounds like it is to do with the rule about making sure the opponent can see the ball.  there is no rule about moving your body or shoulder forward during service.

Many players push the boundaries of a legal service.  That is often the nature of players and rules.