Touching the Net Post During Play

Jasper Low Asked 1 month ago

Recently I played an interesting point in practice. My opponent top-edged his shot and I thought it was over. When seeing the ball land on my side, I rushed over to the side of the table in order to reach the ball that was going to bounce back onto his side. I smashed the ball away to the side but hit the net post. Is it still my point? 

Alois Rosario Answered 1 month ago

Hi Jasper,

It sounds like you had quite an exciting point there! Regarding your question, in table tennis, the rules state that if a player touches the net or net assembly (which includes the net posts) during the play, the opponent is awarded the point. This rule is in place to ensure that the net remains neutral and untouched throughout the duration of a point, maintaining fairness and consistency in play.

So in your scenario, since you hit the net post while the ball was still in play, the point would go to your opponent. It’s a tough break, especially after making such a great effort to reach the ball.