A Table Tennis Rule Explained ...
The Volley

by courtesy of the ITTF

One of the table tennis rules which you'll need to be familiar with is the rule which deals with volleying the ball.

The technical term is "obstruction" but what it refers to is ... hitting the ball before it bounces.

This "volley" rule was changed a few years ago.

Previously, if a player volleyed the ball at any time he lost the point, but the definition of "obstruction" has now been changed slightly, so that's no longer the case.

Rule 2.05.08 states ...

A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in play when it is above or travelling towards the playing surface, not having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.

The crucial test for whether a player wins a point after volleying the ball is ... was the ball moving towards, or away from, the playing surface?

Let me explain with a question and answer ...

If I hit a ball to my opponent, and it doesn't hit their half of the playing surface (table) because it's a bad shot ... but they hit the ball anyway, who gets the point?

Well, it depends ...

If your opponent hits/volleys the ball whilst it's still travelling over the playing surface, you win the point.

But if it's already passed over the playing surface and it's obviously not going hit the table, your opponent wins the point.

In other words, if there's a chance that the ball might hit the table because it's still travelling towards it, your opponent would lose the point if he prevented it from doing so by hitting/volleying it.

But ...

If the ball has already passed over the table and/or is travelling away from the table, your opponent wins the point whether he hits/volleys it or not.

Don't forget ... as well as hitting the ball with your racket, if you touch the ball with any part of your body or with anything you carry, the same rule applies.

Under the old table tennis rule, a player volleying the ball at any time lost the point - which was particularly unfair in certain situations.

For example, if your opponent played a really bad shot and the ball didn't hit the table but hit you instead (because you were unable to get out of the way in time), you would still lose the point.

Under the current rule, the intention now is that a player will only be penalised if he intercepts the ball in a way that is likely to prevent an opponent from making a good return.

A player therefore no longer causes an "obstruction" if the interception occurs when the ball has already passed beyond his end line, or has passed outwards over the sideline or is otherwise moving away from the playing surface.

A much more sensible rule!

For more information about the rules of table tennis, take a look at my other articles which explain the Official Laws of Table Tennis and the additional Regulations in more detail.