Episode 10 - 2023 Rule Changes

1. No more spin serve!

   1. The original intent of the serve is to get the point started, not to start off with a huge advantage.

   2. Most players cannot master a truly effective spin serve, or return a good one

   3. Effective spin serves may require more court space to allow a receiver to react.

   4. Particularly devastating to amateur players

How does this affect us in rec play and tournament play? You can put spin on the ball with the paddle but not your hand. In matches without a referee, the release of the ball must be visible to the receiver or the opponent can call for a reserve. Obv in matches with a ref, the ref can call it.

2. Don’t wear clothes that match the color of the ball

   1. Old rule: a player may be required to change garments that are inappropriate to New rule: a player may be required to change apparel that are inappropriate, including that which approximates the color of the ball

3. Equipment time outs:

   1. You no longer need to use a standard time out. In non reffed matches, the players need to work out reasonable accommodation for things like broken shoes, paddles

4. Wrong score called: in 2022 if the wrong score was called, you must wait until the end of the rally to draw attention to it. Stopping play because of a wrong score called would have resulted in a fault (I’ll be honest I forgot how to call the wrong score). In 2023 you may now stop play until the return of serve to correct the score.

NOTE: it’s still risky to stop play when you think the score was called incorrectly. If you stop play, and it turns out it was the correct score, it’s a fault on you and your opponent will win the rally (and therefore the point) Bring up Kevin stopping my serve? Technically what should happen? In reality, it’s a friendly match, and we didn’t care. But for the sake of a tournament where opponents aren’t friends, what would have happened?

5. Who’s fault when player hit by ball? The player who got hit, apparently this rule change just cleaned up the wording, I thought we all knew this.

6. You can now ask “Am I good?” instead of correct server and side. Which is good b/c I never know where I need to be esp when I’m stacking. I’ve been caught on the wrong side before.

In fact, let’s talk about this a sec. In a tournament without a ref, how and when does one call an opponent on this, or yourself. Let the opponent serve and then call it? Play out the rally? Catch their serve? In another example, I caught that my partner and I were the wrong receivers. We were just honest and corrected it and lost the point, but is there a way to do that so we don’t get caught? haha.

7. Ambiguous wording: hitting a ball that “first lands out of bounds” Rule was: Fault if a player hitting a ball that first lands out of bounds or onto their own side of the court. Wording is now “A player hitting a ball that subsequently lands out of bounds or onto their own side of the court”

8. Rule 6.D.8 used to specify that all out calls must be made “promptly” then went on to describe “promptly”. This is still the same, it just removes the additional phrasing that was redundant.

Other rules/wording changes:

1. “Side” changed to “end”

2. Adds 3 out of 4 format clarification for withdrawals

3. Calling faults on yourself. You should do it

4. Clarification that if you’re forced to make an apparel change, it won’t cost you a time out.

5. Rule clarification on round robin tie breaks (no actual change)

6. Clarification that you cannot spin the ball during release on a dop serve

7. Additional language to rule 11.E allowing for a ball change when it’s squishy and not just broken or cracked

8. Other editorial changes that would bore you