Whether it is deciding the point, checking if the rackets used in the competition comply with regulations, or which table a certain match needs to be played at, many things need to be controlled for a table tennis tournament to occur.
The people responsible for these and the application of table tennis laws and regulations are a group of officials, including the referee and the umpire.
Referees are responsible for running the tournament as a whole whilst umpires work under them, governing individual matches. Referees also govern over the umpires and have the final say on decisions made by the umpires. Them working together in synergy is what allows tournaments to run smoothly.
With so many things to control and so many decisions to be made, it can get confusing which official is responsible for what. We will now take a look at the list of all the officials, what their duties are, and the differences between each official’s role.
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The Referee: The Head of the Organization, “The Boss”
The referee is at the top of the officials’ chain, meaning they have the highest authority. Their main duty is running the tournament as a whole, making sure it proceeds according to plan, and in compliance with the rules. Depending on the size of the tournament there might be more than one referee present.
Responsibilities of the Referee
- Checking the validity of players’ or teams’ entries. Registering them and their equipment for the tournament.
- Assigning the match officials (umpires) to their tables, and scheduling their duty periods. The referee should oversee the umpires at all times, and provide support for them when necessary.
- Having the final say on decisions. A decision made by the referee can not be overruled by anyone. If a decision made by the referee is not covered by the rule books, it can be subject to appeal to the appropriate committee, though the decision will not be overruled.
- Deciding if the players are dressed by the rules and if the playing conditions are acceptable.
- Keeping track of the penalties given to players by the umpire and disqualifying if the penalty points exceed three or disqualifying if the misbehavior is too serious to be dealt with by penalties.
- Warning a player or team if they are absent at the time of play and disqualifying them if the absence causes extreme delays to the tournament schedule.
Umpires: The Ones Who Rule the Matches
Umpires are the officials that you would see inside the play area, usually sitting 2-3 meters away from the table. Their main duties are judging and awarding points to the rallies and making sure everything is done under the rules and regulations of table tennis.
For every match, there must be at least one umpire. Depending on the size of the tournament there might be more umpires who have specialized duties to make the main umpires job easier. Let’s take a closer look at the types of umpires and their responsibilities.
The Main Umpire
The umpire, if alone is responsible for all the duties on his/her own. A player will be under the judgment of the umpire from the moment they enter the playing field until they leave it, which includes pre-match ceremonies and breaks in between sets.
The umpire also carries a bag or clipboard with them to carry necessary equipment such as yellow, red, and white cards, a pen, a net gauge(weighted and plastic), a toss (a coin like object for determining who serves first), a stopwatch, and a pen.
Responsibilities of the Umpire
- Deciding the result of each rally and awarding points accordingly.
- Checking the legality of rackets including the condition and shape of the rubbers, adhesives used to attach rubbers, damage on the blade, and ITTF certification.
- Making sure the playing conditions are optimal such as checking the lighting conditions and inspecting the net.
- Observing players’ clothing and ensuring they fit in the rules, such as their color, design, and advertisement use.
- Enforcing table tennis rules during playtime. These rules can be categorized as the legality of serves, deciding on a let, maintaining continuity of play, applying the expedite system, controlling the advice given to players, giving warnings for certain behaviors, and conducting the match.
Assistant Umpire
An assistant umpire can take over the umpire, or share some of the duties if needed. An example would be an assistant umpire who is only responsible for deciding the outcome of edge or side balls. They are often seated opposite to the umpire, at a similar distance to the table.
Responsibilities of the Assistant Umpire
- Taking over the umpire, or sharing some of the duties when needed such as timekeeping and stroke counting.
- Having a certain number of balls if a “multi-ball” system is in use. The assistant umpire should deliver the ball to the players when needed such as at the start of a game, or between rallies so the players don’t have to pick up the ball from the floor.
Timekeeper
An assistant may be assigned to track the time of play and breaks. Umpires mostly prefer to keep the time themselves as they prefer to decide how much time they should allow for interruptions during play.
Responsibilities of the Timekeeper
- Keeping track of time during the match such as time of play, intervals between points, breaks, towel breaks, etc.
- Updating the main umpire if the time limit of play has been reached.
Stroke Counter
The least common role for an official is being the stroke counter as they are only needed when the expedite system is in operation. To learn more about the expedite rule along with other rules of table tennis, check our article about table tennis rules.
Responsibilities of the Stroke Counter
- Counting the number of hits the receiver makes during expedite rule applications.
- Standing next to the main umpire and counting the strokes out loud so the umpire can clearly hear them.
Main Differences Between Referee and Umpire
- The main difference between the two is that the referee is responsible for enforcing rules for the whole tournament, while the umpire is responsible for the rules during the matches.
- Referees can overrule umpire decisions unless the decision was made on a fact.
- The referee can disqualify a player, an umpire can only give penalty points (yellow cards)
- Only the referee can suspend play, a common cause for such suspensions is injuries.
Learn more about fouls and what can disqualify players in our article: What Isn’t Allowed in Table Tennis: Official ITTF No-Nos
How Things Work on a Real Tournament Day, a Players Perspective
As a player, your documents and equipment should be ready as you join a tournament. Only after checking these items, the referee will decide if you are eligible to participate. After signups are closed the draw and scheduling of matches would be made by an assigned official.
When it is time for you to play, the referee will assign you and your opposition to a table, along with umpires. As you enter the match area the umpires will do the pre-match checks on competitors, their equipment, and the table.
If everything is fine, the timer will start as the warm-up session starts. Umpires will do the toss to decide who serves first and the game will start.
The umpires will make sure everything is fair and under the rules during play. If a player strongly disagrees with the decision of an umpire, a referee might oversee the situation.
At the end of the match, the umpire will document the results, and hand them to the referee. This process repeats itself until we have a final winner or the scheduled time for the tournament day is over.
FAQ
Can a match be played without an umpire?
If the tournament or match is not official and both sides agree to keep track of the score, it can be possible. However, for official events, at least one umpire needs to be present.
Can I become an umpire?
The short answer is yes. Getting the license to become an umpire requires training which mainly focuses on the rules and regulations of table tennis so get ready to learn all the ins and outs of the sport.
What does a yellow/red card mean?
A yellow card is the first warning a player will receive for misbehaving, meaning further misbehavior will result in them getting penalty points. A red card will be shown to the player by the referee to signal disqualification.
How much do they get paid?
They are usually part-time volunteers. If they are paid their salary is minimal, though for international tournaments they are compensated for the travel and accommodation expenses.
Obey the Rules and Respect the Officials
Whether you are a curious beginner or a seasoned player looking to join your first tournament, understanding the differences between table tennis officials can be difficult.
Now you know all about referees, umpires, and the rest of the officials working on tournaments to provide fair play to us players, and next time you see a table tennis official you will know about the duties they have and which rules they are responsible for.
Now get out there, get spinny, and smash your opponents, but make sure to respect the officials and obey the rules.
Sources : https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/HTR-2021-final.pdf , https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/HMO-17th-edition-July-2023.pdf , https://www.ittf.com/committees/umpires-referees/documents/
