July 22, 2024 - Eleven Points on Match Etiquette

  1. Know the rules, or at least the more important ones.
  2. Examine opponent’s racket at start of match. Don’t rub your fingers over the playing surface, which can get grease on it and anger your opponent. If he has pips, then perhaps rub your finger on one along the edge. If it’s antispin, some players rub a ball along the edge to test it.
  3. Two-minute warmup. Usually players hit a minute of forehand to forehand and a minute of backhand to backhand. Players with combination rackets sometimes use their “normal” inverted side during this warmup, but that’s up to the player.
  4. Hide the ball or flip a coin to see who has choice of serving first, receiving first, or choosing a side. If you choose to serve or receive, the opponent can choose the side to start on. If you choose the side to start on, the opponent can choose to serve or receive.
  5. Remember that you only have one minute between games or in one time-out per match. Use it well, either talking to your coach, clearing your mind, or resting. You can also towel off every six points.  "You can also towel off every six points." 
  6. A coach can talk to you during the match, but you can't stop what you are doing to listen or walk over to him except between games or in a timeout. It’s an advantage if you and your coach speak a language that your opponents do not since then he can yell tips that the opponent cannot understand. Signals sometimes help.
  7. Know how to hit balls that come into your court back to their tables. Don’t just smack it at them. If they are a distance, hit with backspin so the ball floats right into their hands. New players should practice this.
  8. Normally do not talk to an opponent except on match business. A common psychological ploy is for an opponent to praise your shots, thereby getting you to think about the shot and taking you out of the “zone” where your training takes over. Once a match has started, if an opponent talks to you in any way that’s not normal match business (such as, “Whose serve is it?” or “What’s the score?”), you should normally ignore him. (Perhaps smile and nod while focusing on the next point.)
  9. You can only have one coach in a match, except in team competition. In team competition, anyone from your “bench” can coach during any match.
  10. If there's a dispute, call for an umpire or referee. Umpires umpire matches. Referees rule on the rules but generally do not umpire unless they assign someone else as referee.
  11. Win or lose, after the match shake hands, or bump fists or rackets, and fill out the scores (usually by the winner), and return the match slip to the desk.