Definitions

5. DEFINITIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.1 A rally is the period during which the ball is in play. 5.2 A let is a rally of which the result is not scored. 5.3 A point is a rally of which the result is scored. 5.4 The racquet hand is the hand carrying the racquet. 5.5 The free hand is the hand not carrying the racquet. 5.6 A player strikes the ball if he touches it with his racquet, held in the racquet hand, or with his racquet hand below the wrist. 5.7 A player obstructs the ball if he, his racquet, or anything he wears or carries touches it in play when it has not passed over his court or an imaginary extension of his end line, and where it has not touched his court since last being struck by his opponent. 5.8 The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally. 5.9 The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally. 5.10 The umpire is the person appointed to decide the results of each rally. 5.11 The assistant umpire is the person appointed to assist the umpire. 5.12 The stroke counter is the person appointed to count strokes under the expedite system. 5.13 Anything that a player wears or carries includes anything that he was wearing or carrying at the start of the rally. 5.14 The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net if it passes under or outside the projection of the net assembly outside the table or if, in a return, it is struck after it has bounced back over the net. 5.15 The part of the playing surface nearest the server and to his right shall be called the server's right hand court and to his left the server's left hand court. The part of the playing surface on the other side of the net from the server and to his left of the center line shall be called the receiver's right hand court and on the server's right the receiver's left hand court.