HardBat Classic Rules

  1. General Equipment and Game Rules.
    1. The Table
      1. The table must be on the Official HardBat Classic Equipment list.
      2. The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, shall be rectangular, nine feet long and five feet wide, and shall lie in a horizontal plane 29.9 inches above the floor.
      3. The playing surface shall not include the vertical sides of the tabletop.
      4. The playing surface may be of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of about 9.1 inches when a standard ball is dropped on to it from a height of 11.8 inches.
    2. The Net Assembly
      1. The net assembly must be on the Official HardBat Classic Equipment list
      2. The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting posts, including the clamps attaching them to the table.
      3. The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post six inches high, the outside limits of the post being six inches outside the sideline.
      4. The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be six inches above the playing surface.
      5. The bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be as close as possible to the playing surface and the ends of the net shall be as close as possible to the supporting posts.
    3. The Ball
      1. The ball shall be an official HardBat Classic ball and have the Hardbat Classic trademark on it.
      2. The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 40mm.
      3. The ball shall weigh between 2.6 g and 2.8g.
      4. The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar plastics material and shall be white or orange, and matt.
    4. The Racket
      1. The racket shall be an official HardBat Classic (HBC) racket with the Hardbat Classic trademark on it.
      2. The HBC racket is comprised solely of rigid wood.
      3. The covering on the HBC racket is short-pips with no sponge.
    5. Definitions
      1. A rally is the period during which the ball is in play.
      2. The ball is in play from the last moment at which it is in the free hand before being intentionally projected in service until the rally is decided as a let or a point.
      3. A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.
      4. A point is a rally of which the result is scored.
      5. The racket hand is the hand carrying the racket.
      6. The free hand is the hand not carrying the racket; the free arm is the arm of the free hand.
      7. A player strikes the ball if he touches it in play with his racket, held in the hand, or with his racket hand below the wrist.
      8. A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in play when it is above or traveling towards the playing surface, not having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.
      9. The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally.
      10. The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.
      11. The umpire is the person appointed to control a match.
      12. The assistant umpire is the person appointed to assist the umpire with certain decisions.
      13. Anything that a player wears or carries includes anything that the was wearing or carrying, other than the ball, at the start of the rally.
      14. The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net assembly if it passes anywhere other than between the net and the net post or between the net and the playing surface.
      15. The end line shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions.
    6. The Service
      1. Service shall start with the ball in the server's free hand.
      2. The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, with the ball leaving the free hand and being struck by the racket either on the way up or the way down. There is no height requirement on the toss.
      3. The ball shall be struck so that it touches first his court and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver's court.
      4. From the start of service until it is struck, the ball must remain behind the server's end line.
    7. The Return
      1. The ball, having been served or returned, shall be struck so that it passes over or around the net assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.
    8. The Order of Play
      1. The server shall first make a service, the receiver shall then make a return and thereafter server and receiver alternately shall each make a return.
    9. A Let
      1. The rally shall be a let:
        1. if in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it, provided the service is otherwise good;
        2. if the service is delivered when the receiving player is not ready, provided that the receiver does not attempt to strike the ball;
        3. if failure to make a service or a return or otherwise to comply with the rules is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player;
        4. if play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.
      2. Play may be interrupted
        1. to correct an error in the order of serving, receiving or ends;
        2. to introduce the expedite system;
        3. to warn or penalize a player or adviser;
        4. because the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which could affect the outcome of the rally.
    10. A Point
      1. Unless the rally is a let, a player shall score a point:
        1. if his opponent fails to make a correct service;
        2. if his opponent fails to make a correct return;
        3. if, after he has made a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net assembly before being struck by his opponent;
        4. if the ball passes over his court or beyond his end line without touching his court, after being struck by his opponent;
        5. if his opponent obstructs the ball;
        6. if his opponent strikes the ball twice successively;
        7. if his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, moves the playing surface;
        8. if his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly.
    11. A Game
      1. A game shall be won by the player first scoring 21 points.
      2. If the game is to 21 points and both players score 20 points, then the game shall be won by the first player gaining a lead of 2 points.
    12. A Match
      1. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games, including just one game with proper notification to the players before the competition begins.
    13. The Order of Serving, receiving, and ends
      1. The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be decided by lot (coin flip) and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end.
      2. When one player has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the other player shall have the other choice.
      3. In games to 21 points, after each 5 points have been scored the receiving player shall become the serving player and so on until the end of the game, unless both players score 20 points when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.
      4. The player serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match.
      5. The player starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a match the players shall change ends when first one player scores 10 points in a game to 21.
    14. Out of Order of Serving, Receiving or Ends
      1. If a player serves or receives out of turn, play shall be interrupted by the umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with those players serving and receiving who should be server and receiver respectively at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match.
      2. If the players have not changed ends when they should have done so, play shall be interrupted by the umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with the players at the ends at which they should be at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match.
      3. In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error shall be reckoned.

Addendum A

Ratings Handicap Chart for 21 Point Game

(USATT ratings from May 1, 2009 will be used)

Example: Player A has a rating of 2150 and Player B has a rating of 1820. The rating differential is 330 points so Player A spots Player B 9 points to a game of 21 points. In other words, Player B begins each game at 9 to 0. Service change is at multiples of five points. In this example the first server serves one point, and then service alternates every five points.

Rating Differential

Handicap

0 – 12

Handicap 0

13 – 31

Handicap 1

32 – 56

Handicap 2

57 – 87

Handicap 3

88 – 124

Handicap 4

125 – 161

Handicap 5

168 – 198

Handicap 6

199 – 249

Handicap 7

250 – 300

Handicap 8

301 – 351

Handicap 9

352 – 412

Handicap 10

413 – 524

Handicap 11

525 – 624

Handicap 12

625 – 724

Handicap 13

725 – 824

Handicap 14

825 – 924

Handicap 15

925 – 999

Handicap 16

1000 up

Handicap 17

Addendum B

Handicap System for Final Four competition for Brackets Three (Bar) and Four (Basement)

For competition within Brackets Three and Four: The handicap is based on points won to points lost. For each 10 points more you won than lost you spot your opponent one point to a game of 21 points. For example, you have won 300 points and lost 250 points for a differential of 50 points or five points in a game to 21. Your opponent has won 290 points and lost 260 points for a differential of 30 points or three points in a game to 21.

The player with the higher differential spots the opponent with the lower differential two points (five points less three points) in each game to 21 points. Each game begins with a 2 – 0 score in favor of the player with the lower points differential. Service change is at multiples of five points. In this example the first server serves three points, and then service alternates every five points. The maximum handicap spot is 15 points per game to 21 points.

For finals competition between the four brackets, Brackets Three and Four will use estimated USATT ratings of at least 1200 and 1000 respectively for determining point handicaps using Addendum A.