For immediate release May 8, 2000
For more information please contact Vicki Ulrich at (719)578-4583 ext. #3286
Board of Directors Passes Use of 40mm Ball
On the coattails of a recent International Table Tennis Federation vote, the USA Table Tennis Board of Directors passed a motion to use the 40mm ball in national competition.
At the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in February, delegates from ITTF-affiliated countries voted to increase the size of the table tennis ball of play from the traditional size of 38mm to a new mold at 40mm. The ITTF bill will begin activation October 1, 2000 and is mandatory for use in all ITTF events from that date forward.
The Board of Directors of USA Table Tennis met this past weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to discuss pending issues for future months. The main question at hand detailed when the larger ball would be introduced into national competition. Since the USA was one of only a handful of countries to vote against the bigger ball in Malaysia, many were unsure how receptive the Board would be toward adopting the new ball.
Due to the USA Table Tennis bylaws that state that all ITTF rules and regulations will be automatically adopted by USA Table Tennis unless where USA Table Tennis takes exception, the Board of Directors upheld that bylaw and stood behind the ITTF on the 40mm ball rule. In a 10-1 vote, the Board decided to pass the 40 mm ball for use effective October 2, 2000 (October 1, 2000 is a Sunday) in all USA Table Tennis-run tournaments, starting with the US Nationals to be held in Las Vegas in December 2000.
"The direction the Board of Directors took was the best course of action," states Ben Nisbet, Executive Director of USA Table Tennis. "With one-third of the USA Table Tennis budget coming from the USOC, it is imperative that we support our top athletes and provide them every opportunity within the United States to compete under international guidelines."
As far as local and regional tournaments are concerned, both the 38mm and 40mm ball may be used for tournaments for at least three years. After these three years are up, the ITTF may not allow member associations the discretion to use the 38mm ball in domestic tournaments any further. On all tournament entry forms, the size of the ball that will be used for play must be specified up front by the tournament director.
Nisbet adds, "The Board was fair in offering flexibility for clubs, suppliers, and tournament directors by initiating a smooth transition between the small and the big ball over an extended period of time."
When tournament results are processed, they will be computed as if the ball used in any tournament is the same size. Two separate ratings lists designating play with the different diameter balls will not be processed.