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This section will describe the packets that are received upon the start of the match. At the start of every table tennis match, the same packets should be received in the same order.
The following packets are expected at the beginning of every match.
Players Confirmed
In Progress
Event Element Type: Match Status Update
The first packet that is received is the 'Players Confirmed' packet. This indicates that players are at the table and are preparing for the match.
Event Element Type: Match Status Update
The next packet, 'In Progress', will indicate that the match has started.
In an event of making a mistake when entering information into the match scoresheet, the problem should be fixed and correct scores should be published.
There are two ways of fixing mistakes around wrong scores, whether the latest point scored (Undo) should be fixed, or a previously assigned score (Correction) should be amended. These two messages are different, but structurally similar packets.
Undo
Correction (Score Edit)
The last can be undone due to a point decrement or a penalty point decrement action. Semantically, an Undo packet means the official chose to revert the most recently emitted packet(s). Under the scores field a snapshot should be found of what is understood to be the latest scores of the match after taking into account the effect of the undo. Also included is a field named undoneEventSeqNums which details which packets were removed. In case of an Undo packet, it's always seqNum - 1.
A Correction packet means the official modified packets that occurred at some point in the past. Like Undo packets, under the scores field a snapshot of what is understood to be the current state of the match after taking into account the effect of the correction(s).
Basic packets about swapping sides and serves during a game.
This section will cover the basic packets that will be a part of every game. A match is played the best 3 of 5 games. For each game, the first player to reach 11 points wins that game, however a game must be won by at least a two point margin. A point is scored after each ball is put into play.
Change of Service (Swap Serve)
Change of Side (Swap Side)
The player to serve first is chosen at random, with the winner of the random draw able to choose to serve first or receive first.
The player who is serving changes after a certain number of points are scored. In an 11 point game, the service changes every 2 points.
Example of how it works.
Player A serves first to Player B. They each get one point, and the score is 1-1. The total score is now 2, so it is Player B's turn to serve and therefore a SwapServe packet will be emitted.
Player B gets the next 2 points, and the score is 1-3. The total score is now 4, and the serve switches back to Player A.
Player A continues serving until the total score is 6.
In an 11 point game, the game must be won by a 2-point lead. If both players score 10 points, the service switches after every point until the game is over.
The rules in doubles game are following the same logic desribed above. At each change of service, the last receiver shall become the server and the partner of the previous server shall become the receiver. For example, a correct pattern would be:
Player A has played his two serves to player X
Player X then plays his two serves to player B.
Player B will then play his two serves to Player Y
player Y will play his two serves to Player A.
Player A will then restart the sequence all over again and the sequence will repeat itself until a changeover or the end of the game.
A changeover occurs when one team has scored 5 points. This will also change up the order of receiving.
For instance, players A & B score 5 points first, whilst A is serving to X. After changing ends, player A will serve to player Y for the remainder of the game.
Basic packets about point scoring during a game.
This section will cover the basic packets that will be a part of every game wh. A match is played the best 3 of 5 games. For each game, the first player to reach 11 points wins that game, however a game must be won by at least a two point margin. A point is scored after each ball is put into play.
Point Started
Point Scored
This packet indicates that a point has now started and the ball has been served.
The aim in table tennis is to strike the ball in a manner that the opponent fails to make contact with the ball, which earns the player a point. If the ball hits the net and it fails to bounce over into the opponent’s half, or hits it over the net and out of bounds without coming into contact with the table, the opponent gets a point.
In doubles, the scoring rule is a bit different. Here, the server and the partner have to alternate while attempting to push the ball on to the opponent’s side of the table. Here the service alternates as well.
The opponent can also be awarded a point if you hit the ball outside the playing surface or if the ball comes in contact with any part of your body while attempting a shot.
Once the point has completed (scored), a PointScored packet will be emitted, and the field called scoredBy , is indicating which player won the point.
This packet includes an array providing the scores for each period within the game, ordered such that the score for period one is listed first, followed by the score for period two, and so on.
Also after a game has been won, the field calle gameWon shows which team won the game.
For further information about the type of penalties, please see Sanctions.
If a sanction involves any point decrement due to a penalty, then the action has two parts. The first part is always a Sanction packet that describes the reason of a sanction (yellow and red card for the 1st time, or for the 2nd time, etc), followed by a PenaltyPoint packet that contains the actual scores of the match, indicating a 1 point or 2 points decrements.
Player - Yellow Card 🟨
Coach - Yellow Card 🟨 (Currently not supported)
Player - Yellow and Red Card (1st) 🟨 🟥
Player - Yellow and Red Card (2nd) 🟨 🟥
Showing a yellow card by the umpire is a warning to the player. If the player repeats the action or do something else wrong they can get a red card and then lose a point (See Penalty Points). A Sanction packet, along with the sanction type will be emitted. (no penalty points).
Showing a yellow card by the umpire is a warning to the coach. A Sanction packet, along with the sanction type will be emitted. (no penalty points).
Showing a yellow and red card together for the 1st time means the player repeated any wrongdoing or did something else wrong and now losing a point (See Penalty Points). After the Sanction packet, a PenaltyPoint packet is emitted showing the current state of scores - 1 point decrement is expected.
Showing a yellow and red card together for the 2nd time means the player repeated any wrongdoing or did something else wrong and now losing a point (See Penalty Points). After the Sanction packet, a PenaltyPoint packet is emitted showing the current state of scores - 2 points decrement is expected.
Showing a yellow and red card together means the player repeated any wrongdoing or did something else wrong, and one or two points are awarded to the opponent for the offence(s). Before a PenaltyPoint packet, a Sanction is expected to be received (See Player Yellow and Red 1 Card or Player Yellow and Red 2 Card), and the current state of scores is being sent as part of the PenaltyPoint packet.
This regulation in table tennis, also known as the Expedite System, begins after 10 minutes of gameplay and fewer than 18 total points have been recorded.
The referee has the power to disqualify a player from a match, an event or a whole competition by holding up a red card. The umpire can also issue a red card to coaches.
Both players and coaches may be sanctioned during a match. A Sanction packet will be emitted in such scenarios, describing the player that was sanctioned, and which sanction(s) have been applied.
Players and coaches can be sanctioned by umpires and referees using yellow and red cards.
Note: sanctions are currently not supported about coaches.
Sanction Type
Card(s)
Description
Player
🟨
Warning
Player
🟨 🟥 (1st)
1 penalty point
Player
🟨 🟥 (2nd)
2 penalty points
Player
🟥
Coach
🟨
Warning
Coach
🟥
Match results will be calculated as soon as the umpire enters the final point into their tablet or in case of a serious injury, disqualification, sudden death or other reason that is causing the end of a game.
The game is confirmed as FINAL when the 'Match Finished' packet is sent.
Until the final message that confirms the end of the game allows a mistakenly entered scored to be undone.
There are various reasons - other than normal - for finishing a match.
Normal Game End
Injury
Disqualification
Walkover
Retiring
Unknown Reason
The Match Finished packet is the final packet that is sent through for a match at the end.
If a player is injured during a match, then an Match Finished packet will be emitted, indicating the reason as Injury. At present, this packet only describes which team the injured players is a member of, or in other words which team is the winner. In the future, we expect to describe the actual injured player to this packet, and we'll also track the injury status of players throughout the course of a match.
The referee has the power to disqualify player(s) from a match for a seriously unfair or offensive behaviour by holding up a red card.
See section of Disqualification under Sanctions for further info.
When a player doesn't turn up to the game before it begins due to sickness or injury, their opponents are granted a walkover and given a victory. Walkovers often occur due to a player not being able to play the next game because of an accident that happened during warm-up. In this case a Match Finished packet will be emitted, indicating the reason as Walkover
When a player advances after their opponent retires during a match a Match Finished packet will be emitted, indicating the reason as Retired . Injuries are the primary reason this would happen.
If a match is finished due to an unknown reason a Match Finished packet will be emitted, indicating the reason as Unknown Finished Reason .