What happens if I lose my temper, and what do the yellow and red cards mean?
Rule- South Africa
- SA Table Tennis Board
- ITTF Statutes 2026
- Laws of Table Tennis
- League table tennis
- Open
- 2026
- Players
Under the ITTF regulations for international competitions (Statutes 2026, regulation 3.5.2), which domestic events may adopt or vary, players and coaches must not behave in ways that unfairly affect an opponent, offend spectators or bring the sport into disrepute, such as abusive language, deliberately breaking the ball or hitting it out of the playing area, kicking the table or surrounds, or disrespecting officials.
| Offence in the same match | Umpire's action |
|---|---|
| First (less serious) offence | Yellow card: a warning |
| Second offence | 1 point to your opponent (yellow and red cards together) |
| Further offence | 2 points to your opponent (yellow and red together) |
| More misbehaviour after 3 penalty points | Play suspended and reported to the referee |
| Serious offence at any time | Play suspended and reported straight to the referee |
- Changing an undamaged racket during a match: play is suspended and reported to the referee.
- In doubles, a warning or penalty against either player applies to the pair.
- The referee can disqualify a player from a match, event or competition for seriously unfair or offensive behaviour, holding up a red card. Disqualification from two matches of an event means disqualification from that event, and you lose any associated title, medal, prize money or ranking points.
Added 22 Oct 2026