What does the umpire decide, and what does the assistant umpire decide?

An umpire and an assistant umpire are appointed for each match. The umpire sits or stands in line with the net; the assistant umpire sits directly opposite, on the other side of the table (ITTF Statutes 2026, regulation 3.3.2).

The umpire is responsible for:

• checking equipment and playing conditions and reporting any deficiency to the referee;
• taking a ball at random where needed;
• conducting the draw for serving, receiving and ends;
• deciding whether service requirements can be relaxed for a player with a physical disability;
• controlling the order of serving, receiving and ends, and correcting errors;
• deciding each rally as a point or a let, and calling the score;
• introducing the expedite system at the right time;
• maintaining continuity of play;
• acting on breaches of the advice and behaviour regulations;
• drawing lots for which side changes shirts if both have similar shirts and can't agree;
• ensuring only authorised people are at the playing area.

The assistant umpire:

• decides whether the ball touched the edge of the playing surface on the side of the table nearest them;
• tells the umpire about breaches of the advice or behaviour regulations.

Either of you may decide that a service action is illegal; that the ball touched the net assembly on an otherwise correct service; that a player obstructed the ball; or that conditions of play are disturbed in a way that may affect the rally; and either may time practice, play and intervals. The umpire can't overrule the assistant umpire on these decisions.

Where Table Tennis Review is in operation, a TTR official may overrule a decision of fact that resulted in a point.