(by Steve Hopkins)

On Friday, the ITTF released a document titled COVID-19 Guidelines.  The  Detailed Guide (PDF) and the  One-page instructions (PDF) are available through the ITTF website.

The recommendations are very similar to recommendations provided by other sports and other businesses.  Personal hygiene is stressed.  Masks should be worn, cover one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing.  Do not shake hands.  If you are sick or have been exposed to travel or large groups of people then you pose a risk to others and you should stay home.  If you are in a high- risk category, then you are at a high risk from others and you should consider staying home.

Recommendations specific to table tennis include the following:

1. Provide hand sanitizer in each venue. Sanitize hands.  Players should use their own ball and their own drinking bottles.
2. Maintain social distancing – the recommendation is 2 meters (American authorities have been recommending 6 feet).
3. Provide a wet disinfectant mat at the entrance to the venue for sanitizing of shoes.
4. Do not change table ends and refrain from touching the tabletop.
5. Keep tables well-distanced from other tables.
6. Implement a multi ball system so that one individual will touch one individual ball and the other player will touch only their individual ball.
7. Do not play doubles.
8. Clean tables between uses. Wait 10 minutes before using a table that was previously in use.
9. Allow for ventilation of all rooms (offices, changing rooms, hallways, etc) at least every two hours.