Why is rubber on each side of the paddle a different color?
Since 1988, it has been an ITTF and USATT rule that rubber must be red on one side and black on the other. This came about because of the rise in the use of “junk rubber” (the name some frustrated players call long pips and anti-topspin rubber). Players who use vastly different sheets of rubber on each side of their paddle had perfected the art of disguising which rubber sheet they used to strike the ball, and consequently what spin was on the ball. The rule change has made it easier for spectators and opposing players to understand the spin that is happening during table tennis play. I started playing in tournaments again after a break of several years. It used to be that players had to wear black or dark colored shirts with very small logos, if any. Now I see all kinds of shirts, including ones with white or yellow, or with designs on the front. What shirts are legal for tournament play? A shirt can now be any color as long as it is clearly different from that of the ball in use. Des
