Playing Rules  

BEAR CANYON TABLE TENNIS RULES

(Available as a PDF, Click Here.)

Gene Aronson 12/2/2009

Definitions:

     TEAM:  Two players teamed together.
     QUEUE:  Player(s) waiting to play.
     QUEUE PRIORITY:  The order in which players leave the queue to play
     ODD PERSON:  The lowest priority person in a queue with an odd number of people.

General Rules

     1. Players initially form teams in the order in which they enter the room.
     2. A team cannot be split before it has played at least one game together, and a
         team can be split ONLY by losing or by playing three games together.
     3. A team must split after it has played three games together as a team, win or lose.
     4. A losing team cannot "keep" the table except as noted.
     5. A winning team will keep a table unless it has played three games.
     6. Singles cannot be played unless there are no players in the queue or all players agree.
     7. Once a queue priority is established it cannot be changed.

To avoid confusion it is best if players ascertain their queue position as soon as they enter it.

Suppose team A and B play, and A wins:
     1. B joins the queue.
     2. If A has played three games.
         a. Both teams join the queue, whether B has played three or not. B has higher
             priority than A.
         b. If three are in the queue, the team in the queue plays and the ODD splits with B.
         c. If four or more are in the queue, the top four get the table.

Queue Entering Rules

Entering Player(s)	# in Queue Odd?	# in Queue Even and Lowest Priority Need Not Split	# in Queue Even and Lowest Priority Must Split
Single Player	Forms team with Odd Player	Becomes Odd Player	Splits with Waiting Pair
Team Need Not Split	Splits with Odd Player	Stays A Team	Splits with pair & New Pairs Flip for Priority
Team Must Split	Splits with Odd Player	Waits For Next Player(s) to Enter Queue	Splits with pair & New Pairs Flip for Priority

Apparently the previous is too concise for some players. We add these notes.

If the queue has two members they are either already a team or a team that must split. In the latter case they split with the team, or person, entering the queue. If three are waiting they must be a team and an odd man. The team must have priority. If four are waiting they must be two teams, etc.

Suppose A plays B and A wins. Assume A must split. If B must also must split they both enter the queue with B having the higher priority. The following applies if B need not split:

# in Queue	Then...
0	A and B split and the new teams play each other.
1	A splits with the odd person. The new team plays B.
2	A sits down. If the waiting pair must split, A splits with them and the new team plays B. If the waiting need not split, they play B.
3	A sits. The waiting team takes the table. B flips for the odd man. A flips for the loser of the B flip.
4	Both A and B sit. The waiting teams take the table.

A winning team who keeps a table must change table's sides. The team new to a table chooses who shall serve and receive.

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