Topic: Dead ball question

[scrutton]

>8. Dead Ball
>8.4 A ball that is intentionally made dead shall be awarded to the opposing team for a serve. (Example: pushing the
ball from the bottom until out of reach)

Question on this. Front defence rod can touch the ball, but barely. You know how it is. The figurine can touch the ball, but it's just too far ahead to bring the ball back into control. Player elects to attempt control of it, takes their full 15 seconds or so, trying to move it sideways using the lower part of the figure and pushes
it carefully out of reach of both sides rods. No doubt, if the player had full force smacked it, it would have possibly gone to the other team, or made it to the middle of the table. As the ball was pushed to just out of reach, the defence player gets the ball back.

Rule 8.4 covers pushing the ball out of reach from the bottom, but does not address pushing it out of reach using the top of the man.

I was the forward in this situation, and it was ruled that the defence player had lost control of the ball, and as was not pushed from the bottom, they got the ball back. Seems to me that the defence was 'working it' to push it just out of play to regain control.

Thoughts?

[bolt115]

It was ruled correctly...by coming from the top they are proving ball is beyond their control...which would not be as obvious if pushed from underneath. There is no requirement they have to hit it hard to avoid a dead ball.

[alaskan thunder]

^^ Correct answer above. Rule specifically addresses pushing ball from below not above.