Introduced in India for the first time at Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7, the Table Tennis Review (TTR) system has received largely positive feedback from players, officials and umpires.

Vipin Mehra, the TTR referee overseeing challenges from the control room, said here on Thursday that the system has worked seamlessly, with every review producing a conclusive verdict.

“Right now, we are not facing any technical glitches. There has not been a single challenge where the decision was inconclusive. That means we are getting perfect results,” said Mehra, an ITTF Blue Badge umpire.

The TTR software, developed by Stupa Sports, uses 14 cameras positioned around the table to rule on six types of challenges: serve height, serve angle, service position relative to the ball surface, ball position relative to the playing surface, ball hiding and edge-ball contact.

Mehra said serve angle has emerged as the most frequently challenged aspect during UTT Season 7.

“Initially, during the first two days, most challenges were for ball hiding. Right now, almost 70 per cent of the challenges are for service angle,” the 56-year-old revealed.

Mehra said a similar trend was observed during the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macau, where TTR made its debut at a major international event. Mehra was also part of the TTR team there.

“Yes, in Macau, I gave 67 decisions in seven days. Out of those, 55 were for service angle,” he said.

While the technology has eased decision-making, Mehra believes it has also increased the chair umpire’s responsibilities.

“For umpires, it is the biggest challenge. You already have to keep the score, control the match and make decisions on court. Suddenly, a challenge comes in. Moreover, you have to give the correct hand signals for each type of challenge. It is not easy,” he said.

The TTR system used in UTT is more limited than the one deployed at World Table Tennis (WTT) events, which also allows reviews for four additional aspects.

During Thursday’s tie between U Mumba TT and PBG Pune Jaguars, play in the mixed doubles match was briefly halted after a dispute over whether the serve had landed on the centre line. Mehra said such situations could eventually be addressed as the technology continues to evolve.

“I am sure that in the coming days we will get more support from technology. In doubles, whether the serve lands on the centre line is very important. That can definitely be added, but we will need additional cameras for that,” he said.

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Published on Jul 17, 2026