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11. H. Items on the Court. If any item a player is/was wearing
11. I. or carrying lands on his/her side of the court, unless
the item lands in the non-volley zone as a result of a
11. J. volley, the ball remains in play even if it hits the item.

Plane of the Net. After striking the ball, a player or
anything the player is/was wearing or carrying may
cross the plane of the net or the imaginary extension
line of the net beyond the posts but may not touch any
part of the net system or the opponent’s court.

11.I.1. Exception. If the ball bounces into a
player’s non-volley zone with enough
backspin as to cause it to return over the
net, the player may reach over or around
the net to hit the ball but may not touch
the net system or the opponent’s court. If
the player does not touch the ball, the
team that last struck the ball wins the rally.

Distractions. Players may not distract an opponent
when the opponent is about to play the ball. (Examples:
making loud noises, stomping feet, intentionally
waving the paddle around in a distracting manner,
physically interfering with your opponent’s ability to
hit the ball.)

11.J.1. A player may ask the referee to determine
if a distraction occurred at the time the
opponent was about to strike the ball. If, in
the judgment of the referee, a distraction
did occur, a fault will be declared against
the offending player or team and will result
in a loss of the rally. In non-officiated
sanctioned play, if players do not agree

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USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook