The Sport of Table Tennis

Official Rules
All games are played to 11 points, but the win-ner above the level of the table and behind the end
must win by 2 points. The winner is the first line and must not be hidden from the receiver by
person to reach 11 points or to go up by 2 points any part of the server’s body (figure 6). The
if both players are at or over 10 points. A match is server throws the ball up near vertical at least 6
any odd number of games. Matches usually are inches (15 cm) from the hand and strikes while it
best of five or best of seven games. is descending. The serve first must touch the
In competition play, the choice of who serves server’s side of the table and then pass over or
first is decided by a coin toss. Often in club play around the net and touch the receiver’s side of the
one player holds a ball in one hand and hides both table. During the serve, if the ball touches the net
hands under the table. The opponent tries to guess or the net assembly but is otherwise a good serve,
which hand the ball is in. The winner then a let is called and the serve is replayed.
chooses either to serve first or receive first or to In doubles the partners alternate returning the
start at a particular end. Whoever receives first in ball during play. At the beginning of the first
one game serves first in the next game. game, the team that has the right to serve decides
The serve alternates with each player serving who will serve first. The receiving pair chooses
twice until the game is over or until the score who will receive serve. After each 2
reaches 10–10. When the score is 10–10, serve
alternates with each player serving once until one
player has a 2-point lead.
You are awarded a point when any of the fol-
lowing occurs:
• Your opponent, who is serving, fails to
make a good service.
• Your opponent, who is receiving the serve,
fails to make a good return.
• Your opponent’s return fails to touch your
side of the table before it passes beyond the
end line.
• The ball bounces twice on the table before
your opponent returns it.
• Your opponent strikes the ball twice before
returning it.
• Your opponent moves the table.
• Your opponent’s free hand touches the
playing surface.
A good serve starts with the ball resting freely
Figure 6  The server is ready to serve. The ball is
in the open palm of the server’s free hand. From above the level of the table, behind the endline, and
the beginning of the serve, the ball must be not ob-structed by the server’s body.
 The Sport of Table Tennis
points, the receiving player becomes the new
server and the partner of the previous server
becomes the new receiver. In doubles all serves
first must bounce inside the server’s right-hand
box, which is formed by the middle line and the
right side line on the table, and then travel
Unwritten Rules
Like all sports, table tennis has unwritten rules
you should know. This code of conduct includes
both common etiquette and good sportsman-ship
concepts that are the accepted practices of the
sport.
• The server should announce the score
before each point, giving the server’s score
first.
• In matches without an umpire, each player
is responsible for calling his side of the
table, determining whether a ball hit or
missed the table.
• Spectators should not be involved in the
match and should not be solicited for their
opinion about whether a ball was good or
not.
Warming Up, Cooling Down, and
Stretching
When engaging in any exercise or sport, you must
warm up properly to prepare your body for
exercise and avoid injuries. It is just as im-portant
to cool down after practice to help your body
recover more quickly. Both warm-up and cool-
down sessions should be combined with
stretching exercises to increase muscle supple-
ness.
The purpose of a warm-up routine is to in-
crease body heat gradually to prepare it for
heavier exercise. A table tennis warm-up can
consist of a few minutes of light jogging mixed
with table tennis–specific movements such as
side-to-side jumps and bounding movements.
After warming up for 5 to 10 minutes, switch the
focus to stretching.
xv
crosscourt and bounce inside the receiver’s right-
hand box.
You can acquire a complete set of rules at the
USA Table Tennis (USATT) Web site or the
Inter-national Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
Web site. See the Resources section on page xix.
• If a dispute arises, try to settle the argu-
ment with your opponent. If this is not
possible, ask for an umpire.
• If a ball rolls into your court, immedi-ately
call a let. If you continue to play the point,
you cannot call a let after the point is over.
• If your ball rolls onto an adjoining court,
wait until play is over at that table before
asking for your ball back.
• Shake hands with your opponent after the
match.
• Avoid walking behind players when a
point is in progress.
• Spectators should feel free to applaud or
cheer winning shots but should refrain from
cheering when a player makes an error.
Table tennis players must have loose and very
flexible muscles to achieve the quick, explosive
movements required by the sport. Stretching is an
important part of any table tennis training session.
Stretching also helps reduce the risk of muscle
injuries. To stretch safely, do the fol-lowing:
• Try to hold each stretch for 20 seconds.
• Do not bounce while stretching.
• Stretch slowly to the point of tension; you
should never feel pain.
• Focus on your breathing while stretch-ing.
• Select stretches that work all major muscle
groups.