Rules of Table Tennis

Like any sport, Table Tennis has its unique and important set of rules. Knowing the rules can enhance the experience of the game and allow layers to develop a better technique.

Equipment Rules

Table Tennis utilizes four main pieces of equipment: the table, net, ball and paddles. The table must be 2.74 meters long and 1.525 meters wide at a height of 76 centimeters. The net must be 15.25 centimeters above the surface of the table. The ball must be 40 millimeters in diameter and weigh exactly 2.7 grams. The paddle must contain at least 85 percent natural wood, but the thickness of the wood must not exceed 7.5 percent of the paddle.

Picking the Order of Service

Officially, a coin toss should determine the first server.

Basic Gameplay

In a serve, the ball must first touch the serving side of the court and then bounce to the other side. If the ball touches the net, it is called a let. If the ball is hit back, it is called a return. A series of returns between players is called a rally.

Scoring

Players earn points when the opposing player is unable to return the ball after it touches his or her side of the court. The first player to receive 11 points wins the game unless both players have 10 points. If both players have 10 points, the first player to lead his or her opponent by two points wins. The player who wins the most games out of an odd number of total games wins the match.

Once a player understands and masters the basic rules of Table Tennis, he or she can enjoy the game for years to come. Table Tennis can be extremely fun and competitive!