TABLE TENNIS

I. HISTORY
 Table tennis, also called (trademark) Ping-
Pong, ball game similar in principle to lawn
tennis and played on a flat table divided
into two equal courts by a net fixed
across its width at the middle. The object
is to hit the ball so that it goes over the
net and bounces on the opponent’s half of
the table in such a way that the opponent
cannot reach it or return it correctly. The
lightweight hollow ball is propelled back
and forth across the net by
small rackets (bats, or paddles) held by the players. The game is popular all over
the world. In most countries it is very highly organized as a competitive sport,
especially in Europe and Asia, particularly in China and Japan. he game was invented
in England in the early days of the 20th century and was originally called Ping-Pong,
a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-
Pong Association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had broken
up about 1905, though apparently the game continued to be played in parts of
England outside London and by the 1920s was being played in many countries. Led
by representatives of Germany, Hungary, and England, the Fédération
Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table Tennis Federation) was
founded in 1926, the founding members being England, Sweden, Hungary, India,
Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the mid-1990s more
than 165 national associations were members.

 The first world championships were held in London in 1926, and from then until
1939 the game was dominated by players from central Europe, the men’s team
event being won nine times by Hungary and twice by Czechoslovakia. In the mid-
1950s Asia emerged as a breeding ground of champions, and from that time the
 men’s team event has been won by either Japan or China, as has the women’s event,
though to a lesser extent; North Korea also became an international force. In 1980
the first World Cup was held, and Guo Yuehua of China won the $12,500 first
prize. Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and doubles
competition for men and women.

II. OBJECTIVE

 The object is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net and bounces on the
opponent's half of the table in such a way that the opponent cannot reach it or
return it correctly. The lightweight hollow ball is propelled back and forth across
the net by small rackets (bats, or paddles) held by the players.

III. RULES AND REGULATION

Official Rules of Table Tennis

1. GAMES ARE PLAYED TO 11 POINTS

A Game is played to 11 points. A Game must be won by two points. A Match is generally
the best three of five Games.

2. ALTERNATE SERVES EVERY TWO POINTS

Each side of the table alternates serving two points at a time. EXCEPTION: After tied
10-10 (“deuce”), service alternates at every point. Can you lose on a serve in ping pong?
Yes! There is no separate rule for serving on Game Point.

3. TOSS THE BALL STRAIGHT UP WHEN SERVING

How do you serve the ball in ping pong? Hold the ball in your open palm, behind your end
of the table. Toss at least 6” straight up, and strike it on the way down. It must hit your
side of the table and then the other side. NOTE: Once the ball leaves the server’s hand
it is in play, and so counts as the receiver’s point if the ball is missed or mis-hit.
4. THE SERVE CAN LAND ANYWHERE IN SINGLES

There is no restriction on where the ball lands on your side or your opponent’s side of the
table. It can bounce two or more times on your opponent’s side (if so, that’s your point),
bounce over the side, or even hit the edge.

5. DOUBLES SERVES MUST GO RIGHT COURT TO RIGHT COURT

The serve must bounce in the server’s right court, and receiver’s right court (NOTE:
landing on center line is fair). Doubles partners switch places after their team serves
twice.

6. A SERVE THAT TOUCHES THE NET ON THE WAY OVER IS A “LET”

Can the ball hit the net in ping pong? Yes, during a RALLY, if it touches the top of the net
and then otherwise lands as a legitimate hit. BUT not when serving. If a served ball hits
the net on the way over and otherwise legally bounces in play, it’s a “let” serve and is done
over. There is no limit on how many times this can happen.

7. ALTERNATE HITTING IN A DOUBLES RALLY

Doubles partners must alternate hitting balls in a rally, no matter where the ball lands on
the table.

8. VOLLEYS ARE NOT ALLOWED

Can you hit the ball before it bounces in ping pong? No. In regular tennis you may “volley”
the ball (hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the net). But in table tennis,
this results in a point for your opponent. NOTE: When your opponent hits a ball that sails
over your end of the table without touching it and then hits you or your paddle, that is
still your point.

9. IF YOUR HIT BOUNCES BACK OVER THE NET BY ITSELF IT IS YOUR POINT

If you hit the ball in a rally or on a serve and it bounces back over the net after hitting
your opponent’s side of the table (due to extreme spin), without your opponent touching
it, that is your point.
10. TOUCHING THE BALL WITH YOUR PADDLE HAND IS ALLOWED

What happens if the ball hits your finger or hand during a ping pong rally? If the ball
touches your PADDLE hand and otherwise results in a legal hit, there is no rule violation
and play shall continue as normal. Your paddle hand includes all fingers and hand area
below the wrist. But what if the ball touches a player’s body anywhere else during a ping
pong rally? You may not touch the table with your non-paddle hand for any reason. It will
result in a point for your opponent. BUT if your opponent’s hit sails over your side of the
table without touching it, and hits any part of you or your paddle, that is still your point.

11. YOU MAY NOT TOUCH THE TABLE WITH YOUR NON-PADDLE HAND

You may touch the ball or the table with your paddle hand (after reaching in to return a
short serve, for example), or other parts of your body. NOTE: If the table moves at all
from your touching it during a rally, that is your opponent’s point.

12. AN “EDGE” BALL BOUNCING OFF THE HORIZONTAL TABLE TOP SURFACE IS
GOOD

An otherwise legal serve or hit may contact the top edge of the horizontal table top
surface and be counted as valid, even if it bounces sidewise. The vertical sides of the
table are NOT part of the legal playing surface.

13. HONOR SYSTEM APPLIES TO DISAGREEMENTS

If no referee is present during a match and the players disagree on a certain call, the
“honor system” applies and the players should find a way to agree, or play the point over.
Ping pong carries a tradition of fierce but fair play. Help us keep it that way!

SCORING

The winner of a game is the first to 11 points. There must be a gap of at least two points
between opponents at the end of the game though, so if the score is 10-10, the game goes
in to extra play until one of the players has gained a lead of 2 points. The point goes to
the player who successfully ends a rally, regardless of who has served.

SERVING: SINGLES
A player takes two serves before the ball switches to the opponent to serve, except
during periods of extra play where it changes each time. The first person to serve at the
start of the game can be determined in many different ways, we’ll leave that up to you to
decide! Service can be diagonal or in a straight line in singles

SERVING: DOUBLES
Service must be diagonal, from the right half court (marked by a white line) to the
opponent’s right half court.

Service changeover in Doubles is as follows:

At the start of a game, the serving team will decide which player will serve first. The
first player to serve is A1 and;

A1 serves to B1 (2 services)

B1 then serves to A2 (2 services)

A2 then serves to B2 (2 services)

B2 serves to A1 2 services)

Repeat

At the end of game 1 and the start of game 2, team B will take the first serve; B1 must
serve to A1. A1 then serves to B2 and so on.

ROTATION RULES FOR DOUBLES

In doubles, you should alternate hitting the ball with your partner. So, for example, A1
serves the ball to B1, who returns the ball. A2 then hits the ball and B2 returns this. A1
hits and B2 returns, A2 hits and B1 returns….and so on.

SERVICE RULE YOU MUST OBEY

 The ball must first bounce on your side and then in your opponents. Your opponent must
allow the ball to hit their side of the table before trying to return this.

The ball must pass cleanly over the net – if it ‘clips’ the net and goes over, it is a ‘let’ and
the serve is retaken. If it hits the net and doesn’t go over, the point goes to the other
player/team. There are no second serves.

IV. FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS

Based on the Chinese coaching, there are 10 fundamental skills in table tennis.

 Forehand drive technique.

 Backhand topspin close to the table.
 Forehand push and backhand push.
 Forehand flick.
 Backhand flick.
 Backhand loop the underspin ball.
 Forehand attack the semi-long ball.
 Learn Forehand fast serve.

5 fundamental skills of table tennis

1. The technique of driving forehand:

This technique focuses on the player’s force of attacking the ball. Sometimes, a small
amount of topspin may be added, but it’s sharply a straight flat hit which is usually very
powerful. This driving technique will help you learn the grip based on the circumstances
and the timing. Unlike other skills that teach a beginner to learn the clamps and the
stances, this technique will ease yourself with the attacking of the ball and will help you
modify your grip accordingly.

2. Topspin of the backhand:

A lot of amateurs focus on the driving technique of the forehand first and think that
they will learn the topspin technique of the backhand later. When they reach quite a
moderate stage. Unfortunately, this thought can be one of the reasons for lacking behind
in upgrading yourself to the best skills.
 3. Forehand and backhand push:

This technique deals with the estimation of the correct timing. As soon as you become
familiar with the forehand driving technique and the topspin of the backhand, it becomes
essential for you to educate yourself with the timing precision. Beginners tend to focus
on this technique at the beginning, but as mentioned earlier, there are perfect timings
for every event to take place.

4. Backhand loop of the ball to underspin it:

For beginners, this is one of the most robust skills to induce in oneself. However, if taken
seriously, this technique becomes more comfortable with time and practice. Perfecting in
creating the backhand loop requires the use of the elbow and the lower power of the
body. If one uses the upper part to create the loop, he is sure to fail. Focus on the lower
part, mainly the “legs” to lift appropriately and accelerate forward.

5. Attack the semi-long ball with the forehand:

This technique is widely used in table tennis nowadays. Experts, no matter how skilled he
is, make sure they have a clear understanding of this skill. Before proceeding, there are
some questions that must arise in your mind, which is: “Why do you need to know how to
serve a semi-long ball?” The answer to this question is as follows:

 Short balls can become too weak for you to win a match.

 The opponent can quickly attack long balls.

 A semi-long ball will help you to attack just after you have served it. That's why it
has become a fundamental skill to learn how to attack the semi-long ball with the
forehand.

V. EQUIPMENTS AND FACILITIES

Ball
The ball that used in the game weighs 2.7 grams. It is
a small celluloid ball that is white or orange in color,
depending on the preference of the player. They come
in different qualities with those possessing 3 stars
being the best kind It is recommended for beginners.
Also, they come in a variety of sizes ranging from 38
mm to 54 mm in diameter. However, the 40 mm
diameter ball is used mainly in international leagues and
competitions. It is the one specified by the
International Table Tennis Federation-ITTF.

Rubber, Racket, or Paddle

The table tennis racket or paddle is another important
piece of equipment. It is used to hit the ball back and
forth on the table. The shape is similar to the one
used for tennis except it is smaller and made of
different materials.

The racket is made of wood and rubber. It is divided

into two parts, the handle, and blade. The quality of
both parts of the racket can affect the force applied
by the player. The player must choose the best kind of
racket to get good results.

Aside from that, the player must take note of the rubber used on the blade. This can
affect the type and amount of spin used in hitting the ball. Rackets are available in pre-
made as well as customized conditions.

Beginners are recommended to acquire the pre-made ones, to avoid the confusion of
making customized ones. However, they must be sure to buy from reputable sports shops
or online table tennis stores.

Table Tennis Table

Included in the list of important table tennis equipment is the table. The ITTF specifies that the official table
tennis tables used in the tournament must be 9 ft long, 5 ft wide, and must be placed 30 inches above the
ground.
They come in either green, blue, or black color and are made from hardboard. The surface must be smooth to
provide the lowest friction possible.