Chapter 1: TABLE TENNIS
players to use.
Lesson 1: Brief History of the Game
❖Table tennis, often called Ping-Pong, is played on a wooden
table, with a plastic ball and paddles covered in rubber and a
net dividing the playing surface.
❖It is sometimes called the miniature version of tennis since
the rules are so familiar.
❖Table tennis is a fun and exciting sport and it is easy to
learn. A big advantage to taking up table tennis is that you do
not need to spend a lot of money on expensive equipment.
❖The most expensive part is obviously the table. You can find
inexpensive ping-pong sets, consisting of the net, two paddles
and a number of balls, in almost any department store.
❖The game of table tennis was invented in England in the
1880's by Rich Victorians looking for an activity to be played
indoors.
❖When the game was first played, book serve as net, a knot
of string or a champagne cork was used as a ball and cigarette
box lids were employed as paddles.
❖Apparently, people enjoyed this newly invented game with
its makes-shift equipment, since it continues to grow in
popularity.
❖Improvements were made to the equipment during the
early 1900's. The balls were being made from celluloid and
the paddles consisted of a piece of rubber glued to a wooden
handle.
❖The word ping-pong originated because of the distinctive
sound of the ball made when hit with the rubber paddle.
❖And Parker Brothers opted to go with the ping-pong name
when they introduced the game to the United States.
❖With the commercial availability of the equipment, the
game continued to grow in popularity and the first
tournament was held in 1902.
In 1921 the Table Tennis Association was founded in England
and less than 10 years later, the first World Championships
also took place there.
Over time the sport spread to other parts of the world.
In the Far Eastern Countries, such as China, it is called ping-
pong, while in the other countries similar terms in the native
language are used.
The 1950's rolled around and other innovations were made.
As an example, a sponge layer was added to the paddles over
the rubber, making the paddles lighter and easier for the
And finally, after being around for more than a century, table
tennis was included as an Olympic Sport in 1988.
In the later part of 2000, the international body governing the
rules of the table tennis introduced more changes. They
decided to increase the size of the plastic ball used in
tournaments from 38mm to 40mm.
This was an attempt to show the game down a little. They
also made changes to the way the game was scored, now
using 11-point system as opposed to the traditional 21 points,
which makes each set fast and exciting for the players and
spectators.
Lesson 2: Rules of the Tennis
❖SINGLE PLAY
I. GENERAL RULES:
1. The choice of the playing position at the table and order of
service are determined by the toss of a coin. If the winner of
the toss prefers to have first choice of playing positions, the
opponent then has the choice of whether to serve first or
receive first, and vice versa.
2. The change of service takes place after 5 points have been
scored. A point is normally awarded when the play
3. At the start of a new game, the player who served first in
the previous game becomes receiver and the receiver
becomes server and so on, alternating after each game.
4. The players exchange ends after each game, and if play
consists of more than one game, in the deciding game of the
match than players change ends when one player reaches a
score of 10 points.
5. A game is won by the player who first score 21 points with
a 2-point margin.
6. A match consist of best two of 3 games.
II. SERVICE:
1. A good service is delivered by projecting the ball from the
free hand, which must start from above the playing surface.
The ball must be resting in the palm of the free hand. The ball
is tossed into the air.
2. As it starts to descend, the ball is struck so that it touches
the server's court first and then, passing directly over or
around the net, touches the receiver's court. At the instant of
contact of the racquet on the ball in service, both handle and
ball must be behind the end line of the server's court.
3. A good return of a served ball must be struck by the
receiver on the first bounce so that it passes directly over or
around the net and touches directly on top of the opponent's
court.
III. POINTS
A point is awarded to the opponent in the ff. circumstances
1. Failure to make a good service, unless a "Let" is declared
2. Failure to make a good return of a good service or a good
return made by the opponent, unless a "Let" is declared
3. If the player, the racquet, or anything that the player wears
or carries touches the net or its supports while the ball is in
play.
4. If the player, the racquet, or any wearing apparel moves
the playing surface while the ball is in play or touches the net
or its supports
5. If the player's free hand touches the playing surface while
the ball is in play
6. If, after being struck by the opponent, the ball comes in
contact with the player or anything the player wears or
carries before it has passed over the end lines or sidelines,
not yet having touched the playing surface on the player's
side of the table.
7. If at any time the player volleys the ball that is before the
ball hits the table top-except as provided in Rule A under
"Let" (below).
IV. LET
A let ball, which is then replayed, is called in the following
cases:
1. If the served ball, in passing over the net, touches it or its
supports, if the service would otherwise have been good or
volleyed by the receiver.
2. If a service is delivered when the receiver is not ready
3. If either player is prevented by an accident not under
his/her control from serving a good service or making a good
return
4. If either player gives up a point, as provided in Rules C-G
under "Points", owing to an accident not within his/her
control
V. SCORING
A point is scored by the side that makes the last successful return
prior to the end of the rally. An unsuccessful return occurs whenever
the ball is missed, is hit off the table, sent into the net, or hit on to
the player's own half of the court on the return. Failure to make a
good serve also scores a point for the opponent unless it is a let.
VI. BALL IN PLAY
The ball is in play from the moment it is projected from the hand in
service until one of the following has occurred:
1. It has touched one court twice consecutively.
2. It has, except in service, touched each court alternately w/o
having been struck by the racquet immediately.
3. It has been struck b either player more than once consecutively.
4. It has touched either player or anything that the player wears or
carries.
5. It has touched any object other than the net and supports.
DOUBLES PLAY
I. Good Service
The service is delivered (as described in Singles), except that it must
touch first the right half of the server's court or the centerline on the
server's side of the net and then, passing directly over or around the
net, touch the right half of the receiver's court or the center line on
the receiver's side of the table.
II. Choice of Order of Play
The team winning a coin toss has the option of choosing:
1. The choice of ends
2. The right to receive or serve first
3. The right to require the losing team to make the first choice
4. After choice A & B have been made, the other team makes the
remaining choice.
III. ORDER OF SERVICE
1. The first five services must be delivered by the serving partner
(Player 1) of the pair who has the right to do so. The service must be
received by the receiving partner (Player 3) of the opposing pair.
2. The second five services must be delivered by the receiver of the
first five services (Player 3) and received by the partner of the server
(Player 2) of the first five services.
3. The third five services must be delivered by the partner of the first
five services (Player 2) and received by the partner of the server
(Player 4) of the first five services.