TABLE TENNIS
History
 The sport originated in Victorian England , where it
was played among the upper- class as an after –
dinner parlour game.
 Commonly known as Ping Pong is a 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
 First played in 1864 as a quiet parlor game.
 It has been called several names:
 “indoor tennis”
 Gossima (name given by a British Manufacturing
Co.)
 Ping pong: (a name derived by the sound of the
ball hitting the table and paddle – Parker Brothers ,
manufacturers patented the name. This led to a
dispute over the name. Thus, the term “Table
Tennis” was adopted in the 1930’s.
 1926 the International Table Tennis Association
was formed.
 International Table Tennis Federation ( ITTF) govern
the sports.
The objectives is to hit the ball so that it goes over the net
and bounces on the opponent’s half of the table.
TABLE TENNIS Matches
Facilities and Equipments
TABLE
The table for table tennis is
rectangular .It measures:
9 feet long by 5 feet wide
( 2.7 meters by 1.5 meters)
and must be placed 30 inches
(76cm) above the ground.
POST
The net is suspended by a cord
attached at each end to an upright
post 15.25cm high.
NET
6 ft .long and 6 inches wide. It should
have an upper white tape that is not
more than 15mm wide
BALL
- Weigh 2.7 grams .It is a small
celluloid ball that is white or orange in
color.
PADDLE
It is used to hit the ball back and forth
on the table.
Table Tennis - Types of Grips
Grip
 the way one player holds the racquet.
 There are three different styles of holding a bat and
different player has either one or both styles of
holding the racquet.
1. Penhold
 This hold got its name, as it resembles
holding a pen. Here the player’s middle,
ring, little fingers are curled around the
racquet.
 This style of holding the racquet is called
Chinese penholding. Even though many
players have this way of holding the
racquet, their style of play is entirely
different.
 2. Handshake or shakehand
 As the name suggests, this type of grip
resembles one shaking a hand.
 This hold is also called the Western grip as
many players of Europe and America use
this style of holding a racquet.
 Shakehand grip looks easy and it is a very
versatile style. So, it was started even in
China and now, many top-level Chinese
players also use this technique. Apparently,
players feel this technique easier than
penhold, as it gives a wide scope of play.
3. Seemiller
 This grip is named after Danny Seemiller, as
he was the one who used this technique.
 To have this kind of grip, one should place
the thumb and index finger on either side
of the racquet and the rest of the fingers
should be placed at the bottom part.
 This method is used to distract the
opponent, as contrasting rubbers can be
placed on both the sides of the blade. This
technique gives great loops on the
forehand side.
TABLE TENNIS Basic Hits
Serve
 A stroke that start a rally ; can be either done in the
forehand or backhand.
Receive
 A stroke to reply to a serve.
Push
 A short stroke wherein the racket is moved in a
slight horizontal plane , striking the ball on the
bottom portion of the racket.
Drive
 A short stroke wherein the racket is moved forward
and upwards at an angle,striking the ball to impart
topspin.
Block
 A short stroke wherein the racket is position slightly
vertical ,striking the ball on the bottom portion of
the racket making the ball travel straight.
Footwork
 Place your right foot ( for righthanded players)
further back to allow you to transfer your body
weight slightly backwards and forwards when
hitting your forehand.
 Position slightly to the left of the middle of all
possible angles of your opponent’s hit to give you
more room to hit either forehand or backhand.
Basic Rules
A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.
A point is a rally of which the result is scored.
Service
 shall start with the ball resting freely on the open
palm of the server’s stationary free hand, projected
near vertically upwards, without imparting spin and
then falling without touching anything before
being struck.
 as the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that
it touches first his or her court and then, after
passing over or around the net assembly, touches
directly the receiver’s court; in doubles, the ball
shall touch successively the right half court of
server and receiver.
 The ball, having been served or returned, shall be
struck so that it passes over or around the net
assembly and touches the opponent’s court, either
directly or after touching the net assembly.
In singles, the server shall make a service, the receiver shall
then make return and thereafter server and receiver
alternately shall each make a return.

A player shall score a point

1. if an opponent fails to make a correct service
2. If an opponent fails to make a correct return
3. If the ball passes over his or her court or beyond his
or her end line without touching his or her court,
after being struck by an opponent , etc.

A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11

points unless both players or pairs score 10 points, when
the game shall be won by the first player or pair
subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.

A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of

games.

The right to choose the initial order of serving ,receiving

and ends shall be decided by lot and the winner may
choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular
end.

When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive

first or to start at particular end , the other player or pair
shall have the other choice.

After each 2 points have been scored the receiving player

or pair shall become the serving player or pair and so on
until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs
scores 10 points or the expedite system is in operation,
when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the
same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.