Table Tennis Rules
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 ball 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!
TERMINOLOGY
Backhand
A shot where your racket is to the left of your elbow (for a right-hander) and in front of your body. Commonly abbreviated to BH.
Backspin
A defensive type of spin when you strike downwards on the ball causing it to rotate backward. Sometimes called underspin.
Block
A short-stroke defensive shot where you make contact with the ball right after it bounces. Used against topspin shots such as drives and loops.
Chop
A defensive backspin shot that you play against topspin. To play a chop you stand a little way away from the table and strike downwards on the ball.
Closed racket
Any stroke where the racket face is angled downwards to cater to topspin balls.
Dead
A ball with little to no spin on it.
Drive
A basic topspin stroke where you strike forward and upward over the ball.
Drop shot
A shot that bounces close to the net and several times on your opponent’s side if they fail to hit the ball. Great to catch players off-guard who play from a distance.
Flat
A stroke that strikes the ball virtually head-on imparting speed with little to no spin.
Flick
An attacking stroke you play against short balls. Use a loose wrist and strike the ball at the top of the bounce.
Float
A common term for a dead ball.
Forehand
The opposite of backhand where the elbow is to the left of the racket (for a right-hander). Commonly abbreviated to FH.
Half-long
A type of serve where the second bounce is either on or very close to the end line.
Lob
A defensive shot used when you are forced away from the table. You hit the ball high into the air to make smashing difficult.
Long
A shot where the ball very clearly only bounces once on the opponent’s side of the table.
Loop
An advanced offensive stroke that imparts heavy topspin on the ball — the most common attacking stroke at high levels of play.
Open racket
The opposite of a closed racket where the racket face is angled upward toward the ceiling. Used against backspin balls.
Push
A defensive shot that you use against backspin. Pushes are usually played over the table when you can’t / don't want to attack.
Sidespin
A type of spin where you strike across the ball from left to right or right to left causing it to rotate sideways.
Short
A shot that bounces at least twice on your opponent’s side if it is not struck.
Smash
A rapid topspin shot that prioritizes speed over spin. Employed against balls that bounce too high allowing them to be put away.
Spin
The rotation of the ball. Created by striking it at an angle with a brushing motion.
Topspin
A shot where you strike the ball upwards causing it to rotate away from you. The resulting topspin makes the ball kick forward when it bounces on the table.
GRIPS, PLAYERS, AND EQUIPMENT
Bat: Another term for your racket.
Blade: The wooden portion of your racket.
Handle: The base of the blade which you hold for the shakehand grip.
Inverted: The most common type of rubber where the pimples face inwards into the sponge.
Paddle: Another term for your racket.
Penhold: A type of table tennis grip where you hold the racket between your thumb and index finger, much like how you hold a pen.
Pimples: A type of racket covering where the pimples face outward rather than inward. This causes the ball to behave in irregular ways. There are two types: short pimples and long pimples. The term “pimples” is commonly shortened to “pips”.
Rubber: The common term for the racket covering. It includes both the sponge and the top sheet.
Shakehand: The most popular grip in table tennis where you hold the handle racket like you are shaking hands with someone. This involves holding the handle with your thumb, middle, ring, and pinkie finger, with your index finger resting along the edge of your backhand side.
Ping Pong Words
What is a rally?
A rally is the back-and-forth exchange of the ball during play.
Define a smash.
A smash is a powerful overhead shot meant to end the point quickly.
What is spin in ping pong?
Spin refers to the ball's rotation, which affects its trajectory and bounce.
Explain the term 'let'.
A let is a serve that hits the net but lands correctly.
What is a paddle?
A paddle is the racket used to hit the ball in ping pong.
How is a point scored?
A point is scored when the opponent fails to return the ball properly.