Simple Rules for recreational Players

Our good friends at PingSkills have a helpful YouTube outline

 

 

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The Table Tennis Australia version for competition play are below

Rules of Table Tennis

A GAME: A game is won by the player or pair who scores 11 points unless both players or pairs score 10 points, then the game is won by the player or pair that leads by two points i.e. 12 - 10 or13 - 11 etc.

A MATCH: A match must consist of the best of any odd number of games. 1, 3, 5. or 7 depending on time constraints. In doubles, 5 games is the lowest number which gives both teams equal standing. Play must be continuous throughout a match except that any player is entitled to claim an interval of not more than 1 minute between successive games.

SOME COMMON QUESTIONS:

Is the ball in or out if it hits the side of the table?

OUT.

Do you win the game if the score is 7- 0?

NO. You must play to the full score.

How many lets can you serve before you lose the point?

AS MANY AS YOU LIKE. You never lose a point for serving a let.

In doubles do you serve one serve to each side of the table?

NO. You only ever serve from your right side court to your opponents right court.

If the ball hits the white line is it in or out?

IN.

Are you allowed to lean on the table and is your bat allowed to touch the table?

YES. The only thing that isn't allowed to touch the table is your non-playing hand. However, if you happen to move the table you lose the point.

How many faults are you allowed to serve before you lose a point?

Every time you serve a fault you lose a point.

Can you hit the ball before it bounces on your side of the table?

If the ball is still in play, (over the table) and you hit it on the full you lose the point. If the ball has gone past the table and you hit it on the full you win the point. The first mistake counts i.e. the ball going out of play on the full. Either way as soon as someone hits the ball on the full the point stops.

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THE TABLE: The surface of the table, known as the playing surface, is rectangular, 2.74m (9ft) long and 1.525m (5ft) wide, and lies in a horizontal plane 76cm (2ft 6in) from the floor. The playing surface does not include the sides of the tabletop.

THE NET ASSEMBLY: <li><dd>The top of the net, along its whole length, is 15.25cm (6in) high. THE BALL: The ball is made of celluloid or similar plastics material and can be white or orange. The diameter of the ball is 40mm. This has been changed from 38mm.

THE RACKET: The racket can be any size, shape or weight. <Ii>The surface material covering the wood must be bright red on one side and black on the other.

HITTING: A player hits the ball if he touches it in play with his racket held in the hand, or with the racket-hand below the wrist.

THE CHOICE OF SERVING, RECEIVING AND ENDS: The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends is 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 a particular end, the other player or pair has the other choice. After each 2 points have been scored the receiving player or pair becomes the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs have scored 10 points when the sequences of serving and receiving are the same but each player serves for only 1 point in turn.

CHANGING ENDS AND CHANGING ORDER IN DOUBLES: Ends are changed at the conclusion of each game or when one player or pair reaches 5 points in the deciding game. In doubles at each change of ends, and in the deciding games, the order is also reversed. In the deciding game this is done by the receivers changing positions.

A GOOD SERVICE: At the start of service the ball must be resting freely on the stationary open palm of the server's free hand, behind the end line and above the level of the playing surface. The server must then throw the ball almost vertically up, without imparting spin, so that it rises at least 16cm after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls without touching anything before being hit. As the ball is falling the server hits it so that it touches his court first and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches the receiver's court. The ball must be above the level of the playing surface and it shall not be hidden from the receiver during the serve. The ball must be hit from behind the server's end line.

A GOOD RETURN: The ball, after being served or returned, must be hit so that it passes over or around the net assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.

DOUBLES: In doubles, the server must first make a good service, the receiver must then make a good return.

All players must take it in turns to hit the ball.

When serving in doubles, the ball must touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.

In each game of a doubles match, the pair who serves first will choose which of them will do so, and in the first game of a match the receiving pair will decide which of them will receive first; in subsequent games of the match, when the first server has been chosen, the first receiver is the player who served to him in the preceding game.

In doubles, at each change of service the previous receiver becomes the server and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver.

A POINT: Unless the rally is a let, a player scores a point if his/her opponent fails to make a good service;

if his/her opponent fails to make a good return;

if the ball, after he/she has served or returned it, touches anything other than the net assembly before being hit by his/her opponent;

if the ball after his/her opponent has hit it, passes over his/her end line without having touched his/her court;

If his/her opponent obstructs the ball ie.

if he/her, or anything he/she wears or carries, touches it in play when it is above or travelling toward the playing surface, and has not passed beyond his/her end line, not having touched his/her court since last being hit by his opponent.

if his/her opponent, or anything his/her opponent wears or carries, moves the playing surface;

if his/her opponent, or anything his/her opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly;

if his/her opponent's free hand touches the playing surface;

in doubles if his/her opponent hits the ball out of sequence.

For further information contact Table Tennis Australia (02) 9763 5507 Email tabtenau@bigpond.net.au, Or visit www.tabletennis.org.au