What are 5 rules of ping pong?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 22, 2026
Official Rules of Table Tennis
- GAMES ARE PLAYED TO 11 POINTS. ...
- ALTERNATE SERVES EVERY TWO POINTS. ...
- TOSS THE BALL STRAIGHT UP WHEN SERVING. ...
- THE SERVE CAN LAND ANYWHERE IN SINGLES. ...
- DOUBLES SERVES MUST GO RIGHT COURT TO RIGHT COURT. ...
- A SERVE THAT TOUCHES THE NET ON THE WAY OVER IS A “LET” ...
- ALTERNATE HITTING IN A DOUBLES RALLY.
What are the 5 basic rules of table tennis?
The 5 Basic Rules Of Playing Table Tennis
- 1.No Hands On The Table. Believe it or not, leaning your hands on the table is not allowed in the sport. ...
- When Serving, The Ball Must Be Thrown 15mm. ...
- If The Ball Hits The Net On Service, You Should Serve Again. ...
- The Ball Must Be Held In A Flat Palm Above The Table. ...
- Rubber Colors.
What are the rules in the game of ping pong?
According to the laws of table tennis, a player can win a game of table tennis by scoring 11 points - with one point awarded for every infringement. Every player gets to serve twice in a row. The first to 11 points is declared the winner.
What are the important rules that you need to remember in table tennis?
Service Rules
The ball must be thrown vertically, at least 16 cm. This stops you from serving straight out of your hand and surprising your opponent. The ball must be above and behind the table throughout the serve. This stops you getting any silly angles and gives your opponent a fair chance at returning.
What are 3 rules of serving in table tennis?
You're free to serve anywhere, diagonally or straight, from any location. When you serve, the ball cannot fall off the side of the table. It must bounce twice or fall off the end, but not the side.
33 related questions foundCan you serve off the side of the table in ping pong?
The receiver can stand wherever he deems ok. So it is perfectly legal to serve from way outside the sidelines of the table, provided the ball remains behind the end line at the start of the serve.
Can you hit a ping-pong ball before it bounces?
The only situation where you can still win the point by hitting the ball before it bounces is if you hit the ball after it already passed the end line of the table. In this case you would get a point, since your opponent failed to make the ball hit your side of the table first.
Who serves first in ping-pong?
Under the current ITTF rules, the player to serve first is chosen at random, with the winner of the random draw able to choose to serve first or receive first. Sometimes in casual games, the first serve is chosen by volley, where a "practice" rally is played to determine who serves first.
How many let serves are allowed in table tennis?
There is no limit on the number of lets. This is actually the same in tennis. However with tennis you have to serve two faults in a row before you lose a point. In Table Tennis if you serve a fault you lose the point.
What is the difference between table tennis and ping pong?
In table tennis only the serve has to hit the table on each side of the net, whereas in ping pong every shot has to hit the table on both sides of the net.
Is table tennis table touching allowed?
No – this is a very frequently misunderstood rule in table tennis. The ONLY part of the body that cannot touch the table is your FREE HAND – i.e. the hand not holding the racket. The rest of your body can touch the table any time.
What is an illegal serve in ping pong?
The ball must not be hidden from the receiver at any time during the service. This means that hiding the ball with your torso is illegal, and shielding the ball with the free hand or free arm is also illegal. It also means that you cannot put your racket in front of the ball before it struck.
Is Ping Pong played to 11 or 21?
A game of table tennis is now played up to 11 points. The winner is the player or pair who first scores 11 points, unless both players or both pairs score 10 points (called deuce). Then a game will be won by the first player or pair to gain a two-point lead.
Can you let twice in ping pong?
The simple answer is that there's no limit on the number of times you can replay the service when it has hit the net. Rule 2.09 states that it shall be a let "if in service the ball touches the net assembly, provided the service is otherwise correct or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his or her partner".
What is the difference between black and red side of a table tennis racket?
While this isn't always true, in most cases the red side allows the ping pong ball to go faster. The black side is usually known to put a better spin on the ball. However, there are a lot of times where you can buy your own rubbers to put on your paddle. This way, you can choose which side you want to be used for what.
What is table tennis stroke?
The stroke is normally used for short balls, and its purpose is to stop your opponent from making an attacking shot. Start by standing close to the end line, facing the table. Your paddle should be open, 45%, and the backswing should short and with your hand close to your chest.
When the score is tied 10 to 10 it is called?
1 answer. Vote Up. nikita ⋅ April 22, 2016. In table tennis, deuce is a term to describe the situation where both players have reached at least 10 points each, and the scores are level, so that both players will be serving one serve each. Scores such as 10-all, 11-all, 12-all, etc, can all be called deuce points.
What happens if the ball hits your finger in ping pong?
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.
What happens if you hit the net in ping pong?
The ball touches the net
Let serves are not scored. The player needs to serve again. But if the ball touches the net but jumps outside of the table (didn't touch any part of the table), then the server lost the point.
What is the longest rally in ping pong?
The longest table tennis rally is 11 hr 50 min 36 sec, and was achieved by Chris Darnell and Will Darnell (both Australia) in Dubai, UAE, on 12 December 2020.
Can the ball go under the net in ping-pong?
Not only is the ball allowed to go under or around the net, it is also allowed to hit the net as long as it goes over the net and onto the opponent's court. Surprisingly, the ball does not have to actually bounce but is allowed to roll on the opponent's side of the table, making the return next to impossible.
Do you have to serve diagonally in table tennis doubles?
Doubles Match: In a doubles table tennis match, you must serve diagonally at the start of the match. In Table Tennis, the serve is the action in which the game begins. One player puts the ball in motion on the table for their opponent to respond by returning the ball with their paddle.
What are the rules for doubles ping-pong?
The Rules of Doubles
Unlike the singles game where the ball can bounce anywhere on the table during service, in doubles, the ball can only bounce on the right half portion of the table for both the server and the receiver.
What's a skunk in ping-pong?
The Informal Skunk Rule
The word "skunking" is a somewhat outdated slang term that athletes in many sports use to describe the act of humiliating an opponent by running up the score. It's considered poor manners by pros. The mercy rule in table tennis is strictly a byproduct of amateur play that is based on scoring.
What if the ping-pong ball hits the side of the table?
However, the vertical sides are NOT part of the playing surface. Therefore, if the ball hits a white line or a top edge of the playing surface it is "in" (good). But if the ball hits a vertical side it is "out" (not good).