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What are the rules for doubles ping-pong?

Author

Daniel Moore

Published Jan 14, 2026

Doubles Rules

  • The service must go diagonally, from the server's right-hand side to the receivers right-hand side. ...
  • A doubles pair must strike the ball alternately. ...
  • At the change of service, the previous receiver becomes the new server and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver.

What are the doubles rules in table tennis?

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 are the rules for doubles?

In doubles, you and a partner play against a team of two players on the other side of the net, using the full court between the baselines and the doubles sidelines. If you are on the team that serves first, either you or your partner may begin the match by serving the first ball.

Do you alternate shots in doubles ping pong?

Casual players may simply allow whoever is closest to the ball to play the shot; but, this breaks the rules for the order of play in doubles. To follow ping pong doubles rules accurately, players must in fact take turns to play their shots and alternate between one another.

Do you have to serve diagonally in doubles ping pong?

In Doubles, you're required to serve from the right half of your side to the opposite side in the opponent's half (diagonally). But this rule doesn't apply at all in Singles. 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.

35 related questions found

What are the 5 rules of table tennis?

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.

Can I 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.

Which is harder singles or doubles tennis?

Tennis doubles. Generally speaking, doubles is less mentally and physically stressful than singles, but more complicated in terms of strategy, tactics, and co-ordination.

What is the let in doubles?

In doubles, the person who just finished serving switches with his partner and does not receive the next serve. In doubles, partners alternate making returns. The served ball is a let if it touches the net or its supports then lands in the receiver's court. There is no limit to the number of let services.

How does the serving and returning works on doubles in table tennis?

So for players who are in wheelchairs, table tennis doubles rules are slightly different. After returning serve, either player may play the next shot, and they do not have to play alternately. However, each player must remain in their own half, otherwise they will lose the point.

Can doubles players switch sides?

At the beginning of every set, including the 10-point match tiebreak, you can switch the serving order of doubles partners so you were correct in changing strategy at the start of the next set. ADVERTISEMENT The new rotation then continues until the end of that set.

What are the rules for singles tennis and for doubles tennis?

singles. One side of the court has two players and the other side of the court has one player. The doubles players' boundaries is the singles court and the singles player's boundaries is the doubles court. Three sets are played and each player must play singles in at least one set.

How many sets do you play in doubles?

The majority of tennis doubles matches are played in a best-of-three sets format, with a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of a third set.

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.

How many points is a double in table tennis?

A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 21 points unless both players or pairs score 20 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 2 out of 3 sets.

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.

Are there let serves in table tennis?

Legal Service

The ball must rest on an open hand palm. Then it must be tossed up at least 6 inches and struck so the ball first bounces on the server's side and then the opponent's side. If the serve is legal except that it touches the net, it is called a let serve. Let serves are not scored and are reserved.

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.

Should I play singles or doubles?

The two are different in the sense that in singles you have more court to cover and you'll have to be quite consistent with your ground-strokes while in doubles it is more about playing at the net, feeling comfortable with volleys and strategic placement of your shots.

Why do singles players play doubles?

No matter how well you hit from the baseline, at some point in a singles career you're going to have to become more comfortable in the forecourt. Doubles forces you to hit a wider variety of shots than you would hit in singles, such as half volleys, drop volleys, reflex volleys, overheads and lobs.

Is it better to play singles or doubles tennis?

Having four players on the court in a doubles match means that points tend to be faster paced and more frenetic than those in a singles match, putting a greater emphasis on the sense of anticipation and quick re flexes of all the players involved.

Do you need to serve cross court in ping-pong?

You're free to serve anywhere, diagonally or straight, from any location. Myth #2: When you serve, the ball cannot fall off the side of the table.

Do you have to serve cross court ping-pong?

See FAQ: Can I serve from anywhere? However, in doubles, the serve must be played diagonally, i.e. within the right half courts only, whereas in singles you can serve from and to, any part of the table.

Can a tennis serve bounce twice?

although your service can bounce more than once on your opponent's side of the table, if it does, you win the point because your opponent must hit it before it bounces twice.

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.