Rules & Keeping Scores

A table tennis learning site for all beginners

Know the rules

A coin toss is made, and the winner is given a choice to either decide on who serves first or to decide on which side he wants to start play.

The ball

• After a serve, the ball may be played off any wall or walls, but it must always strike the front wall before it bounces on the floor.
• The ball may bounce only once on the floor. If a ball bounces twice or more, it is described as "down" or "not up". This means that the striker directly loses the rally.
• The racquet can only make contact with the ball once on each shot. A "double" hit is illegal and loses the striker the rally.

The serve

After every five serves, the service passes over to the opposing player and this continues till the game concludes. However, at a score of 20 to all, service is exchanged alternately until the winner emerges with two clear points. The rules may be quite elaborate, but they ensure fair play. Each rule broken will mean one point awarded to your opponent.

• The service must bounce twice, once on each side of the net.
• While serving, the hand holding the ball must be above the level of the table's surface for as long as the ball is in the palm of the server's free hand.
• When serving, the ball must rest on the palm of the hand and not the fingers. It must be launched from a stationary position, and struck only on its descent.
• The ball must be served from behind the white baseline.
• Service must be visible at all time to the umpire.
• Service must be made from a position not farther back than any part of the server's body.
• If the ball brushes the net as it passes over to the other side, a "let" is called and play stops. The server continues until a good serve is achieved.

Changing sides

Ends are changed at the completion of each game, and if the competition goes on to a deciding match, ends are changed when 10 points are attained by one player or one pair.

The rally

The rally continues until one player makes a fault by:

• missing the ball;
• failing to hit the ball over the net; or
• missing the opponent's side of the table with the return ball.

Scoring

The scorer should know these basics:

• The server's score is announced first.
• The scorer must see that the service changes hands after every five serves. An easy way to keep track is to add up the two scores and see if it is divisible by five (eg. Service changes hands when the score reaches 1-4 or 2-3)

Doubles

These rules are unique to doubles:

• Serve from the right side of the table and land the ball on the right side of the opponent's court.
• The ball is hit alternately by each partner.
• The team automatically loses a point by either player hits the ball out.
• After five serves, change places with your partner so that he receives the opponent's next five serves before commencing with his own set of five serves.
• After the first game, make sure you are not serving to and receiving from the same opponent in the next game.
• Similarly, if the match goes into a decider, and you change sides at 10 points, you must again swap places with your partner.

How to keep scores

1. Preliminary matches are often the best of 5 games. CHAMPIONSHIP matches are often the best of 7 or 9 games.
2. After deciding the serve (flip of coin), each player will serve TWO points each.
3. If a player serves a net ball (called a 'let serve'), the point is replayed. (There are no limits to the number of let serves a player may serve.)
4. The server in singles can serve anywhere: short, long, straight, or cross-court. Only in doubles do you have to serve diagonally from your right court to the opponent's right court.
5. If you volley the ball while it is still above the table surface, you lose the point.
6. If you move the table, or touch it with your free hand, during the rally, you lose the point.
7. If a you or your clothing touches the net or post during the rally, you lose the point.
8. If you hit the ball twice in succession, you lose the point.
9. If your shot hits a wall, the ceiling, or misses the opponent's side of the table, you lose the point.
10. Change ends of the table after each game.
11. The player who serves at the beginning of a game is the receiver at the beginning of the next game.
12. After the first player scores the 5th point in the final game of the match, change ends. If you forgot to change at 5, then change as soon as you realize it.
13. If your opponent distracts you by talking or yelling while the ball is in play, play a let.
14. At 10-10, the score is called "Deuce". A player must then win by 2 points. Alternate serves until one player has a 2-point lead.
15. Shake hands after every match to show good sportsmanship.