Table Tennis Rules And Regulations to Follow in a Match

Table tennis is a very popular indoor sport worldwide as you don't need much in terms of equipment or skill to enjoy the game. This although doesn't mean the absence of any rules or regulations to follow while playing a match of table tennis. For a friendly match, the rules & regulations can be as lenient as comfortable between both players but in case of a professional level match, these rules can influence the outcome of the match.

For a beginner, this article will introduce you to the most common rules along with the terminologies. For those in intermediate or professional skill level, this article will act as a refresher course on the different rules and regulations followed in IFTT as well as USAFTT matches.

 

Equipment related Regulations

 

Table Tennis Tables

• Length should be 9 ft and length should be 5ft
• The table should be at least 30inches from the ground
• The surface should be smooth and not contribute any external friction
• The top layer material should be such that a ping pong ball, when dropped on from a height of 30cm, should yield a uniform bounce of about 23cm
• For a singles match, the central line should not be considered and in case of a doubles match, each side of the table should be considered as 2 half-courts with the central line considered as a part of the right court on either side.

 

Table Tennis Rackets

• The blade should flat and rigid
• 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood and any reinforcements inside the base, such as carbon fiber or compressed paper shouldn't exceed 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm
• The outer rubber mat thickness should not exceed 2.0mm. In the case of sandwich rubber, the total thickness should not exceed 4.0mm
• The top rubber mat should only extend up to the outer limits of the blade, should have a matte finish even & continuous thickness
• The rubber surface on one side of the blade should be red in color and the opposite needs to have a black surface rubber mat
• The rubber surface should not be used with any physical, chemical or any other treatment

 

Table Tennis Nets

• The entire assembly of a net set should contain the net, it's suspension chords, supporting posts paired with clamps for the fixture
• The overall dimensions of the net should be six feet long and six inches wide
• The federation rules dictate that the bottom should be as close as possible to the playing surface

 

Ping Pong Balls

• The ping pong ball should be made of celluloid or polyurethane, weigh 2.7gms and max diameter of 40mm
• The ball can only be of white, orange color or matte finish

Common Terminologies

Rally - Period of time where the ball is in play

Service - When the player begins a rally

Point - When a player manages to score a point in a rally

Let - When neither player manages to score a point

Free hand - The non-dominant hand used to toss the ball in a service

Racket hand - The dominant hand that holds the racket

Strike - When a player makes a contact with the ball with their racket while holding it

Server - A player who makes the first strike in a rally

Receiver - A player who strikes the ball back to server side in a rally

Umpire - A person who observes a match and whose decision is held final at the point of indecision

Pass over - When a ball passes to the other side from the above upper white line of the net

 

General Rules in a TT Match

 

Service

• A service is only considered when the ball is tossed after it was resting freely in the open palm of the player's free hand
• The ball should travel six inches vertically after leaving the open palm and should only be struck when it falls back without touching anything
• The server can't impart spin while tossing the ball
• The ball first needs to first bounce on their court and pass over to the other side without touching the net
• In the case of a doubles match, the ball should travel from the right court side of the server to the right court side of the receiver
• At the time of serving, the ball should be behind the server's end line and clearly visible from the receiver side. The service is considered incorrect, if the view is obstructed by the server, their partner, or any clothing/ accessories
• In case the umpire doubts the legality of the service, they can warn the server. Any subsequent faults will be considered incorrect serves.

 

Order of play

• In a doubles match, the server (on the right court) shall serve to the recipient (on the right court of the recipient). The receiver returns the shot to the partner of the server, whose return is struck by the receiver's partner. The order of play can be explained as:

                        Server → Receiver
                        Receiver → Server's Partner
                        Server's Partner → Receiver's Partner
                        Receiver's Partner → Server

• Each player shall serve two points in a row and then the server is switched. In the case of a 10-10 point tiebreaker, the player serves only one point.
• A match is played best 3 of 5 games and both players switch sides after every game. In the final game, players switch sides after a player reaches 5 points.

 

Point Scoring

 

A player scores point if

• The opponent botches their service
• The opponent is not able to return the serve
• The ball is obstructed from view
• Opponent fails to land the ball in the right court during a doubles match service
• The opponent strikes the ball twice
• Any part of the bat other than the faces are used to return the ball
• If the opponent intentionally or unintentionally moves the table while playing
• When the opponent's free hand touches the playing surface
• In a double's match, a partner strikes the ball out of the sequence

 

A rally is a let if

• Reciever or partner was not ready
• The ball touches the net during a serve
• Play is interrupted by the judge
• The player is to be penalized for some action
• Play condition changes in a way that influences the outcome of the game.
• The ball leaves the play area after touching the sidelines

 

Wrapping Up

While the rules and regulations mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg, these surely are going to point you in the right direction. For more advanced level understanding it is advisable to consult a coach or a professional player.