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The Complete Guide to Table Tennis Rules

Table tennis is a familiar backyard and rec-room game, but its official rules are less well known than you'd expect. Here's a rundown centered on scoring and serving.

Object of the Game

Players hit a small ball back and forth across a table with a rubber-faced paddle, scoring points when the opponent fails to return it legally. Both singles and doubles reward sharp reflexes and precise spin control.

Scoring (11 Points)

A game is won by the first player to reach 11 points, and matches are typically best of 5 or best of 7 games. If the score reaches 10-10, play continues until one side leads by 2 points.

Serve Rotation

Serve alternates every 2 points, but during a 10-10 deuce it switches every single point instead. A legal serve requires resting the ball flat on an open palm, tossing it straight up at least 16 cm, and striking it on the way down.

The Let Rule

If a serve clips the net but still lands legally in the opponent's court, it's called a 'let,' and the point is simply replayed. A let can also be called for unexpected interference during a rally, voiding the point so it can be replayed.

Grip Styles

The two main grips are the 'shakehand,' held like shaking someone's hand, and the 'penhold,' gripped like holding a pen. Shakehand suits playing both forehand and backhand with equal strength, while penhold is known for fast wrist snap and aggressive close-to-table attacks.

Basic Spin Types

Core spins include topspin (which makes the ball dive sharply downward), backspin (which keeps the ball low and slow), and sidespin (which curves the ball left or right). Reading an opponent's spin, both its type and intensity, is one of the biggest skills in the sport.

Basic Equipment

An official table measures 2.74 m by 1.525 m with a net height of 15.25 cm. The rubber covering a paddle's blade comes in many surface textures, each producing different spin and speed characteristics, so players choose rubber suited to their own style.

A Sport Dominated by East Asia

Table tennis has long been dominated at the Olympic and World Championship level by East Asian nations, particularly China, which has produced generation after generation of world-class players. Its small footprint also makes it one of the most widely played recreational sports anywhere, easy to set up in a school, office, or basement.

Why the Sport Switched From 21 Points to 11

Table tennis used a 21-point scoring system for most of the 20th century, but the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) switched to the current 11-point format in 2001. The change was meant to make games shorter and more TV-friendly, and switching serve every 2 points instead of 5 also reduced how much any one server's advantage could swing a game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the ball have to be tossed from a flat, open palm before serving?

It's a fairness rule -- resting the ball motionless on an open palm, then tossing it straight up at least 16 cm before striking it, makes sure the receiver can clearly see exactly when the serve begins. Serving without following this makes the serve illegal and awards the point to the opponent.

Has the ball itself changed over the years?

Yes -- table tennis used a 38 mm celluloid ball for decades, but international rules shifted to a larger 40 mm plastic (non-celluloid) ball in the 2000s. The bigger ball slightly reduces spin and speed, which tends to produce longer, more watchable rallies.