Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a game that is won by being the first player to earn 11 points and be at least 2 points ahead of their opponent. If both players have earned 10 points, the first player to gain a 2-point advantage wins the game. A match is the best of 5 games and is now played with a maximum of 11 points. The International Rules state that referees should not wait until they determine that players are ready to continue playing before equalizing the score. To play a casual game of table tennis, players must stay away from the table and use the top of the paddle to push it down at a 45-degree angle while making contact with the lower half of the ball.
During a rally and a point is being decided, both players can stand up wherever they want and launch their shots from any position, even beyond the net, on the opponent's side of the net. The basic service consists of holding the ball in the palm of the hand that is not playing and throwing it upwards. In addition to the official table tennis rules, new players must learn the “rule of etiquette” in table tennis. If the ball touches the net and still bounces off the opponent's side of the table, the serve must be repeated. The ball must be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line (or an imaginary extension of it).
Throwing the ball into the air and missing it (or not hitting the ball against the side of the table where it belongs) results in the player losing a point. However, a common method used at lower levels of play is for a player (or the referee) to hide the ball in one hand, then place both hands under the table or behind the back, and then ask the opponent to guess which hand the ball is in. Table tennis rules have been changed many times in recent years in connection with service law, but for a casual game of table tennis it's still very simple. Knowing some of these basic rules will help you play with your friends and have fun.
