Table tennis is a sport of intense speed and astonishing precision, and it's no wonder that the rules of the game can be a little overwhelming. But don't worry, we've got you covered! In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover all the essential rules of table tennis from USA Table Tennis to help you resolve disputes in the garage or office. Let's start with the basics. According to table tennis laws, a player can win a table tennis game by scoring 11 points, with one point awarded for each violation.
Each player can serve twice in a row, and the first to get 11 points will be declared the winner. No points will be scored and your serve must be repeated (assuming you have complied with the other table tennis service rules I have explained here). Players competing in the Grand Final will have the option of challenging up to two of the referees' calls per game. Any dispute over the legality of the services or shots must be resolved by an impartial person.
In practice, this is not done very often, as it can leave the server out of position for the rest of the rally. The server has to hold the ball with an open palm, throw it upwards and hit it so that the ball first bounces off the server's side of the table before it bounces over the net to the other side. According to the official rules of table tennis, the game is played on a rectangular wooden table measuring 2.74 x 15.3 meters and is divided into two halves. It's one of the first shots a table tennis player is taught while the game is being introduced to him.
The rules say that the ball must touch the right half of the court and that the center line is considered part of every right court. Basically, as long as the ball does not pass under the net, or between the net pole and the net, for nets that do not extend to the net pole, it is considered to have passed over or around the entire net if you hit the ball and it falls on the opponent's playing surface. This shot is only good, as long as the ball doesn't end up hitting the side of the table (the white line is acceptable, the side is not). Let's keep things simple and say that you should never, in any situation, hit the ball if it hasn't touched your side of the table first. This is known as a valley or “obstruction”, and it's an illegal shot in table tennis.
If you touch the surface of the table with your free hand (the one that doesn't hold a paddle) during a rally, your opponent will automatically receive a point. This also applies if you move the table with anything you are wearing or wearing. Sometimes the rules just aren't specific enough and may be open to interpretation, but other times it just takes an impartial person to decide if a shot is legal or not. When this is not the case and there is no qualified arbitrator present, you will have to rely on what's known as “the honor system”. The “honor system” means that players must come to an agreement with each other. If you hit a ball at a rally or on a serve and it bounces off your opponent's side of the table (due to an extreme turn), without your opponent touching it, that's your point.
An otherwise legal serve or hit may come into contact with the upper edge of the horizontal surface of the table top and be considered valid, even if it bounces sideways. Whenever your serve bounces once on your side of the table and at least once on your opponent's side of the table, it can disappear from either side of your opponent's court without penalty. This also applies if you move your paddle across your body while serving. The best way to do this is to establish some ground rules before playing and discuss some of those situations that you think are likely to happen. We know that these rules can be a little overwhelming at times, but don't worry - we've got you covered! We set out to help our fellow table tennis lovers understand this amazing sport better by publishing weekly blog posts that will help even those who are least experienced players. So if you have any questions about table tennis that haven't yet been posed and answered, don't hesitate to submit them here! We hope this comprehensive guide has helped you understand all there is to know about playing this amazing sport.
