Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport that requires a lot of skill and strategy. Whether you're playing in the garage or in a tournament, it's important to know the official rules of the game. Here we summarize the essential rules of table tennis from USA Table Tennis to help you resolve disputes and keep the game running smoothly. A game is played with 11 points. A game must be won by two points.
Usually, one game is the best of three out of five games. In regular tennis, you can “volley” (hit the ball before it bounces off your side of the net). If you hit the ball at a rally or on a serve and it bounces off the net after hitting your opponent's side of the table (due to an extreme turn), without your opponent touching it, that's your point. Doubles teammates must hit balls alternately on a rally, no matter where the ball lands on the table. You can touch the ball or the table with the hand of the paddle (after reaching out to return a short serve, for example) or other parts of the body.
But if your opponent's blow goes over your side of the table without touching it and hits any part of you or your paddle, that's still 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. But what happens if the ball touches a player's body anywhere else during a ping pong rally? You cannot touch the ball with your hand other than a paddle for any reason. If this happens, then it is considered a foul and your opponent will be awarded a point. These are just some of the basic rules for playing table tennis. Knowing these rules will help you stay organized and ensure that everyone is playing fair.
So grab your paddle and get ready for some intense table tennis action!.
