Table Tennis: Basic Rules & Gameplay

Table Tennis: Basic Rules & Gameplay

Here are the basic rules and gameplay for table tennis.

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Objective

  • Players aim to score points by hitting the ball over the net so that the opponent fails to return it correctly

  • A point is won when:

    • The opponent misses the ball

    • The ball bounces twice on the opponent’s side

    • The return goes out of bounds or into the net

Scoring System

  • A game is played to 11 points, and a player must win by a minimum of 2 points (e.g., 11–9, 12–10)

  • Matches typically follow a best-of-5 or best-of-7 games format in competitive play

  • A point is scored on every rally (rally scoring system)

Serve and Rally

  • Serve alternates every 2 points between players

    • In a 10–10 tie, serve alternates after every point (deuce rules)

  • Legal serve requirements:

    • Ball must be tossed at least 6 inches in the air

    • Server must hit the ball behind the end line and above the table surface

    • Ball must bounce once on each side of the table during serve

  • Once the ball is in play (after the serve), players rally by hitting the ball back and forth

  • Rally continues until one player fails to make a legal return

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