Table Tennis Rules
1.1 A rally is the period during which the ball is in
play.
1.2 A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.
1.3 A point is a rally of which the result is scored.
1.4 The racquet hand is the hand carrying the racquet.
1.5 The free hand is the hand not carrying the racquet.
1.6 A player strikes the ball if he touches it with his
racquet, held in the
racquet hand, or with his racquet hand below the wrist.
1.7 A player obstructs the ball if he, his racquet, or
anything he wears or
carries touches it in play when it has not passed over his
court or an
imaginary extension of his end line, and where it has not
touched his court
since last being struck by his opponent.
1.8 The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a
rally.
1.9 The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second
in a rally.
1.10 The umpire is the person appointed to decide the results
of each rally.
1.11 The assistant umpire is the person appointed to assist the
umpire.
1.12 The stroke counter is the person appointed to count
strokes under the
expedite system.
1.13 Anything that a player wears or carries includes anything
that he was
wearing or carrying at the start of the rally.
1.14 The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the
net if it passes
under or outside the projection of the net assembly outside
the table or if,
in a return, it is struck after it has bounced back over the
net.
1.15 The part of the playing surface nearest the server and to
his right shall be
called the server's right hand court and to his left the
server's left hand
court. The part of the playing surface on the other side of
the net from the
server and to his left of the center line shall be called the
receiver's right
hand court and on the server's right the receiver's left hand
court.
2.1 In singles, the server shall first make a good service,
the receiver shall
then make a good return, and thereafter, server and receiver
alternately
shall each make a good return.
2.2 In doubles, the server shall first make a good service,
the receiver shall
then make a good return, the partner of the server shall then
make a good
return, the partner of the receiver shall then make a good
return, and
thereafter, each player alternately in that sequence shall
make a good
return.
3.1 At the start of service, the ball shall rest freely on the
open, flat palm of the
free hand and shall be stationary, above the level of the
playing surface,
and behind the server's end line.
3.2 The ball and the racquet shall be above the level of the
playing surface
and behind the end line of the server's court or an imaginary
extension
thereof from the last moment at which the ball is stationary
on the palm of
the free hand until the ball is struck in service.
3.3 The server shall then project the ball near vertically
upwards, by hand only
and without imparting spin, so that it rises at least 6 inches
after leaving
the palm of the hand.
3.4 As the ball is then descending from the height of its
trajectory, the server
shall strike it so that it touches first his own court and
then, passing
directly over the net or around or under the projection of the
net and its
supports outside the table, touches the receiver's court.
3.4.1 In doubles, the points of contact of the ball with
the playing
surface shall be the server's right hand court and
then the
receiver's right hand court.
3.4.2 If, in attempting to serve, a player fails to
strike the ball while it
is in play, he shall lose a point.
3.5 When the ball is struck in service, it shall be behind the
end line of the
server's court or an imaginary extension thereof, but not
farther back than
the part of the server's body, other than his arm, leg, or
head, whichever is
farthest from the net.
3.6 It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that
the umpire or assistant umpire can see that he complies with the
requirements for a good service.
3.6.1 If the umpire is doubtful about the correctness of
a player's
service but neither he nor the assistant umpire is
sure it is
illegal, he may on the first occasion in a match
interrupt play
and warn the server without awarding a point.
On any subsequent occasion in the same match at which the same
player's service is of doubtful correctness, for the same or any
other reason, the player shall not be given the benefit of the
doubt and shall lose the point.
3.6.2 Where, however, there is a clear failure to comply
with the
requirements for a good service no warning should be
given
and a point should be awarded against the server.
3.7 Exceptionally, strict observance of the prescribed method
of service may
be waived where the umpire is notified, before play begins,
that
compliance is prevented by physical disability.
4.1 The ball, having been served or returned in play, shall be
struck so that it
passes directly over or around the net and its supports and
touches the
opponent's court, except that:
4.1.1 If the ball, having been served or returned in
play, returns with
its own impetus over the net, it may be struck so that
it touches
directly the opponent's court.
4.1.2 If the ball, in passing over or around the net,
touches the net or
its supports, it shall be considered to have passed
directly.
5.1 The ball shall be in play from the last moment at which it
is stationary
before being projected in service until:
5.1.1 It touches something other than the playing
surface, the net
assembly, the racquet held in the hand or the racquet
hand
below the wrist.
5.1.2 The rally is otherwise decided as a let or a
point.
6.1 A rally is a let:
6.1.1 If the ball served, in passing over or around
the net, touches it
or its supports, provided the serve is otherwise good
or is
volleyed by the receiver or his partner.
6.1.2 If the service is delivered when, in the opinion of
the umpire,
the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided
that neither
the receiver or his partner attempts to strike the
ball.
6.1.3 If, in the opinion of the umpire or assistant
umpire, failure to
make a good service or a good return or otherwise to
comply
with the Laws is due to a disturbance outside the
control of the
player.
6.1.4 If it is interrupted for correction of an
error in playing order or
ends.
6.1.5 If it is interrupted
for introduction of the expedite system.
6.1.6 If it is interrupted for warning a player for
a service of doubtful
correctness or that he has failed to notify a change
of racquet.
If a player fails to notify the umpire and his
opponent when he
changes his racquet , the umpire shall immediately
report this
to the referee. On the first occasion, the referee
shall warn the
player; on any subsequent occasion, the referee shall
disqualify
him.
6.1.7 If the conditions of play are disturbed in a
way which, in the
opinion of the umpire or assistant umpire, is likely
to affect the
outcome of the rally.
Unless the rally is a let, a player shall lose the point:
7.1 If he fails to make a good service.
7.2 If he fails to make a good return.
7.3 If he obstructs the ball, except as provided in Rule
6.1.1.
7.4 If the ball touches his court and then again the
playing surface.
7.5 If he strikes the ball twice successively.
7.6 If he strikes the ball with a side of the racquet
blade having an illegal
surface.
7.7 If he, or anything he wears or carries, moves the
playing surface while the
ball is in play.
7.8 If his free hand touches the playing surface while
the ball is in play.
7.9 If he, or anything he wears or carries, touches the
net or its supports while
the ball is in play.
7.10 If, in doubles, he strikes the ball out of sequence,
except where there has
been a genuine error in playing order.
7.11 If, under the expedite system, he serves and the
receiving player or pair make thirteen successive good returns.
7.12 If the umpire assesses a penalty point against him.
8.1 A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 21
points unless
both players or pairs have scored 20 points. In this case,
the winner shall
be the player or pair first scoring 2 points more than the
opposing player
or pair.
9.1 A match shall consist of the best of three games or the
best of five games.
9.2 Play shall be continuous throughout, except that any
player shall be
entitled to claim an interval of not more than 2 minutes
between any
successive games, except:
9.2.1 The referee may allow a suspension of play of
the shortest
practical duration (in no circumstances more than 10
minutes)
if a player is temporarily incapacitated by an
accident, provided
that in the opinion of the referee the suspension is
not likely to
be unduly disadvantageous to the opposing player or
pair.
9.3 Short reasonable pauses for such purposes as toweling
may be taken, but
only after every 5 points or at the change of ends in the last
possible game
of a match.
9.4 A player who breaks his racquet shall immediately
resume play with a
spare racquet kept close to the playing area or one handed to
him in the
playing area.
9.5 Doubles matches, regardless of the format of the
competition or position
of the match in the draws (semi-finals, finals, etc.) shall be
two of three
games.
10. THE CHOICE OF ENDS AND SERVES
10.1 The choice of ends and the right to serve or receive first
in a match shall
be decided by toss.
10.2 The winner of the toss may:
10.2.1 Choose to serve or receive first and then the
loser shall have
the choice of ends.
10.2.2 Choose an end and then the loser shall have the
right to
choose to serve or receive first.
10.3 In doubles, the pair who has the right to serve first in
any game shall
decide which partner shall do so.
10.3.1 In the first game of a match, the opposing pair
shall then
decide which partner will receive first.
10.3.2 In subsequent games of a match, the serving pair
will choose
their first server and the first receiver will then be
established
automatically to correspond to the first server as
provided in
Rule 12.6.
11.1 The player or pair who started at one end in a game shall
start at the other
end in the immediately subsequent game and so on until the end
of the
match.
11.2 In the last possible game of a match, the players or pairs
shall change
ends when first either player or pair reaches the score of
10.
12.1 In singles: After five points, the receiver shall become
the server and so
on until the end of the game, the score 20-20, or the
introduction of the
expedite system.
12.2 In doubles:
12.2.1 The first five services shall be delivered by the
selected partner
of the pair who has the right to serve and shall be
received by
the appropriate partner of the opposing pair.
12.2.2 The second five services shall be delivered by the
receiver of
the first five services and shall be received by the
partner of the
first server.
12.2.3 The third five services shall be delivered by the
partner of the
first server and shall be received by the partner of
the first
receiver.
12.2.4 The fourth five services shall be delivered by the
partner of the
first receiver and shall be received by the first
server.
12.2.5 The fifth five services shall be delivered by
the first server and
the players shall thereafter serve and receive in the
same
sequence until the end of the game.
12.3 If both players or pairs have scored 20 points or if
the expedite system is
in operation, the sequence of serving and receiving shall
remain the same
but each player shall serve only one point in turn until the
end of the
game.
12.4 The player or pair who served first in a game shall
receive first in the
immediately subsequent game and so on until the end of the
match.
12.5 In the last possible game of a doubles match, the
pair due next to receive
shall change the order of receiving when first either pair
scores 10 points.
12.6 In each game of a doubles match, the initial order of
receiving shall be
opposite to that in the immediately preceding game.
13. OUT OF ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING
OR ENDS
13.1 If by mistake the players have not changed ends when ends
should have
been changed, play shall be interrupted as soon as the error
is discovered
and the players shall change ends.
13.2 If by mistake a player serves or receives out of his turn,
play shall be
interrupted and shall continue with that player serving or
receiving who,
according to the sequence established at the beginning of the
match,
should be server or receiver respectively at the score that
has been
reached.
13.3 In any circumstances, all points scored before the
discovery of an error
shall be reckoned.