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Table Tennis

Table Tennis, also known as ‘Ping-Pong’, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small rackets.
The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net.

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Rules

Except for the initial serve, the rules are generally as follows:
Players must allow a ball played toward them to bounce one time on their side of the table, and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side at least once. A point is scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules.

Scoring

A point is scored by the player for the following reasons:
The opponent fails to make a correct service or return.
After making a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net assembly before being struck by the opponent.
The ball passes over the player's court or beyond their end line without touching their court, after being struck by the opponent.
The opponent obstructs the ball.
The opponent strikes the ball twice successively. The opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface is not covered with rubber.
The opponent moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly.
The opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.

Scoring

The opponent that has been warned by the umpire commits a second offense in the same individual match or team match.
A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points unless both players score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games. In competition play, matches are typically best of five or seven games.

Techniques

Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage.

Doubles

In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. Singles and doubles are both played in international competitions.
In doubles, all the rules of single play are applied except for the following.
Service:
A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rule, which is that service must originate from the right hand "box”.

Governing body

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926.
ITTF currently includes 226 member associations.The table tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF handbook.

The Olympics

Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988,with several event categories.
From 1988 until 2004, these were men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008, a team event has been played instead of the doubles.

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