How to Play Table Tennis: Serve, Scoring and Rules
Updated
In table tennis you hit a light ball over a net with a racket so that it bounces on your opponent's half of the table and they cannot return it. You start each rally with a serve from an open palm, and every rally scores a point. A game goes to 11 points, and you must win by two.
The rules below follow the Laws of Table Tennis in the ITTF Handbook and the Wikipedia article on table tennis. Ping-pong is another name for the same sport.
The table, ball and racket
| Part | Standard |
|---|---|
| Table | 2.74 m long, 1.525 m wide and 76 cm above the floor |
| Net | 15.25 cm high, across the middle of the table |
| Ball | 40 mm across, 2.7 g, white or orange |
| Racket | Any size or shape, with a flat, rigid blade; the striking sides are covered with rubber, one side black and the other a bright color |
How a rally works
- The server serves, so that the ball bounces on their own half first and then on the receiver's half.
- The receiver lets the ball bounce once on their half, then hits it back so that it lands on the server's half. It may touch the net on the way over.
- The players hit the ball back and forth, each letting it bounce once on their own half before hitting it.
- The rally ends when someone fails to make a legal return or commits a fault. The other player scores the point.
How to serve
- Rest the ball on the open palm of your free hand, the one that does not hold the racket, and keep that hand still.
- Toss the ball straight up, without spin, so that it rises at least 16 cm.
- Hit the ball as it falls. It must bounce first on your half and then directly on the receiver's half.
- From the start of the serve until you hit the ball, keep it behind your end line, above table level and in view of the receiver.
- As soon as you toss the ball, take your free arm and hand out of the space between the ball and the net.
In doubles, the serve goes from the server's right half of the table to the receiver's right half. If a serve touches the net but is otherwise correct, it is a let: the rally is not scored and is played again.
An incorrect serve gives the receiver the point. The umpire may warn you once in a match about a serve that is not clearly legal, and after that an unclear serve counts as a fault.
Scoring and winning
- Every rally scores a point for one player, whoever served, unless it is a let.
- A game is won by the first player to reach 11 points. If both players reach 10, the first to lead by two points wins.
- The serve changes every two points, whoever wins them. From 10-10 each player serves one point at a time.
- A match is played over an odd number of games, such as five or seven, and the player who wins most of them wins the match. Players switch ends after each game.
- A toss decides who chooses first. The winner may serve, receive or pick an end, and the opponent gets the other choice.
In doubles, the four players hit the ball in turn: the server, the receiver, the server's partner, then the receiver's partner.
How a point is lost
| You lose the point if you | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Serve or return incorrectly | The ball misses the other half of the table or does not cross the net |
| Let the ball bounce twice | The ball bounces a second time on your half before you hit it |
| Hit the ball too early | You hit it before it has bounced on your half |
| Hit the ball twice | You hit it twice in a row on purpose |
| Touch the table | Your free hand touches the playing surface |
| Move the table or touch the net | Your body, clothes or racket moves the table or touches the net |
The white lines marked on the table count as part of the table, so a ball that touches them is good. A ball that hits the vertical side of the table is not.
Rules that differ from casual play
Before September 2001 games went to 21 points and the serve changed every five points, until the ITTF changed both to 11 points and two serves. Casual games often relax the serve rules, so agree on them before the first rally.
Tips for a cleaner game
- Make the toss obvious. The umpire decides whether a serve is legal, so toss straight up, clearly above 16 cm, with the ball in view.
- Vary your two serves. The serve changes every two points, so you serve twice in a row. Change the placement between them.
- Aim at the lines. A ball that clips a white line is good.
- Say the score before each serve. It shows who serves, especially from 10-10, when the serve changes every point.
Table tennis games in your browser
Browser table tennis comes in two styles. Some games show a racket and a table, and others are Pong-style, where you move a paddle on your side of the screen. All of them play free in the browser, with no install and no registration.
- Ping Pong Table Tennis lets you control the racket, hit the ball accurately and react quickly. Opponents get tougher as you go. Click or tap to play.
- Ping Pong Battle Table Tennis is a match simulation against opponents. Click or tap to play.
- Ping Pong has you grab a racket and play with the mouse on a computer.
- Table Pong is table tennis for you and a friend, with the arrow keys and W A S D, or on-screen arrows on a phone.
- Neon Ping Pong is a modern take on classic Pong with a 1-player mode against the computer and a 2-player local mode. You can change the paddle size and the maximum ball speed.
- Crazy Table Tennis is a Pong-inspired game against computer opponents, moved with WASD.
Check each game's instructions for the score it plays to. More sports are in the sports category. To share one keyboard, read two-player games on one keyboard.
Common questions about table tennis
How many points do you play to in table tennis?
A game goes to 11 points, and you must lead by two. If both players reach 10, play continues until one of them leads by two. Games went to 21 points before September 2001.
Who serves first in table tennis?
A toss decides who chooses first, and the opponent gets the other choice. After that the serve changes every two points, or every point from 10-10.
What is a let in table tennis?
A let is a rally that is not scored. A serve that touches the net but is otherwise correct is a let, and the serve is played again.
Can you hit the ball before it bounces?
No. After a serve or a return, you must let the ball bounce on your half first. Hitting it earlier gives your opponent the point.
Serve with a clear toss, let the ball bounce once, and keep the count to 11.
