Table Tennis is an indoor game that is played by hitting a light - ball over a net with the use of rackets or paddles similar to the famous game tennis. The difference between the two is that table tennis or ping - pong as it is commonly called, is played on a hard rectangular table with a net in the middle and uses of a smaller plastic ball and small wooden rackets.
Playing the game can really look quite easy especially to anyone who is familiar with tennis. However, that's where the similarity ends. The rules of table tennis are really quite different from that of tennis and it should be learned at heart if ever anyone wants to be good at it.
Like in any type of sport, learning the rules of table tennis starts with the familiarization of the different types of equipment that are needed in playing the game. Each type of equipment has its own specifications as specified by the International Table Tennis Federation or ITTF and are used in almost all types of table tennis games and competitions. The different equipments include: the ball, the table, the net and the rackets or paddles.
The next step after knowing the different equipments is to know how to play the game itself. Like in tennis, it is started with the use of a serve. The serving player stands in his end of the table and holds the ball with the palm of his hand. The ball is then thrown upward over the minimum required height of 16 centimeters and then is hit in anyway as long as the ball bounces once on the server's court before going to that of the opponent's. If the ball hits or grazes the net, it is called a let and the serve must be repeated. During a service, it must always be remembered that the ball must not be hidden or obstructed from the views of the opponent and the umpire.
Once the service is good, the players must then hit the ball back and forth over the net making sure that it bounces only once on either side of the table. The net can be hit or grazed during this time as long as it bounces on the opponent's court. The play continues until one of the players makes a mistake which results to a point. Some of mistakes that can result to the awarding of points are:
- Letting the ball bounce twice on the player's own court
- Hitting the ball twice in succession
- Not letting the ball bounce on the opponent's court
- Placing the other hand on the table while the game is in play
- Failure in making a good serve
- Doing an illegal serve
- Touching the net with the racket or any part of the body and;
- Preventing the ball from bouncing on the player's own court or volleying
Then players then alternate the service every two points until 11 point is reached by one of them. This is considered to be the end of the game. In the event that both sides achieve ten points each, the game continues with the service alternating after every point until a two - point advantage is reached by one side.
These are the basic rules of table tennis that must be learned by anyone who is planning to play the game. Advanced rules are also added in the case of doubles or mixed games however, they can easily be learned.