Title: Basic ping Pong rules:  The comprehensive guide

Title: Basic ping Pong rules:  The comprehensive guide

Title: Basic ping Pong rules:  The comprehensive guide

Ping pong also known as Table tennis is an indoor racket game and ranked the sixth most popular with an estimated 850millon fans in the world. The Equipment required includes a celluloid plastic ball, a table (2.74m long, 1.525m wide and 76cm high) and a ping pong paddle . Two or four players play the game of table tennis. Standing opposite each other at a table that is separated by a net; the players hit the ball back and forth.  Most people are playing fun games just to enjoy table tennis but in tournament play, ping pong rules are taken very seriously. If you are playing in a tournament it is best to study the official rules so that you have the game under control. You will need to understand that everyone else will also be following these rules and there are penalties for not doing what is required. There are some common rules to follow in order to play table tennis, the rules and regulations are mentioned below.

Rules on Serving:

There are a few rules for Ping Pong which are below:

  1.  Toss the ball upward at least 16cm or 6 inches: A lot of players in Table Tennis do not get the required height when they play table tennis. Most of them are tossing the ball without any wait for it to go upward at least 6 inches and they hit the ball right away.it needs more skill and training to hit the ball on a higher toss.
  2.  Toss must be “near vertically upward”, not heavily sideways or backward. It’s very common to see players throwing the ball backward (away from the table) to help generate more underspin, but try to avoid this practice. Your toss should be mainly vertical, with very little horizontal movement in any direction. It’s somewhat problematic that the rule is vague as it doesn’t give a definition of how straight your toss must be.
  3. Hiding the ball with your body or arm is illegal in Table Tennis. Players used to hide their ball with their body or arm so that the opponents will have a hard time with how they serve is being taken. Now a days, the rule has changed. You must make sure you keep your free arm visible to the opponents when playing table tennis so that your opponent has a clear view of the ball throughout the entire serve process.
  4. You must strike the ball as it is on its way down.

You can’t hit the ball as it’s on the rise from your toss, it must have started falling before you make contact. It doesn’t have to drop all the way down to the point where you tossed it, but it has to be falling.

These are the primary rules on serving in a Table Tennis match.

Rules of doubles player:

Whether you are playing singles or doubles in Table Tennis, rules are all the same. when playing doubles, the serve needs to be performed from one side of the table where the player next to him has to wait for his turn. It must bounce only on the right half portion of the table for both the server and the receiver. Each court shall be divided into two equal half-courts by a white line, 3mm wide, running parallel with the sidelines.so it means that if you play doubles, it must have a table which a center line marked on it.

Rules of singles player:

It does not matter whether you are playing doubles or singles matches, rules are always the same. although, for singles match, there are only two players involved. The game ends at 21 points. Whoever scores 21 will be the winner. Before you start the match, you can have a toss in the form of a short play where one player hits the ball and it goes over to the other side of the table and whoever fails to keep the game going, losses thus resulting in the favor of the winner. The winner can decide whether he will serve first or he can also pick which side of the table he wants.

Winning Points:

There used to be a rule where the first player would reach 21 points thus becoming the winner of the match. ITTF has changed the rule from 21 points to 11 points which means if a player can reach up to 11 points, he is considered the winner. If both players score 10 points, then it is called deuce and players need to start the game at 5 points each till it reaches 11 points. Once a player reaches 11 points, he is the winner of the match.


Table Tennis is a fun sport for anyone. You do not have to be a well-trained individual to play table tennis. From young kids to older people, table tennis has no bounds. It is a healthy sport which one can play every day in any season. Since it is an indoor sport, you do not need to worry about rain or scorching heat from the sun. it keeps you healthy and fit and helps you very much with focus and concentration. These ping pong rules will be helpful for the beginners but most of them avoid it.