TABLE TENNIS

HISTORY
• Table Tennis had humble beginning as a “Parlor Game",
open to anyone with access to a table, paddle and ball.
• The game began in the 1880’s,when lawn tennis
players adapted their game to play indoors during the a
winter.
• The exact origin of table tennis is not known, but the
game became popular in England in United State in the
late 19th Century.
• When the game first started it was called by a number
of different names, “Whif Whaf,” “Gossamer,” and “flim
flam” were commonly used to describe it.
• 1920- the International Table Tennis Federation was
established
• 1927- London hosted the first official World
Campionship
• 1988- the game was introduced as an Olympic
Sport
• 2000- the ITTF (International Table Tennis
Federation) instituted several rules making the
game exciting to the spectator
• It became the most participants of any sport in
the world and now fast and high-tech sport.
• In 1926, meetings were held in Berlin and London
that led to the formation of the International
Table Tennis Federation. The first World
Championship were held in London in 1926, but
the sport had to wait a long time before it was
given its Olympic debut at the 1988 Seoul Games
• Nowadays, player use specially developed
rubber-coated wooden and carbon-fibre
rackets and a lightweight, hollow celluloid ball.
Thanks to their high-tech rackets, they can
now smash the ball over 150 kilometers per
hour.
EQUIPMENT
 Table Tennis Racket
• Also called bats or paddles
• “Racket” is the official ITTF term for the
instrument used to hit the ball
• Made of plywood and covered in pimpled or
inverted rubber with a thin layer of sponge in
between
 Table Tennis Racket
• Most rackets have long handles but the
Japanese racket has a raised handle and the
Chinese racket a much shortened handle,
allowing for varying ways of gripping the
racket.
 Ball
• International regulations require a table tennis
ball to be 40 mm in diameter and made from
hollow celluloid.
• The ball shall weigh 2.7 g.
• The color of the ball used depends upon the
color of the table but is usually the color that
stands out most effectively against the table
(white or orange, and matt).
 Ball
• The quality of the ball is denoted by a number
of stars; one, two or three.
• Three star balls are the most expensive but
are in very good quality and will last longer
than balls with one star.
 Table
• Official table tennis tables are 2.74 m in
length, 1.525 m wide and 0.7 m high.
• Tables are made from a manufactured timber
and covered in a smooth coating to reduce
friction, allowing the ball to have maximum
bounce.
• A white line borders the table and divides it
lengthwise, marking the right hand and left
hand half of each side.
 Net
• The net stretches across the table and should
be 15.25 cm high.
 Clothing
• There is no specific uniform required for table
tennis, although in official competitions teams
will wear clothes representing their countries’
colors.
• Loose, non-reflective clothing is
recommended and footwear should allow
good ankle control and quick movements, as
opposed to trainers that are specifically
designed for running.
RULES
 Definition
• A rally is the period which the ball is in play.
• A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.
• A point is a rally of which the result is scored.
• The server is the player due to strike the ball
first in the rally.
• The receiver is the player due to strike the ball
second in rally.
 Definition
• The ball shall be regarded as passing over or
around the net assembly if it passes anywhere
other than between the net post or between
the net and the playing surface.
 The Service
• Service shall start with the ball resting freely
on the open palm of the server’s stationary
free hand. The server shall then project the
ball near vertically upwards, without
imparting spin, so that it rises 16 cm after
leaving the palm of the free hand and then
falls without touching anything before being
struck.
The Service
 The Return
• The ball, having been served or returned shall
be struck so that it passes over or around the
net assembly and touches the opponents
court, either directly or after touching the net
assembly.
 The Order of Play
• In singles, the server shall make a first service and
the receiver shall make a return and thereafter
alternately shall each make a return.
• In doubles, the server shall first make a service,
the receiver shall then make a return, the partner
of the server shall then make a return, the
partner of the receiver shall then make a return
and thereafter each player in turn in that
sequence shall make a return.
 A Point
• Unless a rally is a let, a player shall score a
point:
– If an opponent fails to make a corrective service;
– If an opponent fails to make a correct return;
– If, after he or she has made a service or a return,
the ball touches anything other than the net
assembly before being struck by an opponent;
– If the ball passes over his or her court or beyond
his or her end line without touching his or her
court , after being struck by an opponent;
 A Point
– If an opponent obstructs the ball;
– If an opponent deliberately strikes the ball twice in
succession;
– If an opponent strikes the ball with a side of the
racket blade whose surface does not comply with
the requirements of 2.4.3, 2.4.4 and 2.4.5;
– If an opponent, or anything an opponent wears or
carries, moves the playing surface;
– If an opponent, or anything an opponent wears or
carries, touches the net assembly;
 A Point
– If an opponent’s free hand touches the playing
surface;
– If a doubles opponent strikes the ball out of the
sequence established by the first server and first
receiver;
– If both players or pairs are in wheelchairs due to a
physical disability and his or her opponent does not
maintain a minimum contact with the seat or
cushions, with the back of the thigh, when the ball is
struck;
– His or her opponent touches the table with either
hand before striking the ball;
 A Point
– His or her opponent’s footrest or foot touches the
floor during play
 A Game
• A game shall be won by a player or pair first
scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs
score 10 points, when the game shall be won
by the first player or pair subsequently gaining
a lead of 2 points.
 A Match
• A match shall consist of the best of any odd
number of games.