Pingpong is a game played in many basements and rec rooms, but it is also a game played by Olympic athletes in packed auditoriums. Pingpong starts with a serve, and there are many rules regulating the actions involved in serving.
Presenting the Ball
The ball must be displayed in the open hand of the server before it is put into play. At no point can the server hide the ball in his hand as he prepares to hit it. The ball must be tossed vertically and it must be above the level of the table at all times. In recreational ping pong, a player can try to intimidate his opponent by spinning the ball before he hits it, but this is illegal in the competitive version of the sport.
Striking the Ball
The ball must be struck as the ball descends to hit it legally. The serve must hit the server's side of the court, bound over the net and then hit the receiver's side of the court for the serve to be a good serve. If the server is skilled enough, he can send the ball over the net with a tremendous amount of spin that's imparted by the racquet. The ball must be struck behind the end of the server's side of the table.
Let
If the serve hits the net or any part of the hardware holding the net, then goes over the net and hits on the opponent's side of the table, it's a let. This means the serve will be replayed without either player being penalized. The number of lets in a point is unlimited, much like foul balls in baseball. If the serve does not go over the net or is mishit in any way, a point is credited to the receiver.
Member Comments