Table tennis is a popular recreational game played throughout the world. It is especially popular in China, where table tennis is played in public parks and venues as a matter of course. Table tennis--often called ping-pong--is also a competitive sport that requires excellent reactions, strategy and execution. All competitors need to be aware of the rules before playing a match.
The Serve
The ball is put into play with the serve. While table tennis is a game of top spin, overspin, underspin and side spin when the racket hits the ball, no spin can be imparted by the server when he tosses the ball in the air. The rules demand that the server toss the ball with a vertical motion from a flat hand. The ball cannot be hidden in any way and the referee can take the serve away from the server if he feels that anything was done to create an illegal edge. After a legal toss the server hits the ball so that it lands on his side of the table and then his opponent's side of the table. The ball can be hit back by the opponent.
Legal Shot
After the ball has been put in play with a legal serve, the ball must be returned over the net and onto to the opponent's side of the court. The ball must hit the table to be a good shot. This includes any of the corners, edges or sides of the table. However, it does not include the hardware that holds the net up on the side of the table. If the ball hits the hardware and there is a referee present, she may award the point to the other player or she may call for a replay of the point if she believes the ball would have hit the table had the hardware not been hit. If there is no referee present, a let should be declared and the point should be replayed.
Match Format
In a recreational match, players will play until one player gets 21 points and is ahead by two points. One player will serve five points and then his opponent will serve five points. The match will go on this way until it is complete. If the score is tied at 20-20, the serves are alternated until one player gains a two-point advantage. In a professional match, the serve changes after every two points. Professional matches are often played to a best-of-five games and may only be played until the winner gets 11 points. The winner must be ahead by two points or more.
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