Official USA Table Tennis Association rules stipulate that games of ping pong, or table tennis, are played to 11, not 21, but many players adhere to the 21-point game format. Though the winning score is different, the possibility of a tie in a 21-point game is the same as the possibility of a tie in an 11-point game, and the rules for breaking that tie are the same.
Scoring
In a ping pong game to 21 points, the first player to reach 21 points wins, but players must win by 2 points. If players tie at 21, a tiebreaker sequence begins wherein players alternate serve after each game point until one player has gained a lead of 2 points. For example, a game that is tied 21 to 21 would not end if one player scored to make it 22 to 21. It would only end if that player scored again, winning the game by 2 points for a final score of 23 to 21.
Serving
During normal game play, players switch serves after every 2 points. Once a tiebreaker is required, players must switch serve after every point. The goal behind this rule is to take away a server's advantage. The serving players has more control over the point, capable of setting up certain shots just by the way he serves the ball. Because you must win by 2 points, allowing a player to serve twice in a row would give him a distinct advantage.
Strategy
Because reaching a tie and switching to a tiebreaker requires a sequence of alternating serves, the best strategy for winning is to avoid tiebreakers as much as possible. It is easier to win a game before the tiebreaker than after, because you can serve twice in a row, accumulate points faster and gain the necessary 2-point lead required to win. If you are in a game that is about to go to a tiebreaker, consider going for a more risky but more powerful shot that might give you the extra point you need to win, right when you need it most.
History
The 11-point scoring format has not always been the norm for ping pong games. Prior to 2001, all ping pong games were played to 21. After the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the International Table Tennis Federation changed the rules to make the games more exciting and accessible to more players. Two of the biggest rule changes regarded scoring and the type of ball used. The ball was made 2 ml larger, from 38 mm to 40 mm, in an effort to slow the game, and the final score was changed to 11 to make the games quicker and more interesting to watch.
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