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Table
Tennis Rules brought to you by Escalade Sports
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Scoring
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The player, or doubles
team, who first scores 21 points wins the Table Tennis game. However, you must win
by two points so a game could go on to 30-50 points before being decided.
A match is usually the best two out of three games, and in international
championships, it is best three out of five games. In other words, if
you lose the first game it’s not the end of the world; winning the next
games can make you the winner.
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Choice of Ends
and Service
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Who starts serving
and which player gets to stand at which end? You can flip a coin... if
you win the flip you can choose to SERVE or RECEIVE from the end you like.
After each game you will alternate the ends. Should there be a tie, for
instance, one game to one game, the players will change ends after the
first player reaches 10 points in the final game.
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The Serve
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Stand behind your
end of the Ping Pong table. Hold the ball in the palm of your free hand and throw
the ball straight up in the air. As the table tennis ball falls, hit it so it lands
on your half of the table, makes one bounce, and lands on the other side
of the table. If the serve touches the net, it is a let, and you must
serve again. If it touches the net and lands on the floor, you lose a
point. If the serve goes into the net, you lose the point. You serve until
five points have been scored, and then the other player gets to serve
for the next five points. At 20 to 20 (you must win by two points), you
alternate the serve after each point.
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The Server
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The Server The server
is the player who starts the game by being the first to put the ball into
play.
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The Receiver
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- The receiver is
the ping pong player who receives the ball from the server and returns it over
the net.
- If you are the
receiver, remember: The ball must not bounce twice on your side of the
table and you can hit the ball only once to return it.Try to hit the
ball on its highest peak and you will have a better angle hitting it
back onto the opponent’s side. If your return touches the net and goes
over, it’s okay.
- If it goes into
the net, it is bad news! You lose a point. If your return goes over
the net but misses the table, bad news again! You lose another point.
Should your returning ball touch the edge of the table on your opponent’s
side, that’s great! It’s very hard to return an edge ball. As long as
the ball hits the edge while dropping, it counts. Should the ball hit
the side of the table top, it is not considered an edge ball and will
not count.
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Win a Point
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If the opponent fails
to return your shot. Your shot can hit the boundary lines (white lines)
on your opponent’s side or even the edge of the table and it is legal.
Your serve can also hit the edge and it is legal. If you hit the ball
off the table but it lands on you opponent’s paddle before it touches
the floor or wall. This may seem odd that you can win a point by missing
the table, but this rule is to prevent any volley play.
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Lose a Point
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- If when attempting
to serve or make a return, you miss the ball.
- If you hit the
ball into the net, including the top of the net, and it comes back to
your side of the table.
- If you hit the
ball wide or too far so the first bounce hits the floor or the wall.
- If you hit the
ball before it bounces on your side of the table. No volley is allowed.
- If the ball bounces
twice on your side of the table before hitting it.
- If you move the
table or touch the net during play.
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Legal
Point
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It is legal to hit
the ball around the side of the net to land the ball on your opponent’s
side.
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