Table Tennis Rules
In Table Tennis two or four players try to hit a light weighed ball form side to side with the help of rackets. The table tennis game is played on a table which is divided into two portions with the help of a net. The players are required to hit the ball into the opponents’ court. The rules of table tennis are very simple to understand and a player can easily learn them within a couple of hours. The dimensions of the table used in table tennis are 274 cm x 152.5 cm x 76 cm high. In addition to this the height of the net is 15.25 cm.
The basic theme behind the game of table tennis is same as that of lawn tennis, but the only difference is a set of rules. The rules of table tennis were set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The rules of ping pong are same. Both the names refer to the same game. The table tennis rules and ping pong rules set by ITTF can be obtained online from the official website off ITTF. There are a lot of free downloads available online. The best way of learning these rules is to get a copy of official rules. The copy of official rules is available online in .PDF form. One thing to consider is that the official rules of table tennis or ping pong are called Laws of Table Tennis. Playing the table tennis with knowledge of official rules can be a real problem when playing in a reputed championship. So it is advisable to get a copy of these official rules. Some little understanding of these rules can be quite helpful and useful. The most important thing to understand is that ping pong and table tennis refer to the same sport. So the official rules will be applied on both the sports. So while playing one should have a copy of official rules in hand, as to avoid any disputes with the opponent.
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The number of table tennis rules is very large and may be irritating but actually most of the rules deal with the positioning of the player body, design of rackets being used in the game, dimensions of the standard table as well as net. Also they may contain requirements of the ball etc. Rules and regulations of table tennis are easy to follow and the player can become used to them in a short period of time. But the most important thing to keep in mind is that racket has one black side while the other is red. Similarly the height of the net must be 15.25 cm. Similarly the player most also be aware that he or she must not touch the table or the net. In the same way moving the table is also not allowed. Table tennis players must be aware of two of the most important rules or laws while learning or reading the official book of rules. These rules include service and scoring.
The player to score 11 points first is the winner of the game. This scoring is an international standard and was declared by the ITTF in the year 2001. The games played at international level or national level contains a match of best of five games or best of seven at championship level matches. In other words a match must consist of the best of any odd number of games.
The game of a table tennis starts with a serve. This is the most important thing in the game of table tennis. And it is due to this reason that most of the rules are regarding the service. The player to serve first is chosen by a toss of a coin. This method is the standard one and is applied on all international as well as national events. However there are other methods for choosing the first player to serve. During the play the player who is serving earns a point. The table tennis service rules are as follows. At the start of the service the ball is in stationary position, resting freely on the server’s flat and open palm. The server than project the ball vertically upwards at least 16 cm so that it can rise after that the server strikes the ball in such a manner that it should touch nothing else.
In table tennis doubles game each partner must hit or return alternate shots. Each partner receives service for five points. The sequence of one specific partner hitting to one specific opponent must be changed after the game.