Table Tennis

History:

Table tennis originated in England in the early 1900s.  Originally known by its trade name, Ping Pong, the name was "officially" changed to table tennis in 1921 when the rules of the game were standardized.

Object of the Game:

Players use paddles to hit a ball across a table divided by a net.

Equipment:

Table- made of wood, 9 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 2'6" above the ground
Net- 6 feet wide, 6 inches high, dark green with a white line on top
Paddle- no official size or weight, but one side must be colored red
Ball- made of celluloid, can be white or yellow, 1.5 inches in diameter and .09 ounces in weight

Rules:

First side to score 21 points wins the game, unless the score is tied at 20, in which case the first side to obtain a two point lead is the winner.

While serving, the ball must be in the open palm of the free hand with all fingers together and the thumb pointed out.  Hand must be higher than the table.  The ball is tossed straight up and cannot be hit until the ball is falling downward.  At the time of the serve, the paddle must be behind the table.

A legal serve occurs when the ball bounces at least one time in the server's court before crossing the net, and the served ball must make contact with the receiver's court.  the white stripe in the center of the table serves no purpose; it is merely decorative.

A return is legal if the ball touches the net or its supports before crossing the net.  The ball cannot bounce more than once before being returned over the net.

A change of service occurs after every 5 points, unless the score is tied at 20.  In this case, the server changes after each point.

The player who served first in the fist game becomes the receiver at the start of the second game.

Players change sides after each game.  In the final game of a match, sides are changed after 10 points.

A rally which ends in no points is called a let.  A let occurs when the ball touches the net on the serve or when the receiver is not ready and in position.

The ball remains in play until a point is scored or a let occurs.


Scoring:

A point is scored when an opponent: fails to make a good serve, fails to make a good return, hits the ball more than one time consecutively, hits the ball without it landing in the opponent's court, allows the ball to bounce more than once in player's own court, hits the ball with any part of the paddle other than the surface, or touches the net or surface of the table with non-playing hand.

The first player to win 3 or 5 games is the winner of the match.