A match should be awarded to the competitor who wins the greater number of an odd number of games i.e., best two out of three. After each game the players switch sides, and that continues until the match is decided. The only exception is if players are tied at ten points each, in which case the winner is the first one to attain a two point lead. A game consists of eleven points, and the player reaching that amount first is awarded the game. Players alternate serving with each player serving for two points each. While this list may sound long and confusing, after a few minutes of game play the various scoring scenarios will become readily apparent. A point is scored by an opponent several different ways: allowing the ball to bounce twice on one's side of the table not hitting the ball after it bounces on one's side hitting a ball that then bounces on one's own side not returning a ball hit to you hitting the ball before it bounces on one's side hitting the ball twice touching the ball with any part of your body other than your paddle hand above the wrist or the paddle touching the table with your free hand and failing to make a successful serve. Once the ball is successfully served, play continues until a point is scored. A ball that hits the net before landing on the opposite side of the table is a let and must be served again without penalty. The serving player must toss the ball upward and away from the table – at least six inches high and without spin – and then hit the ball so that it bounces once on his side of the table before clearing the net – without contacting it – and bouncing once on the other side of the table. There are simple rules that govern the serve.

The game starts with one person serving to the other – the determination of who serves first can be made any way the competitors choose, although a coin toss is used in high level competition. Here is a brief primer on the rules of table tennis that should allow you to understand and enjoy the game at a new level. The only problem is that many of us do not know what those rules really are.

Table tennis is more than a recreational game, it is a serious sport with world wide appeal, particularly in Eastern countries it is even an Olympic sport! Like any legitimate sport, a true game is played in strict accordance with the official rules. The truth is that while many of us have played casual games of ping pong, few of us have ever seriously played the game the way it was meant to be played by the rules, and under its real name, table tennis. Often a party pastime, ping pong games are a great way to relax and have fun among friends until, that is, there is a dispute about the rules. Its trademark green foldaway tables are a staple in garages and basements no matter where you go. We have all played the game at one time or another.

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