How to play Table tennis: rules and scoring

• Singles or doubles
• Games to 11

Goal: Win games to 11 and take the match.

Setup

• A toss decides the first serve; the other side picks an end.

How to play

1. Serve from an open palm, tossing the ball at least 16 cm.
2. It must bounce first on your side, then on your opponent’s.
3. In doubles you serve diagonally from the right half.
4. Every shot must bounce once on the opponent’s side.
5. Whoever can’t return the ball over the net and onto the table loses the point.

Scoring

• Every rally is a point.
• Games are to 11, two clear; from 10-all you play on until someone leads by two.
• The serve changes every two points, and after every point from 10-all.

Winning

• Matches are best of 3, 5 or 7 games.
• Players change ends after each game, and in the last game when someone reaches 5.

Note

• Games used to be to 21 and some tables still play that way.
• In the app you tap the side that won the point; a mark shows who is serving.