Ping Pong Rules And Regulations

A good knowledge about rules and workings of any game is essential for those who want to pursue a game or a sport or even to keep themselves up-to-date with the requisite information. Table Tennis or ping pong as it is called, is no exception to that. Table tennis as we all know, is a sport played using a hollow ball which is hit by a racket on a table divided by a net into 2 equal halves. The regulatory authority of the game is International Table Tennis Federation, which lays down the ping pong rules. The text to follow will give you a low down on ping pong rules and regulations.

Basic Ping Pong Rules

Table
The surface of the table has to be rectangular and needs to be 9 feet (2.74m) long and 5 feet (1.525m) wide. There are no rules as to what material the table top has to be made of. But, the material should yield an even bounce of around 23 cms, when a standard ball is dropped from a height of around 30 cm. In addition to this, the vertical sides would be used for playing and the top has to be dark-colored with a matte surface. There is a white line on the side, around 2 cms wide on the 2.74meter edges, and a white end line which is 2 cm wide on the 1.525 m edge.

The Net
The net should first of all run parallel to end lines and should be continuous over the whole area of each court. The net should be accompanied with supporting posts, including the clamps. The top of the net must be 6 inches above the table surface. The net posts may extend 6 inches outside the side edges of the ping pong table. Another important thing is that the bottom of the net all over its length should be as close as it can be to the playing surface according to professional ping pong rules.

Ping Pong Rules of Play
For deciding who will serve first, a coin is tossed. The one who serves first, initiates a point. A ping pong ball even if it strikes the lines of the ping pong table will be held as being in play. If the ball strikes the edge of the table, it is held to be a fault, and the ball is out of play. The Olympic ping pong rules say that the ball should be seen by the receiver all through. The ball has to be behind the end line and above the playing surface. The ball has to be thrown up minimum 16 cm vertically in ping pong rules.

The Racket
To begin with, the racket must be made of 85% wood and a side of the racket blade shall be covered with ordinary pimpled rubber. The pimples should be on the outer side with a thickness (adhesive included) of maximum 2mm. If not this the blade has to be covered with a sandwich rubber with pimples either outwards or otherwise, having a thickness of 4 mm including adhesive. The blade should have even thickness all over. These ping pong rules and regulations are quite descriptive as regards the racket too.

Points, Game and Match
Points are won in these cases:

• The player can score a point unless the rally has a let, that is the ball hits the net post before it reaches the opponent's half.
• Incorrect service by the opponent.
• Incorrect return by an opponent.
• If a player's opponent obstructs the ball.
• If the ball touches anything other than the net assembly after being served and before being hit by the other player.
• If a player's opponent strikes the ball twice successively.
• If the opponent of the player's free hand touches the playing surface.
• In case a doubles opponent strikes the ball and it goes out of sequence initiated by the first server and receiver.
• A game is won by the player or in a doubles a pair which scores 11 points first.
• If both the parties are on 10, a tie, then the first player gaining a lead of 2 points wins.
• A match comprises the best of any odd number of games.

Rules for doubles ping pong are almost similar.

There are some more intricacies involved in ping pong rules and regulations, but then, those who play would know it, a layman would do just fine with the above rules. This is where I sign off!