Table tennis cheat sheet
Table Tennis
ITTF singles laws (as published by USATT), abbreviated. When in doubt, see the official rules.
The service toss leaves a still, open, flat palm, rises at least 16 cm near vertically with no spin from the hand, and is struck as it falls.
From the moment the ball leaves your palm until you strike it, the receiver must be able to see it — nothing you wear or carry, and not your free arm, may hide it.
A serve must bounce once on your half, clear the net, then bounce on the receiver's half. A serve that clips the net but is otherwise good is a let — replay it, no limit.
Serves come two at a time, then switch — from 10–10, one at a time.
Lost the count? Add both scores, then:
- Below 10–10: halve that total and round down.
- At 10–10 or higher: use the total as-is.
- Even → the player who served first this game; odd → the other player.
Example: 7–4 is 11; halved and rounded down is 5 (odd), so the other player serves.
Quick check below 10–10:
- Combined score even (2, 4, 6…) → the serve has just changed hands.
- Combined score odd → the same player's second serve.
Things people get wrong:
- Coaching is allowed any time except during rallies — not only between games.
- Only a deliberate double-hit loses the point; an accidental one is fine.
- A ball off the top edge is in; off the vertical side is out.
- A return that clips the net and lands in is good — only a serve that clips is a let.
- Racket: one side black, one side any bright colour (not only red, since 2021).
- Expedite can start after 10 min unless 18+ points are already on the board.
Setup
The table
A 2.74 × 1.525 m surface, 76 cm off the floor, split into two courts by a 15.25 cm net. The dashed centre line only matters for doubles. The top edge counts as playing surface; the vertical side does not.
Serve
A legal serve
Ball still on an open, flat palm behind the end line; toss it near-vertically at least 16 cm with no spin; strike it as it falls so it bounces your half, then the opponent’s.
01
Match format
- Game: first to 11, win by 2 (10–10 goes on until someone leads by two).
- Match: best of any odd number of games — usually 5 or 7.
- Choice: the coin-toss winner takes serve, receive, or an end; the other player gets the remaining choice.
- Change ends: after every game, and whoever served first in a game receives first in the next. In the deciding game, switch ends the moment either player reaches 5.
02
The serve
- Start: ball resting still on your open, flat free palm — behind the end line and above the table.
- Toss: near-vertical, no spin, at least 16 cm up, and it must fall untouched before you strike it on the way down.
- Bounces: your half first, then straight over to the receiver’s half.
- Visible: the receiver must see the ball the whole time — free arm swings clear of the space between ball and net once you’ve tossed.
- If in doubt: the umpire may warn you once; after that, any serve that isn’t clearly legal is a fault.
03
Order of play & the rally
- Serve rotation: two serves each, then swap — one each from 10–10 (and under expedite). Lost the count? Add both scores: halve it and round down below 10–10, or use it as-is from 10–10 — even means the first server, odd the other.
- The return: after one bounce on your side, hit it back so it lands on the opponent’s court — over or around the net. Clipping the net on a rally shot is fine, play on.
- No volley: you must let the ball bounce on your side before playing it — hitting it out of the air loses the point.
- Edge, not side: a ball catching the top edge is good; one that hits the vertical side is out.
04
Let — replay, no point
- Serve clips the net and is otherwise good.
- Receiver wasn’t ready and made no attempt to play it.
- Outside disturbance the player couldn’t control — a stray ball, a noise off.
- Umpire stops play — to fix the serving or ends order, start expedite, or warn someone.
05
Lose the point
- Bad serve or return — into the net, off the end without a bounce, or wrong bounce order.
- Deliberate double-hit — two separate strikes on purpose. An accidental double contact in one stroke is fine.
- Wrong contact: the ball touches you, your clothing, or a bare (non-rubber) side of the blade.
- Free hand or body touches the playing surface, or you move the table.
- Touch the net assembly — you, your paddle, or anything you wear — while the ball is in play.
- Volley / obstruction — you play the ball before it has bounced on your side.
06
Expedite
- Starts: after 10 minutes on one game — unless 18+ points have already been scored — or any time both players ask.
- How it plays: one serve each for the rest of the match.
- Receiver’s 13: if the receiver makes 13 good returns in a rally, the receiver wins the point.
07
Kit, conduct & breaks
- Racket: one side black, the other a bright colour clearly distinct from black and from the ball. Show it to your opponent before the match; no swapping mid-match unless it breaks.
- Ball: 40 mm, 2.7 g, matt plastic, white or orange.
- Timeout: one of up to 1 minute per match — make a “T” with your hands between rallies.
- Towel: a brief break every 6 points, and at the change of ends in the last game.
- Between games: up to 1 minute.
- Coaching: allowed any time except during a rally, as long as play isn’t delayed — from one designated person in singles.
- Conduct: no deliberate delay, distraction, or disturbing the conditions of play. Penalties escalate warning → point → game.