Table tennis

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Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth to each other with rackets (also known as 'bats' or 'paddles'). The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Players must allow a ball played towards them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side. Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart several varieties of spin to the ball, altering its trajectory and limiting an opponent's options to great advantage.

The game is controlled by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport which includes four events. From 1988 until 2004, the events were men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008 the doubles have been replaced by the team events (Beijing was the first time where table tennis had an Olympic team event).

General description

The sport is played with two or four players hitting a ball with rackets back and forth to each other on a table, in a manner similar to tennis. The rules are slightly different, but the concept is very similar. In singles play, the serve is not required to cross from the server's right-hand court to the receiver's right-hand court (or left to left) as it is in tennis. However, serving across is required in doubles play. Ball spin, speed, placement, strategy and tactics play an important part in competitive table tennis matches. The speed of the ball can vary from slow serves with much spin to smashes that travel as fast as 112.5 kilometers per hour (70 mph).

The game is played on a 274 cm × 152.5 cm × 76 cm high (9 ft × 5 ft × 30 inches high) playing surface. The International Table Tennis Federation requires an area not less than 14 m long, 7 m wide and 5 m high for competitions. No limitations in size or shape are specified. Modern rackets usually have a thin layer of rubber covering the racket's striking surface. The rubber may have pimples pointing outwards or inwards, as well as a thin layer of sponge between the plywood center and the rubber surface. Since spin plays a large role in the modern sport of table tennis, the composition of the rubber and the combination of sponge and rubber is designed to maximize the amount of spin and speed a player can impart onto the ball. Other technological improvements include the use of carbon or other synthetic layers as part of the blade to increase the size of the sweet spot or the stiffness of the blade.

The ball used in table tennis has a diameter of 40 mm, is made of celluloid, and is hollow. A three star rating on a ball usually implies a top quality ball, in relation to its bounce, roundness and their respective consistency between balls of the same make and type.

The winner is the first to score 11 points or more while being ahead by 2 points or more. Players alternate serves every two points. At 10-10 (or deuce) the players alternate with every serve; the winner is then the first person to gain a clear two points advantage over his opponent. The 11 point game is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) change which occurred in 2001. All games played at national level and at international tournaments (ITTF) are played to 11 points in either a best of five (5) games (preliminaries) or best of seven (7) games format (championship matches).

Equipment

Ball

The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball. Generally, it is the most-used ball. The rules say that the ball shall bounce up 23 cm when dropped from a height of 30 cm thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.88. The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Olympic Games. However, this created some controversy as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance of winning. A 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than a 38 mm one. The ball is made of a high-bouncing gas-filled celluloid, colored white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Stars on the ball indicate the quality of the ball. 3 stars indicates that it is of the highest quality.

Table

The table is 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 1.525 m (5 ft) wide, and 76 cm (30 inch) high with a Masonite (a type of hardboard) or similarly manufactured timber, layered with a smooth, low-friction coating. The table or playing surface is divided into two halves by a 15.25 cm (6 inch) high net. The table surface can either have a green or blue color.

Racket

Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player. This is called either a paddle, racket or bat depending on where in the world the game is being played. In the USA the term "paddle" is common, in Europe the term is "bat," and the official ITTF term is "racket." This section will use the ITTF term.

Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket. The different types of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, or in some cases, nullify spin. For example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of his racket, and no spin on the other side of the racket. By flipping the racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between different types of rubber used by his opposing player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black. The player has the right to inspect his opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber used and what color it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any time during a match.

Recent years have seen an advancement in technology of table tennis blades. Materials of different properties may be combined with the wood in the blade to enhance its playing performance. Many blades today feature one or more carbon layers within them to enhance their 'sweet spot', and to give the player a greater margin of error when playing powerful shots. Materials incorporated into table tennis blades today include titanium, acrylate, aramids, fiberglass, and aluminium.

The rubber coating may be of pimpled rubber, with the pimples outward, or it may be a rubber that is composed of two materials, a sponge layer, covered by a pimpled rubber, with the pimples pointed inwards or outwards. Some rackets are not covered with rubber at all, because a "naked" racket is more resistant to a spin. However, it is illegal to use these types of racket in competition as they are not approved by the ITTF. Some types of rubbers are also not approved. Approved rubbers have the ITTF emblem on the base of the rubber.

Players have many choices and variations in rubber sheets on their racket. Although a racket may be purchased with rubber by the manufacturer, most serious tournament players will create a customized racket. A player selects a blank blade (i.e. a racket without rubber), based on his playing style. The type of wood and synthetic layers used to make up the blade will provide a slower or faster blade. The player can choose from different types of rubber sheets which will provide a certain level of spin, speed and specific playing characteristics.

Normally, a sheet of rubber is glued to a blade using rubber cement and not removed until the rubber wears out or becomes damaged. In the 1980s, a new technique was developed where the player would use a special glue called speed glue to apply the rubber every time he played. The glue would help provide more spin and speed by providing a "catapult" effect. This technique is known as "regluing" and has become a standard technique for top players.

The surface of a racket will develop a smooth glossy patina with use. The rubber surface needs to be regularly cleaned to ensure it retains a high friction surface to impart spin to the ball. Players use a commercial cleaner, or just water and detergent as cleaning agents.

Racket construction and new rubber technology (skilled elite players typically select and attach the rubber to their own rackets and glue them before every match) contribute significantly to the amount of deviation from the expected ball flight path. The fairly recent development of speed glue speeds up the departure of the ball from the rubber considerably, though at the cost of some ball control on touch shots where little or no spin is put on the ball. Speed glue was allowed for the last time in the 2008 Summer Olympics. From the 2012 Summer Olympics on speed glue will be banned at the Olympic games.

Different types of rubber sheets

Inverted (non-Chinese): This is the most widely used rubber type. The surface is smooth, with the pimpled side facing inwards toward the blade. This enables the player to generate high levels of spin and speed. Spin is generated not by the action of the topsheet alone, but also by the ball sinking into the sponge and allowing greater surface area to contact the ball.

Inverted (Chinese): Chinese rubbers typically have stickier (or "tackier") topsheets. Spin is generated mainly by the topsheet, as opposed to the sponge, which is more condensed and firm. The result is usually a far better short game and potential offensive capabilities than normal inverted, but also a less consistent defensive and/or counter play.

Short pimples (or "pips"): Short pimples-out rubbers are usually used by close-to-the-table hitters (for example, Liu Guoliang). They do not generate as much spin as inverted rubbers, but also make the user less susceptible to the opponent's spin. Speed generated from a short pip rubber is generally greater than that of an inverted with the same sponge. Depending on the thickness of the sponge it is also possible to play a chopping game with short pimples by varying the spin of the return. Whilst blocking and attacking a "dead ball" effect is often noticed. Ding Song is an exponent of this style.

Long pimples (or "pips"): Long pimples-out rubbers carry relatively long and soft pips. They do not have the ability to generate any real spin of their own, but feed off of the opponent's spin instead. This allows the user to confuse the opponent and upset his or her rhythm. Long pips rely on the opponent's oncoming spin, as they tend to "continue" the opponent's spin, by bending upon impact, rather than reversing or changing the spin like inverted rubbers (for example, a topspin executed by the opponent will return to him/her as a backspin after contact with the pimples). Long pips are usually used by close-to-the-table blockers, or choppers, but, in some cases, they can be used away from the table for long distance chops. They are usually only used on the backhand side, as they offer very limited attacking capabilities. Depending on the grip of the sides of the pimples and the thickness of the sponge it is also possible to play an aggressive game with long pips, although without much spin capability.

Anti-spin: Anti-spin rubbers may look similar to the inverted ones, but their surfaces are very slick and frictionless. Like long pimples, they cannot generate much spin. Anti-spin is also not very susceptible to the opponents oncoming spin, due to the low coefficient of friction of the rubber's surface, as well as the incredibly soft sponge, which is designed to cushion or absorb the momentum of the ball upon impact. This is also used to confuse the opponent, but is not widely used at the international level.

Game play

Starting a game

In top-flight competition, service is decided by a coin toss. At lower levels it is common for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other hand (usually hidden under the table), allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball is in. The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the option to choose to serve, receive, or to choose which side of the table to use. Another method is for one player to hit the ball to the other and he or she returns it or by hitting it back and forth four times and then playing out the point. This is commonly referred to as PING. Then, they play one point to see who serves first. Players also determine the first to serve by placing a racket on the table with the handle off the board, taking turns throwing the ball at their opponent's racket. The first to strike the opponent's racket without receiving a return shot gets the serve.

Service

In game play, the player serving the ball commences a point. Standing so that the ball is held behind the endline of the table, with the ball in the palm of the free hand - over the table's height - and the racket in the other, the server tosses the ball without spin, upward, at least 16 centimeters (approximately 6 inches). In casual (non-tournament) games, many players do not toss the ball upward, however this is technically illegal and can give the serving player an unfair advantage. The ball must remain above the height of the table at all times. The server cannot use his body or clothing to obstruct sight of the ball; the opponent and the umpire must have a clear view of the ball at all times.

He or she then must hit the ball from behind the baseline such that it bounces once on his or her half of the table, and then bounces at least one time on the opponent's half. If the ball strikes the net but does not strike the opponent's half of the table, then a point is awarded to the opponent. However, if the ball hits the net, but nevertheless goes over and bounces on the other side, it is called a let (or net-in). Play stops, and the ball must be served again with no penalty. A player may commit any number of lets without penalty.

If the service is "good", then the opponent must then make a "good" return — by returning the ball before it bounces on his or her side of the table a second time. Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move is often the least predictable - due to the numerous spin choices at his or her disposal - and thus most advantageous to him or her.

Hitting the ball

File:Wang Liqin from ITTF.jpg

Wang Liqin. The 2001, 2005 and 2007 World Champion

Any hitting of the ball must be done such that the ball passes over or around the net. If the ball is struck such that it travels around the net, but still lands on the opponent's side of the table, the hit is legal and play should be continued. If the opponent cannot return it over (or around) the net and make it bounce on your side, then you win the point.

Scoring

Points are awarded to the opponent for any of several errors in play:

Allowing the ball to bounce on one's own side twice
Double hitting the ball. Note that the hand above the wrist is considered part of the racket and making a good return off one's hand or fingers on the racket-holding hand is allowed, but hitting one's hand or fingers and subsequently hitting the racket is a double strike and an error.
Allowing the ball to strike anything other than the racket (see above for definition of the racket)
Causing the ball not to bounce on the opponent's half (i.e., not making a "good" return)
Placing one's free hand on the playing surface or moving the playing surface
Offering and failing to make a good serve (i.e., making a service toss and failing to strike the ball fairly into play)
Making an illegal serve: (e.g., one preceded by a player's hiding the ball or his failing to toss the ball at least 16 centimetres (six inches) in the air).
Hitting the net with racket or any body part.
By volleying the ball (not allowing the ball to bounce on your side)

Alternation of service

Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until a player reaches 11 points with at least a two-point lead, or until both players have 10 points a piece. If both players reach 10 points, then service alternates after each point, until one player gains a two-point advantage.

In doubles, service alternates every two points between sides, but also rotates between players on the same team. At the end of every two points, the receiving player becomes the server, and the partner of the serving player becomes the receiver.

In the older 21-point game system, service would alternate every 5 points. If both players reached a score of 20, then service would alternate each point until one player gains a two-point advantage.

Series of games

After each game, players switch sides of the table and in the fifth or seventh, game "for the match", players switch sides when the first player scores 5 points, regardless of whose turn it is to serve. In competition play, matches are typically best of five or seven games.

Doubles game

In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. In doubles, all the rules of single play apply except for the following. A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rule, which is that service, must originate from the right hand "box" in such a way that the first bounce of the serve bounces once in said right hand box and then must bounce at least once in the opponent side's right hand box (far left box for server). Play then continues normally with the exception that players must alternate hitting the ball. For example, after a player serves, the receiving player makes his or her return, the server's partner returns the ball and then the service receiver's partner would play the ball. The point proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the point is then awarded to the other team. Also, when the game reaches the final set, the teams must switch side and the team that receives the service must switch receiver when one of the teams reach 5 points. Singles and doubles are both played in international competition, including the Olympic Games since 1988 and the Commonwealth Games since 2002. In 2005, the ITTF announced that doubles table tennis will only be featured as a part of teams events in the 2008 Olympics.

Effects of spin

Adding spin onto the ball causes a whole range of major and minor changes:

Backspin: The easy-to-learn backspin strokes adds subtle lift to the first part of the ball-curve, lets the ball drop more suddenly, makes the ball bounce more upright and most significantly: makes the ball dive downwards when the opponent uses a common rubber (pimples inwards) on his racket. (The opponent is forced to seriously compensate for the backspin) Due to the initial lift of the backspin-curve, there’s a limit on how much speed one can hit the ball without overflying the opponents half. Backspin also makes it harder for the opponent to hit the ball with lots of speed. In table-tennis backspin is regarded as a defensive alternative, due to: the limitation on ballspeed, the simplicity of producing the strokes and the daring of the opponent. (It is possible to smash with backspin offensively, but only on easy high balls, close to the net)

Topspin: The hard-to-learn topspin strokes has a minor influence on the first part of the ball-curve, but the Magnus effect clearly forces the ball back down a fraction later on. On the bounce the topspin will accelerate the ball a little more. Again the most significant change appears when the opponent hits the ball (with a common pimples inwards rubber on his racket). Due to the topspin the ball jumps upwards and the opponent is forced to seriously compensate for the topspin. There’s virtually no limit on how much speed a topspin-ball can be given (besides your own timing and strength) and a speedy topspin stroke gives the opponent very little time to respond. In tabletennis topspin is regarded as a offensive alternative, due to: the virtual limitless ballspeeds, the highly required skills for producing the strokes and the enhanced tactical pressure on the opponent. (It is possible to play defensive topspin-lobs from far behind the table, but only world class players use this type of gallery play successfully)

Competition

Competitive table tennis is popular in Asia and Europe and has been gaining attention in the United States. The most important international competitions are World Cup, World Championship, the Olympics and the ITTF Pro Tour, as well as continental competitions like European Championship, Euro Top-12, Asian Championship and Asian Games. China continues to dominate most world titles, while other strong teams come from East Asia and Europe including France, Germany, former Yugoslavia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, and Taiwan.

There are also professional competitions at the clubs level. The national league of countries like China (the China Table Tennis Super League), Germany, France, Belgium and Austria are some of the examples being at the highest level. There are also some important international club teams competitions such as the European Champions League and its former competition, the European Club Cup, which the top club teams from different European countries compete.

Notable players

File:Jan-Ove Waldner Olympia-2004.jpg

Jan-Ove Waldner who holds a career grand slam of 4 major titles (2 World Championships, 1 Olympic Gold, 1 World Cup).

Main article: List of table tennis players

An international hall of fame exists at the Template:PDFlink. A Grand Slam is earned by a player who wins an Olympic Games gold medal, world championship title, and World Cup of Table Tennis gold medal.

Further information: ]

Governance

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF): worldwide governing body with national bodies responsible for the sport in each country. There are other local authorities applicable as well.

The European Table Tennis Union is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Europe.

The English Table Tennis Association is the governing body responsible for table tennis in England.
The Irish Table Tennis Association is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Ireland.
The Scottish Table Tennis Association is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Scotland.
The Table Tennis Association of Wales is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Wales.
The Canadian Table Tennis Association is the governing body responsible for table tennis in Canada.
The USA Table Tennis (USATT): national governing body for table tennis in the United States.
The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA): official governing body for collegiate table tennis in the United States.

Miscellany

Multi-talented sportsman Max Woosnam, an Olympic and Wimbledon champion at lawn tennis and one-time captain of the England national football team, once defeated actor and film director Charlie Chaplin at table tennis while playing with a butter knife instead of a racket.
Table tennis inspired the first commercially successful video game, Pong.
In the early 1970s the People's Republic of China (PRC) invited American table tennis players to a tournament in the PRC. This marked a thawing in relations with the United States that was followed up by a visit by U.S. president Richard Nixon. The popular media therefore dubbed this visit "Ping Pong Diplomacy".
At the 1936 World Championships contested in Prague, two defensive players took over an hour to contest one point. The entire match lasted over four hours.
Certain world-class players can impart spin approaching 9000 RPM on table tennis balls.
More than 30 table tennis companies exist around the world, making a full line of accessories from rackets to warm-up suits.
A man in Hawaii has invented a three-player table for table tennis, calling it Tri-Pong.
There are also competitions in table tennis variants: "Hardbat", in which all competitors use a racket with small pips-out rubber (sponge is not allowed); and "Large ball", where a 44 mm ball is used to decrease the speed.
Comedian George Carlin once noted in a stand-up routine that all racquet sports are derivatives of Ping Pong: for instance, tennis is "Ping Pong played while standing on the table," and even volleyball is "racquetless, team Ping Pong played with a raised net and an inflated ball while standing on the table."

References

For all aspects of the game refer to the ITTF official web site at http://www.ittf.com/

Notes

Speed of ball article from the International Table Tennis Federation
Table tennis ball regulations at sizes.com
Table tennis racket regulations at sizes.com
"Table Tennis Information - Equipment maintenance". Webgenix. Retrieved 2007-07-10. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
ITTF Bans Speed Glue, Boosters and Tuners - and Much More! By Greg Letts, About.com. Accessed September 2008
Template:PDFlink at the ITTF. Accessed July 2007
Collins, Mick (2006). All-Round Genius: The Unknown Story of Britain's Greatest Sportsman. London: Aurum Press Limited. ISBN 1-84513-137-1. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

Bibliography

Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins: Ping-Pong and the Art of Staying Alive by Jerome Charyn, Publisher: Four Walls Eight Windows (September 2002) ISBN 1-56858-242-0
Winning Table Tennis: Skills, Drills, and Strategies by Dan Seemiller, Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers (October 1996) ISBN 0-88011-520-3
Planet Ping Pong, A Time Shift TV documentary from BBC4 60mins 2006

Misplaced Pages

General description

Equipment

Ball

Table

Racket

Game play

Starting a game

Service

Hitting the ball

Scoring

Alternation of service

Series of games

Doubles game

Effects of spin

Competition

Notable players

Governance

Miscellany

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Governing bodies

Africa

Asia

North America

Europe

Oceania

South America