Table Tennis gala day
Skill focus: Rallying
Session equipment
Rackets
Balls
2 x table tennis tables (or trestle tables with portable nets)
Markers or cones
Draw
Download Table Tennis - Gala day activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Select card to download
Fast start - Student choice
Choose one of the Fast starts played in the Table Tennis unit to use as a warm-up for the Table Tennis gala day competition.
Table Tennis gala day
Organisation
In the week prior to the gala day, students may be given time to create signs to support their team at the gala day.
Set-up playing area prior to session. Setup 2 tables.
Explain the organisation of the matches being played using the gala day draw below.
Select a student from each team to be the team captain for the gala day.
Give students 5 minutes to meet as a team to discuss strategies.
Use results in ‘Table Tennis results spreadsheet' to determine the team who finishes the round games in 1st position, 2nd position, 3rd position and 4th position.
Student engagement
Semi-final 1 and Semi-final 2 should be played at the same time if teacher supervision allows.
The teams who were unsuccessful in their semi-final can play an additional game for third and fourth place.
Alternatively, students may take on spectator and officiating roles, such as:
time keeping
side line official
scoring
ground control
Rules and guidelines
Table Tennis can be played as singles or doubles. To ensure maximum participation, the gala day will involves doubles matches. In doubles, all players successively take it in turns to hit the ball. At each change of service, the previous receiver becomes the server, while the previous server swaps sides with their partner who becomes the receiver.
How to play:
Two players at either end of the table from each team.
Pairs rally for 3 minutes.
At the end of the 3 minutes, the next pair from each team begin rallying.
Scoring
The server's score is always called first.
A point is scored each time a rally is won.
If both players reach equal points, players alternate with one serve each and the first player two points ahead of the other player wins the game.
Five common ways to win a point
1. The opponent fails to make a correct service
2. The opponent fails to make a correct return
3. The opponent serves or hits the ball over the court or beyond the end line without touching the court
4. The opponent’s free hand touches the playing surface
5. The doubles opponent strikes the ball out of the sequence established by the server and first receiver
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What will you take away from Table Tennis that you can use for our next sport?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.
Table Tennis certificates
Award students with certificates for their involvement in the Table Tennis unit.
Certificates available for download include:
Sport education teaching resource feedback
The School Sport Unit values your feedback on the Table Tennis unit. It would be greatly appreciated if you could complete this short online form to provide us with information to inform future resources made for schools.
