Rules

Oakmont TT Club - General Rules of Play (02/24)

• In general, we are guided by the ITTF Statutes 2025.

• Players can decide whether practicing or scoring, playing singles or doubles. 

  • Doubles is the standard mode of play, to keep the maximum number of players engaged. 

  • Singles play is always welcome when space permits. 

• Scoring:

  • The right player of the serving team serves until two points have been scored, followed by switching places with the left player of the team (for doubles).

  • Then the receiving side becomes the serving side, following the same rules. 

  • A match is the best 2 out of 3 games to 11 points. 

  • Sides at the table are switched after each game. 

  • Games to be won by at least 2 points. 

  • In case of a deuce (10-10), the server and receiver roles switch every point.

  • The side who wins the point after deuce has the "advantage" (Ad-In or Ad-Out). If they win the next point, they win the game, or if they lose the next point, it returns to deuce.

• Proper shoes are required to play safely and prevent falls.

• Players should know the basic rules of the game and where to find them.

• Club members may politely point out things such as an illegal serve, hand on the table, etc. 

• Nobody is expected to be an enforcer of these rules or assign skill levels. 

• Private paddles can be used, but OTTC has also all equipment available. Please return everything after playing.

• All questions or concerns are welcome; feel free to ask anyone.

• Mutual respect is a given in our club.

• Play is open, yet we have one table designated for more advanced players, and one for more beginning players. 

• Rules are subject to change!

Table Tennis Rule: No Free Hand on the Table During Play

In table tennis, players are not allowed to touch the playing surface with their free hand (the one not holding the racket) during a rally, as stated in ITTF Statutes 2025 Rule 2.10.1.11. This rule is designed to maintain fairness and ensure that the game is won through skillful play, not by using the free hand for support or to gain an edge. It applies also to both players on the double team.

Reasons for the Rule:

• Preventing unfair advantages: Using the free hand for balance or subtle control can give one player an edge over the other.

• Preserving the game’s integrity: It keeps the focus on racket technique and strategy.

• Simplifying enforcement: A clear rule helps umpires judge consistently.

Consequences:

• If a player touches the table surface with their free hand while the ball is in play, the opponent is awarded the point.

• This includes contact made for balance or accidental touches.

• Moving the table during a rally also results in a lost point.

Clarifications:

• Touching the table with your racket or other body parts (excluding the free hand) is allowed as long as the table isn’t moved.

• Touching the table when the ball is not in play is permitted, although the ITTF has considered discouraging it. It is commonly done for wiping sweat near the net, because rule 3.4.4.1.2 allows brief towelling only after every 6 points. 

• Some players use this break to slow the pace of the game, but while it's a recognized habit, it’s not currently penalized unless it disrupts play.

Exception for Parkinson’s Players:

• Under ITTF Parkinson’s Table Tennis Laws, players with clear balance issues due to Parkinson’s may be exempt from this rule. 

It’s good to know the exact rules, even if they are more relevant for competitive play. 

 Fun Facts

According to a NASA study, table tennis is the most complex sport for humans to play professionally. It's also known as an "intelligent sport" because it uses more than 80% of the body's muscles, from the feet to the neck. Table tennis is also highly aerobic and uses both the upper and lower body, which improves hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and reaction time. It also requires players to use multiple areas of the brain at once to track the ball, plan shots, and figure out spins.

Table Tennis vs Ping Pong

Are there differences between ping pong and table tennis? This sport became popular at the end of the 19th century, under the name of ping pong, referring to the sound that the ping pong ball makes when it is hit by the racket and bounces off the table. Back then, ping pong and table tennis were two different words for the same sport. In fact, there were many other terms to talk about table tennis, including Whiff Waff or Pim-Pam. Two companies in England and the US bought the rights to the Ping Pong brand, and for fear of a dispute over the trademark of the ping-pong name, to write the standardized rules of this sport, the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) chose the term table tennis to refer to this game.

Both sports are very similar regarding the rules. The main difference is the way points are counted. According to the rules of table tennis, the best of 11 points is played in 7 games. While in ping pong, the best of 15 points is played in 3 games with a sudden death point at 14 points. And in the semifinals and the final, the best of 5 games is played. Another difference between ping pong and table tennis is the material, and more specifically the blade. In table tennis, players can customize their table tennis rackets, with different woods and types of rubber to adapt the racket to each person's style of play, while in ping pong all the paddles are the same, with a 5-layer sandpaper that generates a slower game and less spin on the ball.

It was in 2011 when ping pong and table tennis definitely became two different sports. This was furthered by the introduction of the World Ping Pong Championship, different from the World Table Tennis Championship. Table tennis is governed by the ITTF and ping pong by the World Ping Pong Championships. On the other hand, table tennis is an Olympic sport, while ping pong is not.

Expedite System

Until the early 1930’s, there was no limitation on the length of a game. At the 1936 World Table Tennis Championship in Prague Alojzy Ehrlich from Poland came up against Farkas Paneth from Romania, and their play for the first point in the match lasted 2 hours and 12 minutes, with approximately 8,000 shots. This has triggered the Expedite rule creation. According to its latest update the Expedite system kicks in if the game goes for more than 10 minutes and less than 18 points have been scored. With this the server has to win the point within 13 shots. If they don't then the receiver wins the point.