Table Tennis Rules Explained

How well do you know your table tennis rules?

If the ball hits the white lines or the edge of the table, or the side of the table, is it in or out?

What if the ball hits the net?

Well it's all fairly straightforward.

The upper surface of the table is known as the playing surface.

It's 9 feet (2.74m) long, 5 feet (1.525m) wide and 2 feet 6 inches (76cm) above the floor.

The playing surface includes the 2cm white line along the sides and ends, plus the top edges, but not the vertical sides.

Therefore, if the ball hits a white line or a top edge of the playing surface it is "in" (good). But if the ball hits a vertical side it is "out" (not good).

However, whilst it's easy to say that the top edges are part of the playing surface and the vertical sides are not, it can sometimes be very difficult to decide whether the ball actually touched the top edge of the table or whether it touched the vertical side.

Well, the only way you can decide whether the ball touched the top edge or the vertical side is to watch the flight path of the ball before and after it touched the table.

If you think about it logically, the laws of gravity and common sense will help you determine what happened in most cases.

If the ball passed over the playing surface before hitting the table, then the ball must have hit the top edge. Therefore the return must be good.

But if the ball was played from below the level of the playing surface and did not pass over the playing surface before it touched the table, it will almost certainly have touched the vertical side and be not good.

However, there are some situations where it's not so easy to decide whether the ball has hit the top edge or the vertical side. For example, when a player hits his shot from a wide position and from above the height of the playing surface.

In that situation the best way to decide whether the ball actually touched the top edge or the vertical side is to watch the flight path of the ball after it touched the table.

If the ball travelled in an upward direction after touching the table, it's reasonable to assume that the ball must have touched the top edge and therefore be a good return. But, if it continued in a downwards direction, it's more likely that it touched the side of the table and is therefore not good.

What happens if the ball hits the net or goes around the net?

Well, Rule 2.07.01 states that for a good return ...

"The ball, having been served or returned, shall be struck so that it passes over or around the net assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly"

This means that during a rally the ball remains in play if it hits the net or travels over or around the net and still bounces on your opponent's side.

However, the table tennis rules are different if the ball hits the net during the service action.

If the ball touches the net and still bounces on your opponent's side of the table, the service must be replayed.

However, if the ball touches the net and does not bounce on your opponent's side of the table, the server loses the point.

Take a look at this short video clip between Yin Na (far end) and Tania Hain-Hofmann.

Yin Na serves and Tania Hain-Hofmann returns the serve.

As Yin plays her next shot, the ball hits the top of the net and the edge of the table (good) ... but Tania still manages to make a good return by playing the ball from a wide position around the net and back over the playing surface onto the top edge.

(We can tell that the ball passed over the playing surface because we can clearly see the ball through the net).

Point to Tania Hain-Hofmann!  Incredible!

For more information about the rules of table tennis, take a look at my other articles which explain the Official Laws of Table Tennis and the additional Regulations in more detail.