Table Tennis

I INTRODUCTION
Table Tennis, also known as Ping-Pong, fast-paced racket-and-ball game played on a
table by two or for persons, sally indoors! Named for its resemblance to t"e otdoor
game of tennis, t"e game is similarly poplar bot" as a recreational pastime and as a
competiti#e sport, especially in $sia!
II RU%&' $ND &(UIP)&NT
Table tennis is played on a table measring * ft by + ft ,-!./ m by 0!+- m1, wit" its
pper srface 23 in ,.4 cm1 abo#e t"e floor! T"e table is di#ided into opposing corts by
a net 4 in ,0+!- cm1 "ig" and a w"ite stripe, rnning lengt"wise down t"e center, t"at is
sed only for dobles play! T"e srface of a standard table is typically abot 3!5 in ,-
cm1 t"ick and made of plywood or particle board! T"e resiliency of t"e srface is sc"
t"at a standard table tennis ball, w"en dropped from a "eig"t of 0 ft ,23!+ cm1, will
rebond to a "eig"t anyw"ere from 5!.+ to *!.+ in ,--!- to -/!5 cm1! T"e ball is "ollow
and made of eit"er w"ite or orange cellloid6 it is abot 0!4 in ,/3 mm1 in diameter and
weig"s abot 3!0 o7 ,-!. g1! T"e rackets ,also called paddles or bats1 may be any
s"ape bt sally are o#al and made of wood, faced wit" rbber or sponge t"at may be
pimpled or smoot"!
%ike tennis, table tennis in#ol#es "itting t"e ball back and fort" o#er t"e net ntil one of
t"e players misses t"e ball, or "its it into t"e net or off t"e table6 in eac" of t"ese cases
t"e opponent scores a point! To make a legal ser#e a player "olds t"e ball on t"e flat,
otstretc"ed palm of t"e "and anyw"ere be"ind t"e end of t"e table, t"en t"rows it p
and strikes it as it falls! No spin can be imparted to t"e ball on t"e toss! T"e ser#er mst
mo#e "is or "er free arm to t"e side as soon as t"e ball lea#es t"e "and to ensre t"at
t"e free arm does not block t"e opponent8s #iew of t"e ser#e! T"e ball mst "it t"e table
on t"e ser#er8s side of t"e net first, t"en "it t"e table on t"e recei#ing side before being
retrned! 9"en a ser#e toc"es t"e net bt is ot"erwise a good ser#e, it is called a :let;
and played o#er!
One player ser#es ntil - points "a#e been scored, after w"ic" t"e opponent ser#es for
t"e ne<t - points! T"e player w"o reac"es 00 points ,formerly -0 points1 first wins t"e
game! If t"e score is tied at 03-all ,known as dece1, t"e ser#ice c"anges after eac"
point ntil one player gains a --point ad#antage to win t"e game! Players c"ange ends
after e#ery game ,and also w"en one player reac"es + in t"e deciding game of t"e
matc"1! 'o-called net and edge balls=t"at is, s"ots t"at toc" eit"er t"e net or table
edge=are #alid s"ots! 9"en a ball "its t"e side of t"e table instead of t"e edge, t"e
player w"o made t"e s"ot loses t"e point! )atc"es may consist of any nmber of odd
games! >est-of-fi#e or best-of-se#en game matc"es are common in tornament play!
Dobles play in table tennis differs from singles play in se#eral ways! In t"ese games,
t"e ser#ice mst be from t"e rig"t-"and cort into t"e opponent8s rig"t-"and cort,
marked by t"e stripe rnning t"e lengt" of t"e table! $fter a sccessfl ser#ice and
retrn, eac" player alternates "itting t"e ball ntil t"e point ends! &ac" player recei#es
ser#ice for - points, t"en, as t"e opponents s"ift positions, ser#es for - points! T"e
se?ence of one specific partner "itting to one specific opponent mst be c"anged after
eac" game and w"en one side reac"es + in t"e deciding game of t"e matc"!
III @I'TORA
)ost at"orities agree t"at table tennis is of &nglis" origin and t"at it was first played
wit" impro#ised e?ipment on dining-room tables in t"e late 0533s! $rond 0*33, w"en
cellloid balls began to replace rbber and cork balls, t"e game became #ery poplar in
&ngland and t"e United 'tates! &arly manfactred sets were called Bossima, 9"iff-
9aff, and, more commonly, Ping-Pong, t"e latter being a patented trade name! Its
poplarity as a parlor game ?ickly waned, bt in t"e early 0*-3s a simltaneos
mo#ement started in se#eral parts of t"e world to re#i#e table tennis as a serios sport!
$ meeting "eld in 0*-4 in >erlin, Bermany, reslted in t"e formation of t"e International
Table Tennis Cederation ,ITTC1, still t"e international go#erning body for t"e sport! T"e
U'$ Table Tennis $ssociation ,U'$TT=formerly known as t"e United 'tates Table
Tennis $ssociation1, fonded in 0*22, go#erns tornament competition in t"e United
'tates! T"e annal national c"ampions"ips consist of matc"es in abot 43 different
classifications, sc" as men8s and women8s singles and dobles, Dnior and senior
e#ents ,wit" players ranging from nder t"e age of 03 to o#er 531, and w"eelc"air
competition! Ot"er maDor tornaments are t"e U!'! Open, w"ic" is "eld annally in a
nmber of categories, and t"e annal Nort" $merican Team C"ampions"ips, in w"ic"
grops of t"ree to fi#e players team p mc" like in tennis8s Da#is Cp competition!
T"e ITTC, composed of abot 0*3 member nations, sponsors annal world
c"ampions"ips t"at alternate indi#idal and team play e#ery ot"er year! T"e ITTC also
sponsors a professional tor wit" pri7e money! C"inese players "a#e dominated
tornament play since t"e 0*43s, especially in women8s competition! 'ince table tennis
was made an Olympic sport in 0*55, "owe#er, 'ot" Eorean and &ropean players=
most notably from 'weden="a#e emerged as strong contenders!