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TABLE TENNIS

HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT

Table tennis is an indoor ball game and is ranked the sixth most popular with an
estimated 850millon fans in the world. Two or four players play the game of table tennis.
The Equipment required includes a celluloid plastic ball, a table tennis table;
and laminated wooden rackets. Standing opposite each other at a table that is
separated by a net; the players hit the ball back and forth.

Ping Pong and Table Tennis is the same thing. As we all have nicknames, Ping Pong is
a nickname for Table Tennis. The game began in 1880’s in England by the upper class
Victorians for entertainment. It originated one night they had dinner and it was raining.
They decided to use their dinner table, arranged books in the middle of the table to act
as the net then used cigar box lids like paddles. At first, they named it Whiff–Whaff
because of the sound produced as the ball bounced. Instead of net, a row of books was
used along the center of the table for partition. And rather than using rackets, two more
books were used to hit a golf ball from one end of the table to the other.

One of fanatic Whiff-Whiff player, Mr. Gibb returned from the United States in 1901.He
brought a celluloid ball for the game. The sound produced when the ball was hit
instantly changed, so the nickname of the game to Ping Pong . The name was derived
form ball sound as it bounced off the table. John Jacques registered Ping-Pong in
England. Other players and stakeholders started calling the game Table Tennis. ITTF
formation in Berlin marked the separation of the commercial game (Ping-Pong) and &
the sport (table tennis). The latter became famous as people took it as played for
competition purposes. The two name are used interchangeably depending on the
circumstance during play: either as a game or sport.

The Birth of ITTF

A federation was formed in Berlin, and it was to be named International Ping-Pong

Federation. The naming did not happen since the name had already been registered.
The federation was therefore named ITTF. The birth of ITTF resulted in 1926. The
federation was founded by William Henry from Wymondham, and other representatives
from Austria, Denmark, England, Hungary, India, Sweden Germany, Czechoslovakia,
and Wales.

ITTF is the body which governs all international table tennis associations, and it
recognizes six continental tennis federations.
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 In Africa, we have African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) with 51 members

 Asian Table Tennis Union comprising of 45 members
 European Table Tennis Union in Europe with a membership of 58
 ULTM from Northern America with four members and Oceania Table Tennis
Federation with a membership
 NATTU from Northern American with four members and Oceania Table Tennis
Federation with a membership of 24.

The Federation is mandated to perform the following functions:

 Overseeing table tennis rules and regulations

 Seeking technological improvement for the sport.
 Planning and Organizing international Table Tennis events and competitions.
 Maintaining a global Table tennis ranking system.
 Ensuring the interests and welfare of the players and all the stakeholders are
standard.

Table Tennis in World Cup and Olympic

In 1902, for the first time an unofficial world championship for ping pong was held.
Twenty Four years later, the first official world Table Tennis Championship took place in
1926 in London and Hungarian, Dr. Jacobi won.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) officially formed, holding the first
official World Championship competition in London in 1927. Seven countries took part in
the competition. The participating nations increased tremendously to 101 by 1997. Over
140 countries are now members of ITTF table-tennis-world-cup
The first Table Tennis World cup was held in 1980. Until the inauguration of Women’s
singles in 1996, the competition had been men’s single. Team competitions were
introduced in 1990. The sports was featured first in Olympics in 1988 both men and
women events for singles and doubles. Hungary’s men’s team won the championship
12times, China’s Men’s and Women’s teams hold a record 20times each while Japan’s
Women team have won a total of 8 titles. The trophies presented are: singles
competition, Doubles competition, and team competition.
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AIM

The aim of the game is to hit the ball consistently into your opponent’s half of the
table in such a way that it cannot be returned into yours.

EQUIPMENT

TABLE and NET

BALL

The ball is made of a high-bouncing gas-filled celluloid, colored white or orange, with a
matte finish. Stars on the ball indicate the quality of the ball. 3 stars indicate that it is of
the highest quality, and is used in official competitions.

The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40mm
diameter ball. Generally, it is the most-used ball. The rules say that the ball shall bounce
up to 23 cm when dropped from a height of 30 cm. 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.

RACKET

Players are equipped with laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two
sides depending on the grip of the player. It is 15 cm. across or 6 in., and 25 cm.
long(including the handle) or 10 in.. This is called a paddle, racket, blade or a 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”.
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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 ca see clearly what side of the
racket was used to hit the ball. Current rule state that, unless damaged in play, the
racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at anytime during a match.

BASIC SKILLS

A. GRIP

1. Shakehand grip
The shakehand grip is so-named because one grips the racket similarly to
the way one performs a handshake. The grip is sometimes colloquially referred to as a
“tennis grip” or a “western grip” although it has no correlation to the Western grip used
in Tennis. The shakehand grip is most popular among players originating Western
nations and South Asian nations. Your fingers should lie roughly parallel with the straight
edge of the rubber at the base of the racket head. This enables you to have good
control over the racket angle. The remaining three fingers are wrapped around the
handle of the racket.

2. Penhold grip
The penhold grip is so-named because one grips the racket similarly to
the way one holds a writing instrument; curling the 3 fingers at the back of the blade.
Penhold styles are popular among players originating from East Asian regions such as
China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

B. SERVICE

Kinds of Service

1. Forehand service

2. Backhand service

MECHANICS IN SERVING

1. At the beginning of the service the ball must be resting of the free hand (the hand not
holding the bat) which should be stationary, open and flat with the fingers together and
the thumb free.

2. The free hand must be above the level of the table.

3. The whole of the bat must be above the level of the table throughout the service.

4. The ball must be tossed to a minimum of 16 cm into the air without any spin and wait
while it is traveling down again before you first hit it.

5. When it is first hit, the ball must be behind the white baseline, which runs along the
end of the table, or behind the imaginary extension of that line.
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6. The ball has to bounce twice, once on your side of the net and once on your
opponent’s side.

7. If the ball brushes the net but still lands correctly on your side of the table, a LET is
called and the service is taken again. This does not affect the score and the server
repeats the service until a clean service is being delivered.

8. Apart from the let, there is no second service if you net the ball or it goes out of your
court, you lose the point.

9. Do not stamp your feet during service.

10. In single play, the service can be made in any part of the receiver’s court.

C. RETURN

A good return is a single hit of the ball with the racket, after it has bounced on the
players’ side of the table, so that the ball returns directly unto the opponents’ side of the
table.
The ball is permitted to hit the net (or the net assembly) on the way.

In doubles, there is a sequence in returning the ball.

2 KINDS OF STROKE

1. Forehand stroke - imagine you are rolling a big tyre along the road with one hand.

2. Backhand stroke - this is a swinging action in which the racket moves forward and
backward.

D. FOOTWORK

2 BASIC RULES

1. The side which first scores 11 points except in a deuce wins each game. A
match is made up of the best of 5 games.

2. The right to serve changes after every 2 points except in a deuce.

SCORING

Table tennis can be played between individuals (singles) or pairs (doubles). A

point is won by the player who last makes a fair return of the ball unto the opponent’s
side of the table. This is called rally or point system.

The server score is announced first. The server is the player whose turn it is to
put the ball into play.
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DOUBLES GAME

In doubles, all the rules of singles play apply except for the following:

A line (3 mm white line) painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts
bisect the table. This line’s ONLY purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rules,
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.
Play then continues normally with the exception that players must alternately hit the ball.
The play proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the point is
then awarded to the other team.

ALTERNATION OF SERVICE

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.

THE FOLLOWING ARE CONSIDERED FAULTS

1. Hand below the table during service.

2. Racket below the table during service.
3. Ball over the table during service.
4. Ball behind the server during service.
5. Spinning the service ball.
6. Hitting a rising ball during service.
7. Stamping of foot during service.
8. Touching the net (with hand, body, racket or clothing for any reason).
9. Touching the table (with hand, body, racket or clothing for any reason).
10. Volleying the ball.
11. Obstructing the ball.
12. Ball between the net and post.
13. Double hit.
14. Double bounce.
15. Hitting overhead obstructions.
16. Playing out of double sequence.

GAME COURTESIES/ETIQUETTE

1. Never start the play until your opponent is ready.

2. Never question the referee’s decision.
3. If you lose congratulate your opponent.
4. Congratulate your opponent for well-executed shots.
5. Never throw the racket nor slam the ball.
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The OFFICIATING OFFICIALS

A referee is usually responsible for the entire running of a table

tennis event which includes supervising all the umpires.

An umpires control individual matches

The first requirement is to have a good knowledge of the rules

and regulations of table tennis together with a clear
understanding of how they apply to different competitions. This is
necessary in order to ensure a fair result.
Referees and umpires also need to be able to control events and
matches unobtrusively, so they need to gain the respect and trust
of the players and their coaches.

They’re also responsible for the presentation and running of the

entire event. This includes controlling each match and the
appearance of the playing area, so they need to be well organized
and physically capable of undertaking those tasks.

Additional requirement for the International Referees and Umpires

is the ability to understand and speak the English language.

In order to qualify as an umpire you’ll need to start umpiring at a

local level and gain some experience. Then, if you want to
progress further, you’ll need to undertake the relevant exams and
practical tests which are required if you want to be an official at a
regional and national level.

And if you want to qualify as a referee you’ll need to qualify as an

umpire.

THREE MOST COMMON HAND SIGNALS

NEXT SERVER

At the start of a march or game the umpire should:

1. Announce the family name (surname) of the player
due to serve first – for example “Smith to serve”
2. Point to the server with an open hand
3. Announce the score “Love all” (or “Zero-Zero”)
The score 0 may be expressed as either “zero” or “love”.

In a team match the name of the Association may be used instead of, or as
well as, the player’s name – for example “Smith of England to serve” or
“England to serve”.
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This hand signal is also used when a change of serve is due. The umpire
should point to the next server with an open hand.
This may be followed by the name of the next server, but this should be
decided before the event starts so that all umpires at an event act
consistently.

LET OR ANNOUNCEMENT

When the umpire declares a let, he or she should raise

one hand above their head.

If there is an assistant umpire, he or she should also use

the same hand signal to attract the umpire’s attention
when making a decision within his or her jurisdiction.

The umpire should then repeat the score to show

that no point has been scored.

The same hand signal is also used when the umpire wishes to:
 Delay the resumption of play
 Indicate that a time period has expired (for example, the warm-up period or a time-out)
 Indicate that a rally has ended when it is not obvious
 Indicate any other situation which does not automatically stop play.

AWARDING POINT

When a point has been won, the umpire should raise their
arm on the side nearest to the player or pair who won it,
so that their upper arm is horizontal and their forearm is vertical,
with the closed hand upward.

The umpire should then call first the number of points scored by the player
or pair due to serve next, then the number of points scored by the opposing
player or pair.
The umpire should normally call the score as soon as the rally has been
decided and not wait until he or she judges that the players are ready to
resume play.

However, if there is loud applause or a player is retrieving the ball from the
back of the playing area, the umpire may prefer to delay his or her call
slightly until satisfied that the players will be able to hear it.

HAND SIGNALS WITH YELLOW, RED AND WHITE CARDS

In 1991 the ITTF introduced yellow and red cards for misbehavior and/or
when the rules are broken.
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When issuing a yellow card or red card, the umpire should raise their arm
above head height and hold up a yellow card or red card towards the
offender, without leaving their chair.
And in 1999 the ITTF introduced time-outs/white cards.
The umpire should use the same hand signal, i.e. raising their arm above
head height – but with a white card.

OTHER SIGNALS – ILLEGAL SERVICE

In 2014 the ITTF proposed several new hand signals and a consultation
process began.
These were all designed to indicate the umpire’s decision in respect of illegal
services.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to have a single hand for all different kinds
of illegal service action, so it was necessary to develop a several hand
signals.
Here are the various hand signals used to indicate which part of the service
rules has been breached.

If the players require further explanation, the umpire may also use the words
shown.

These new hand signals for illegal services were implemented from Friday 1st
July 2016.

Ball not resting on palm.

In addition to this hand signal, the umpire
can say “ball resting on the fingers”
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Palm not open and flat.

In addition to this hand signal, the
umpire can say “palm not opened”
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01
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Ball not above the level of the playing surface.

In addition to this signal, the umpire
can say “below the playing surface”
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Ball not behind the server’s end line.

In addition to this hand signal, the umpire
can say “inside the end line”
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Ball not thrown up at least 16cm (approx. 6 inches)

In addition to this hand signal, the umpire
can say “not high enough”
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Ball not projected near vertically upwards.

The finger will indicate an arc shape.
In addition to this hand signal, the
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umpire can say “not vertically”

Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Ball hidden from the receiver.

In addition to this hand signal, the umpire can
say “hidden by (elbow w/ shoulder / head / partner)
Contravenes Law (Rule) 2.06.01

Source: ITTF Handbook for Math Officials

https://pingpongpassion.com/table-tennis-history/
Narang, P. (2007). Play and Learn Table Tennis.
New Delhi: Lotus Pres.

NELMA M. MUAÑA, Ph.D

PE Instructor