Table tennis is one of the most popular sports activities in the world. Also known as ping-pong, this ball game develops several skills. In addition to the equipment, all you need is the desire to try a new sport, a lot of concentration, sharp reflexes, "cunning" and the intelligence of a chess player to become a master of it in competitions with friends, experts say. Find out below the most important rules.

1. When did table tennis appear?

Over a century of history, table tennis has become one of the most popular sports in the world. It all started in the 1880s, when ping-pong became one of the passions of the English nobility.

The younger brother of field tennis received its current name in 1884, when two rackets and a ball were included in the catalog of games of FH Ayres. However, the official appearance of this sport took place the following year, when the Englishman James Devonshire patented "table tennis".

Initially, ping-pong was not an easy sport to play and light years away from the speed it reaches today. The rockets were like drums equipped with a string, and the balls were made of rubber or cork. It was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that table tennis acquired a clearer identity.

2. Table tennis: regulation, organization

Table tennis is the sport in which two or four players (if playing doubles) hit a ball with the help of paddles. The field of play is separated by a net, and a player must let the ball sent by him fall once on his side of the table, then send it back to the opponent.

This game runs at high speed and requires impressive reflexes.

Here's how a match plays out:

This type of tennis is played on a rectangular table, and the ball is spherical, weighing about 2.50 grams and a circumference of 28.2-37.2 mm. Players' pitches are separated by a net.

A match can be played according to the system 2 sets out of 3 or 3 sets awarded out of a total of 5.

A player wins a set when he first reaches 11 points. If only two players (both teams) have accumulated 10 points, it is necessary for one to have a 2-point advantage in order to be designated the winner.

The service is changed after each series of 2 points, and, in the situation described in the rows above, the opponents serve in turn after each point.

The order of service, reception or end is decided by drawing lots and the winner can choose to serve or receive the serve.

2.1 Rules of the game of table tennis that have changed since 2000

After the end of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) changed several of the rules of the game of table tennis, which were designed to get the sport more attention so that it became more popular on television.

• The 38 mm balls were replaced with larger ones, 40 mm;
• The sponge on the table tennis paddles has become thicker;
• The game was reduced to an 11-point system, instead of 21, as before;
• The serving rotation was changed to 2 points out of 5;
• The waiter was forbidden to keep the ball hidden.

2.2 Specific terms in table tennis

The rules of this sport include the following definitions:

• A game is the period in which the ball is in motion, from when it is designed for service until it leaves the playing surface;
• Canceled game / One point - is the game in which the result was not recorded, respectively, the one that was cumulated;
• Ball passed regularly - it passes over or near the net assembly;
• Let - the game whose result is not counted in the score;
• The hand of the paddle - is the one with which the player holds the paddle, and the free hand represents the hand that does not hold the paddle;
• The service player - is the athlete who has to play the ball first;
• Obstruction of the ball - the player touches the ball without it having passed over the field;
• Receiving player - the player who will hit the second ball.

3. What equipment is needed for table tennis

To practice ping-pong you need: tennis table with net, paddles and ball.

Professional players play their matches on a rectangular surface, measuring 2.74 m long and 1.525 m wide. It can be made of any material, the only condition being that it prevents the ball from jumping more than 25 cm and less than 22 cm, if it is thrown from a height of 30 cm.

On the other hand, the ball should not weigh more than 2.7 g and be made of plastic. In addition, the pallets used by athletes are made of 85% wood.

Now that you are up to date with everything you need to know about table tennis, you can challenge your friends to a ping-pong championship to test your new knowledge. If You Want To Know More About Ping Pong You Can Visit Our Website Ping Pong Robots Here You Can Find More Content About Table Tennis.