Table Tennis, also known as ping pong, is a great addition to any home. It’s a wonderful piece for your family to gather around and have some quality time together. Now that you’ve got it, how exactly do you play it? We’ve rounded up the official rules but remember you can create your own house rules. Be creative and don’t forget them!
Scoring:
You can always play just one game but officially you should play a best of 3 or best of 5 series with your opponent. In order to win you must score 11 points by at least a 2 point measure. If there isn’t a two point margin after 11 points then you would play until the leader has a 2 point lead.
You can score a point on any play, it does not need to only be when you are serving. The whole table is in play but not the edges.
Serving:
The server must rest the ball in an open hand on their palm and then toss it at least 6 inches before it is struck. The ball must first bounce on the server’s side and then your opponent’s side. If the serve is legal, but touches the net it does not count for a point and the server gets to re-serve.
Game Play:
Decide who will serve first - rock, paper, scissors is great solution! Each person will serve twice in a row. If the score reaches 10-10 you switch to every other serve. When you start the next game in the series you switch sides of the table. If there is a tiebreaker game (either game 3 or 5 depending on the series length) you switch sides every 5 points.
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your family time!
