Myanmar R Aladin ACT2C August 11 2010

TABLE TENNIS

Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a
lightweight, hollow ball back and forth with rackets. The game takes place on a hard
table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve, players must allow a ball played
toward them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it
bounces on the opposite side. This game can be played indoors or outdoors. Points are
scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands
quick reactions. A skilled player can impart several varieties of spin to the ball, altering
its trajectory and limiting an opponent's options to great advantage.

History

It's thought that a game resembling table tennis was in existence in England as early as
1884 and various names were used during the history of table tennis with Gossima,
Whiff-Whaff and Ping Pong all either patented or trademarked. Around 1898 the English
sports company John Jaques & Son were popularising the game and were
manufacturing the first table tennis sets.

Early versions of table tennis used rackets (bats / paddles) with velum stretched over an
outer casing (similar to a small drum) attached to a handle. This gave rise to the name
Ping Pong which was derived from the sound that was made by different sized rackets
(bats / paddles) striking a ball. As the popularity of the game spread, two rival
organisations were set up in England with the "Table Tennis Association" and the "Ping
Pong Association" formed within days of each other in 1901.

Soon after this time in the history of table tennis though, it's thought that the game fell
out of favour.

But by the 1920s it was back in fashion, particularly in Europe, and Englishman Ivor
Montagu was instrumental in reviving the "Ping Pong Association" in 1921 - reformed as
the "Table Tennis Association" in 1922 (later adding the prefix "English") - and forming
the "International Table Tennis Federation" (ITTF) in 1926.
At a meeting on 7 December 1926 Ivor Montagu was elected as the first chairman of the
ITTF and five days later the first Constitution and Rules of Table Tennis were agreed.

A tournament held in London, England was also designated as the first World
Championship.

 The history of table tennis shows us that table tennis was popular in Europe at this time
so it was Austria, Czecho-slovakia, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden and
Wales who were all invited to become the original members of the ITTF.

The rules for International Competitions which were approved at that meeting on 12
December 1926 were based on the English rules of the game at that time for singles -
subject to a few minor amendments - and the Hungarian rules of the time for doubles
play.

During the history of table tennis there have been a number of significant events which
have had a considerable impact on the sport.

These include changes to how the games was played by

 lowering the height of the net from 6.75 inches to 6 inches

 introducing a time limit on games
 banning finger spin serves
 the change from hardbat table tennis to sponge rackets
 the introduction of combination rackets
 the two colour rule
 the introduction of speed glue
 changing the ball size from 38mm to 40mm
 changing the scoring system from 21up to 11up

And other significant events in the history of table tennis include

 China first entering the World Championships in 1953

 China offering "Ping Pong Diplomacy" in 1971
 China winning all 7 major titles in 1981, 1987, 1995 and 2001
  Becoming an Olympic sport in 1988
 The formation of the ITTF Pro-Tour in 1996
 Separating the World Championship team and individual events in 2000

Facilities & Equipment

1. The Table
a. The table surface shall be rectangular, measuring 2.74 meters (9 feet) long by 1.525
meters (5 feet) wide. It shall be supported so that its upper surface, termed the “playing
surface,” shall lie in a horizontal plane 76 centimeters (2 feet, 6 inches) above the floor.

b. It shall be made of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of no less than 22
centimeters (8.75 inches) and not more than 25 centimeters, (9.75 inches) when a
standard ball is dropped from a height of 30.5 centimeters (12 inches) above its surface.
A white line, two centimeters (3/4 inch) wide, shall border the table surface edges. The
lines on the end are referred to as endlines, and the lines on the side are referred to as
sidelines.

c. For doubles, the playing surface shall be divided into halves by a white center line,
three millimeters (1/8 inch) wide, running parallel with the sidelines. The center line shall
be regarded as part of each right half-court
.
d. The playing surface shall include the top edges of the table, but not the sides of the
tabletop below the edges.

2. The Net
a. The playing surface shall be divided into two courts of equal size by a vertical net
running parallel with the endlines.

b. The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to upright posts that are
15.25 centimeters (6 inches) high
.
c. The net, with its suspension, shall be 183 centimeters (6 feet) long, and its top, along
its whole length, shall be 15.25 centimeters (6 inches) above the playing surface. The
bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be close to the playing surface, and the
ends of the net shall be close to the supporting posts.

d. The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting posts,
including the clamps attaching them to the table.

3. The Ball
a. The ball shall be spherical with a diameter of 40 millimeters (1.57 inches).

b. The ball shall weigh 2.7 grams.

c. The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar plastic material and shall be white, or
orange and matte.

4. The Racket
a. The racket may be of any size, shape or weight.

b. The blade shall be of wood, continuous of even thickness, flat and rigid.

c. At least 85 percent of the blade, by thickness, shall be of natural wood.

d. An adhesive layer within the blade may be reinforced with fibrous material, such as
carbon fiber, glass fiber or compressed paper, but shall not be thicker than 7.5 percent
of the total thickness or 0.35 millimeters, whichever is the smaller.

e. A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary
pimpled rubber, with pimples outwards, having a total thickness, including adhesive, of
not more than 2 millimeters (1/16 inch) or sandwich rubber, with pimples inwards or
outwards, having a total thickness, including adhesive, of not more than 4 millimeters.

f. The covering material shall extend up to but not beyond the limits of the blade, except
that the part nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be left uncovered or
covered and should be considered part of the handle.

g. The blade, any layer within the blade and any layer of covering material or adhesive
on a side used for striking the ball shall be continuous and of even thickness.

h. At the start of a match, and whenever the player changes his/her racket during a
match, a player shall show his/her opponent and the umpire the racket he/she is about
to use and shall allow them to examine it.

i. The surface of the covering material on a side of the blade, or of a side of the blade if
it is left uncovered, shall be matte, bright red on one side and black on the other; any
trimming around the edge of the blade shall be matte and no part of it shall be white.
Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of color due to accidental
damage, wear or fading may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change
the characteristics of the surface.

Rules & Regulations

1. Basic Rules for Singles and Doubles

a. A Game
A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both
players or pairs have scored 10 points. In this case, the winner shall be the
player or pair scoring two points more than the opposing player or pair.

b. A Match
A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games.
c. The Choice of Ends and Service

1) The choice of ends and the right to serve or receive first in a match shall be
decided by a coin toss.
2) The winner of the toss has the option to do one of the following:
a) Choose to serve or receive first, and the loser shall have the choice of
ends.
b) Choose an end, and the loser shall have the right to choose to serve or
receive first.
c) In doubles, the pair who has the right to serve first in the game shall
decide which partner shall do so.
i) In the first game of a match, the opposing pair shall then decide
which partner will receive first.
ii) In subsequent games of a match, the serving pair will choose its
first server, and the first receiver will then be established
automatically to correspond to the first server.
d. The Change of Ends
The player or pair starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the
next game of the match. In the last possible game of the match, the players or
pairs shall change ends when first one player or pair scores five points.

e. The Order of Play

1) In singles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall
then make a good return and, thereafter, service and receiver alternately
shall each make a good return.
2) In doubles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall
then make a good return, the partner of the server shall then make a good
return, the partner of the receiver shall then make a good return and,
thereafter, each player alternately in that sequence shall make a good
return.
f. The Change of Service
1) After each two points have been scored, the receiving player or pair
shall become the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the
game, unless both players or pairs score 10 points or the expedite system
is in operation (when the sequence of serving and receiving shall be the
same, but each player shall serve for only one point in turn).
2) Doubles
a) The first two services shall be delivered by the selected partner
of the pair which has the right to serve and shall be received by the
appropriate partner of the opposing pair.

b) The second two services shall be delivered by the receiver of the

first two services and shall be received by the partner of the first
server.
 c) The third two services shall be delivered by the partner of the
first server and shall be received by the partner of the first receiver.

d) The fourth two services shall be delivered by the partner of the

first receiver and shall be received by the first server.

e) The fifth two services shall be delivered and received as the first
two services, and so on, until the end of the game or if the score is
tied at 20 points.

f) In each game of a doubles match, the initial order of receiving

shall be opposite to that in the immediately preceding game.

3) When the score is tied at 10 points, the sequence of serving and

receiving shall be the same, but each player shall deliver only one service
in turn until the end of the game.

4) The player or pair who serves first in a game shall receive first in the
immediately subsequent game and so on, until the end of the match.

g. Out of Order of Serving, Receiving or Ends

1) If by mistake, the players have not changed ends when ends should
have been changed, play shall be interrupted as soon as the error is
discovered and the players shall change ends.

2) If by mistake a player serves or receives out of turn, play shall be

interrupted and shall continue with that player serving or receiving who,
according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match,
should be server or receiver.
3) In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error
shall be considered valid.

h. A Good Service
1) Service shall begin with the ball resting on the palm of the free hand,
which shall be stationary, open and flat, with the fingers together and the
thumb free.

2) The free hand and the racket shall be above the level of the playing
surface from the last moment at which the ball is stationary on the palm of
the free hand until the ball is struck in service.

3) The server shall then project the ball upwards, by hand only and without
imparting spin, so that it rises near vertically from the palm of the hand at
least 16 centimeters (6 inches).
 4) As the ball descends from the height of its trajectory, the server shall
strike it so that it touches first his/her own court then passes directly over
the net or its supports and subsequently touches the receiver’s court.

5) In doubles, the points of contact of the ball with the playing surface shall
touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.

6) If, in attempting to serve, a player fails to strike the ball while it is in

play, he/she shall lose a point.

7) When the ball is struck in service, it shall be behind the end line of the
server’s court or an imaginary extension thereof, but not farther back than
the part of the server’s body, other than his/her arm, head or leg, which is
farthest from the net.

8) Where there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a

good service, no warning should be given, and a point should be awarded
to the opponent.

a) Except when an assistant umpire has been appointed, the umpire may, on
the first occasion in a match at which he/she has a doubt about the
correctness of a player’s service, interrupt play and warn the server
without awarding a point. On any subsequent occasion in the same match
in which the same player’s service action is of doubtful correctness, for the
same or for any other reason, the player shall not be given the benefit of
the doubt and shall lose a point.

b) Strict observance of the prescribed method of service may be waived

(when the umpire is notified beforeplay begins) if compliance is prevented
by a physical disability.
i. A Good Return
1) The ball, having been served or returned in play, 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.
2) If the ball, having been served or returned in play, returns with its own
impetus over the net, it may be struck so that it directly touches the
opponent’s court.

j. Ball in Play
The ball shall be in play from the last moment at which it is stationary before
being projected in service until it touches
anything other than the playing surface, the net assembly, the racket held in the
hand or the racket hand below the wrist, or if the rally is otherwise decided as a
let or a point.

k. A Let
 1) A rally is a let in the following instances:
a) If the ball served, in passing over or around the net, touches it or
its supports, provided the service is otherwise good or is obstructed
by the receiver or his partner.
b) If the service is delivered when, in the opinion of the umpire, the
receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither the
receiver nor his/her partner attempts to strike the ball.
c) If, in the opinion of the umpire, failure to make a good service or
a good return or otherwise to comply with the rules is due to a
disturbance outside the control of the player.
d) If the rally is interrupted for correction of an error in playing order
or ends.
e) If the service is interrupted for warning a player for a service of
doubtful correctness.
f) If the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which, in the
opinion of the umpire, is likely to affect the outcome of the rally.
l. Loss of a Point
1) Unless the rally is a let, a player will lose a point in the following
situations:
a) If the player fails to make a good service.
b) If the player fails to make a good return.
c) If the player obstructs the ball.
d) If the player strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade having
an illegal surface.
e) If the player, or anything he/she wears or carries, moves the
playing surface while the ball is in play.
f) If the player’s free hand touches the playing surface while the ball
is in play.
g) If the player or anything he/she wears or carries touches the net
assembly while the ball is in play.
h) In doubles, if the player strikes the ball out of proper sequence
except where there has been a genuine error in playing order.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis

www.specialolympicseastasia.org/.../df730cbabd90d2dd1aaf2e0aaac0b64a.pdf