The Olympics is possibly the most highly anticipated sporting events the world over. Bringing together hundreds of nations for some healthy competition across a multitude of different sports, the Olympics is definitely an event that has many of us marking our calendars.
But what good is watching the Olympic Games if you’re not really sure how to play table tennis? In some cases, Olympic rules for certain sports might not be the same as they would be for lower level tournaments. So to best appreciate such a major sporting event, it would help to brush up on some of the rules and regulations that oversee the sports at the Olympic level.
In this article, we’re going to dive into the complexities of the Olympic rules for table tennis. So sit tight and brace yourself for a crash course that will help you become the savviest spectator at your next Olympic Games viewing party.
Basic Technical Terms
Of course, where else would it be best to start learning about the Olympic ping pong rules other than with the technical terms used throughout the game? Make a mental note of these basic terms to help you stay up to speed on the rules as we go along.
1. Rally – A rally is the period of time during which the ball is in play. This spans from the moment the ball is served to the time when any one of the players fails to return the ball to the opponent’s court.
2. Game – A game is a cluster of rallies. Players must complete several games in a race to 11 points. The first player to accumulate 11 points will win the current game. In case both players accumulate 10 points, the player who manages to earn a lead of at least 2 points will be declared the winner of the game.
3. Match – A cluster of games. At the Olympic level, a match is composed of 7 games for both the men’s and women’s singles events. For team events for both men and women, a match is composed of 5 games. The first player to win 5 games in a singles match is declared the winner. In doubles, the first team to win 3 matches is declared winner.
4. Serve – The beginning of a rally. One player sets the ball in play while following certain regulations. A player gets two serves in a row before the ball is given to the opponent for his opportunity to serve.
5. Stroke – The basic term that simply means “to hit the ball.” There are many different kinds of strokes in table tennis, and the serve is one of them.
6. Playing Surface – The entire surface area of the ping pong table which indicates the only space where the ball may fall when it is in play.
Table Tennis Equipment Specifications
To guarantee that the match is played under international guidelines, the specifics of the different equipment used during the sport have been identified by the International Table Tennis Federation. These regulations change based on the level of the tournament. For the Olympic Games, the following specifications apply.
For the Table
· Dimensions of 9.0 feet by 5.0 feet, standing at a height of 76 cm from the ground.
· Yielding a uniform bounce height of 23 cm when a standard ping pong ball is dropped vertically downwards from a height of 30 cm.
· Matte finish with a gloss index of 15
· Made from a continuous piece of material. Tables made from several pieces of material pieced together, no matter how seamless, are prohibited.
· Uniformly dark pain to help improve the visibility of the ball.
· White colored lines 2cm in width should outline the edges of the table should be painted onto the playing surface.
· Net secured taut, splitting the table crosswise into to even playing sides.
· The net should extend beyond either side of the table by 6 inches, and should be 6 inches in height when measured from the playing surface.
· A space of at least 46 ft x 23 ft where the table stands in the exact center to provide ample space for players to move around the playing surface.
For the Paddles
· Black on one side and red on the other.
· No enhancements can be applied to the paddles in order to guarantee a fair game.
· Cleaning agents that leave a light film over the rubber of the paddle are prohibited. Rackets that have been treated with such cleaning agents are deemed illegal for Olympic level games.
· All rackets used for the game must comply with ITTF regulations.
For the Players
· Sponsor logos are not allowed on clothing, except for the brand logo. The size of this logo must also be verified with the Olympic organizers.
· The name of the player along with his country code may be printed or embroidered on one side of the front of the shirt, but may also be absent.
· The name and country code however must be printed in large letters at the center of the back of the clothing. This should not take up more than 1/3 of the width of the shirt.
For the Playing Field
· A light intensity of 1,000 lux
· Ceilings should be at least 10 meters high
· Floors should be smooth and free from obstacles. Colors of the floors should contrast with the color of the table.
· Walls should be painted a dark color up to 8 feet in order to provide contrast against the ping pong ball when viewed from a horizontal stand point.
· Room temperature of a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius or a maximum of 20 degrees Celsius, with a humidity index of 40-50%.
Starting the Game
Before starting a rally, the umpire my first assist in determining who should serve first. Both players are given an equal opportunity to snag the right to the first service by assigning each one a side of a two-faced coin. This coin is then tossed, and whoever wins the coin toss is granted the opportunity to deal the first service. We discussed ping pong serving rules in full detail in another article you may want to check out.
Once the ball is tossed and served, it’s considered “in play.” Each player gets the opportunity for two consecutive serves before the ball is given to the opponent for their turn to serve.
If both players accumulate 10 points each (called a “deuce”), the service is then narrowed down to just one serve each. This goes on until one of the players attains a lead of at least 2 points. Once that happens, the leading player is declared the winner of that specific game.
The Scoring System
Players earn points, which are collected during the span of a rally to determine the winner of each set. There are a number of ways that a player can score points.
· A bad serve or an illegal serve
· Causing the ball to bounce twice on your side of the playing surface
· Failure to return the ball after it makes contact with your side of the playing surface
· Failure to make the ball bounce on the opponents side of the table
· When the ball returns to your side of the playing surface after hitting the net
· Using the free hand to hold the playing surface
· Obstructs the view of the opponent in any way during play, hiding the ball from their vision
· Hitting the ball out of turn during a game of doubles
· Hitting the ball twice in succession
· Hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the table, unless its trajectory implies that it will not make contact with your court.
How Long Does a Game Last?
.jpg#/media/File:Table_tennis_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_(8).jpg "ping pong rules")
Generally speaking, an Olympic game should end when one of the two players has reached 11 points, or when a lead of at least 2 points has been established after a deuce. But if the total score is less than 18 after a period of 10 minutes has passed, then the player with the higher score is declared the winner.
However, if the total score exceeds 18 points after the 10 minute mark, then the game will go on until one of the players accumulates 11 points, or when a lead of 2 points is established after a deuce – regardless of how long it will take.
Special Rules for Doubles
In an Olympic game of table tennis doubles, the server will make the first hit, which will then be returned by the receiver. Once the ball is back in the server’s court, his partner will make the return. And then the partner of the receiver will stroke the ball back. The rally will continue in this succession until a score is made.
If any one of the players hits the ball out of this sequence, then a score is granted to the opposing team.
After one team’s opportunities to serve have been used up, the ball will be brought to the opposing team’s court for service. As a general rule, the receiver for the new server’s stroke will be determined by who was serving in the first game.
To give you a better understanding of how this works, imagine two teams. Team A with members 1 and 2, and Team B with members 3 and 4.
When it was Team A’s turn to serve, member 1 was one designated as the server. Team B then designated member 3 to return the serve as the receiver.
Once it’s Team B’s turn to serve, they may choose who between member 3 or 4 will serve. However, the receiver will be determined by taking into account the play from the previous game.
So if member 3 from Team B received member 1 from Team A’s service, member 1 from Team A will receive member 3’s service. It can’t be member 2. If Team B decides that member 4 will serve, then the receiver should be member 2 and not member 1.
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to ping pong than hitting a ball back and forth over a table. Very precise rules govern the game, and understanding these rules will help improve the way you enjoy watching your favorite Olympic sport.
So stay up to speed on these interesting Olympic rules for table tennis and try to see how they look in practice when the next Olympic Games come rolling around the corner
*Featured Image by Choo Yut Shing