Considered the most important stroke in ping pong, the serve could make or break an entire rally. This principle becomes especially obvious when you consider the idea that every game starts with a serve. And if and when a player doesn’t comply with the International Table Tennis Federation’s regulations when it comes to serving a ball, the point is automatically granted to the opposing player.
That said, there’s a lot riding on the simple concept however complex art of service in table tennis. So as any expert will tell you, training for the sport starts with learning how to properly start the game.
How exactly do you serve a ping pong ball? And what are the ping pong serving rules that oversee this most important stroke? Find out here.
The ITTF Handbook’s Rules on Service
The International Table Tennis Federation stipulates 6 rules for a “good serve” or an ITTF compliant serve. Some of these 6 stipulations come with sub-specifications that further guide the player as to how the ball should be served.
To give you a better understanding of each rule, we’ve broken down the ITTF guidelines on service below:
2.06.01 – Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server’s stationary free hand.
This first stipulation details the acceptable onset of any rally – and that is with the ball resting freely on the palm of the hand opposite the paddle. So there are a few things you need to watch out for if you want to meet these standards.
Firstly, you can’t cup your palm or fingers. The ball should rest freely on the palm without restriction. So any sort of movement or posture that could restrict the ball violates this part of the stipulation.
Secondly, you can’t hold the ball with your fingers. According to the rules, the ball needs to be resting on your palm. Having it rest on the fingers of your hands or holding the ball with your hands is considered a violation.
Thirdly, the ball should be at rest. So picking up the ball and throwing it in the air immediately after without any sort of rest is considered a violation of the rules. Why? The purpose of holding the ball at rest first before throwing it in the air is to reduce or completely eliminate any sort of spinning motion.
2.06.02 – The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, without imparting spin so that it rises at least 16cm or 6.3 inches after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls without touching anything before being struck.
There’s quite a bit of information to digest with this specific law, so we’ll break it down further for easier understanding.
Firstly, the ball should be projected near vertically upwards, which essentially means it should be tossed at an angle that’s near vertical. Because this has sparked some debate among umpires and players, a supplementary stipulation was provided by the ITTF for further guidance.
10.03.01 – The server is required to throw the ball “near vertically” upwards and it must rise at least 16 cm after leaving his hand. This means it must rise within a few degrees of the vertical rather than within the angle of 45 degrees that was formerly specified, and that it must rise far enough for the umpire to be sure that it is thrown upwards and not sideways or diagonally.
The next part of the stipulation that requires explanation is that a player should not impart spin on the ball. A spinning ball behaves differently, and might travel differently compared to one that’s simply tossed into the air without spin.
Another important segment of this law that often riles up players is the fact that the ball should travel at least 16 cm into the air after leaving the palm before being hit. On top of that, the player should only strike the ball once it starts to descend from traveling upwards.
Regardless of how high the player’s hand was from the table top, the ball should travel at least 16 cm into the air. That said, holding the ball above the table at a height of 16 cm and then releasing it does not count as a valid serve. Why? The ball needs to travel 16 cm upwards, so dropping it doesn’t fulfil the regulation.
2.06.03 – As the ball is falling, the server shall strike it so that it touches first his court and then, after passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver’s court; in doubles, the ball shall touch successively the right half court of server and receiver.
The first part of this law stipulates that the ball can only be hit as it starts to fall. So any point from its ascent to its peak, the player should resist striking it in order to avoid a penalty or warning. As stated in the previous stipulation, the ball should not touch anything else before being struck with the paddle.
Secondly, the ball should first strike the server’s court, before travelling over or around the net, and then landing on the opponent’s court. In singles, it doesn’t matter which quadrant of the courts the ball lands on, as long as it first makes contact with the server’s court before the receiver’s.
For table tennis serving rules for doubles, the ball should hit both the right courts, based on the perspective of the players. So the server should aim to land on the right side of his court, and then the left side of the opposite court, which would be the right side from the perspective of the opponents.
Passing around the net isn’t quite as easy to perform, considering the fact that it just out 6 inches on either side of the table. But in case a player does manage to curve around the net while fulfilling all the other requirements stipulated in this law, then the serve is considered valid and in play.
2.06.04 – From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server’s end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server or his doubles partner; as soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm shall be removed from the space between the server’s body and the net.
With this law, we can surmise that the ball can’t be held below the table at the start of a serve. On top of that, the server must hold the ball behind the end line – the demarcation line that outlines the borders of the table. And finally, the ball should not be concealed from the view of the receiver at any point during a serve.
Given this information, we can see that no other details are specified regarding the location of the hand with the paddle or the position of the player relative to the table during the serve.
So holding the paddle below the table at the start of the serve, or standing along the side of the table and slightly ahead of the end line can be allowed – as long as the ball is held above the table and before the end line.
Other than that, it’s also important that the player remove his hand from the area above the table and bring it outside of the playing surface once the ball has been lifted into the air. This prevents them from getting the opportunity to hide the ball from the view of the opponent on the opposite side of the court.
The purpose of this stipulation is to simply ensure that the ball is visible to the receiver at all times – from the beginning of the serve until it reaches his court for return.
2.06.05 – It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or the assistant umpire can see that he complies with the requirements for a good service.
Generally speaking, it’s difficult to see whether a player is actually complying with some of these stipulations. For instance, it’s difficult to determine whether the ball is already on its way down from being projected upwards before the player strikes, as indicated in 2.06.03. So a player should strive to be deliberate in the way he acts upon the ball so as not to cause confusion to the umpires.
2.06.05.01 – If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service, he may on the first occasion in a match, declare a let and warn the server.
In official tournaments, there are high speed cameras and spectators that can verify whether or not a violation has been made, but these are not always exact or absolute. So if an umpire cannot verify whether or not a violation has been made, he can let that player off without penalty, but instead providing a warning for the succeeding services.
2.06.05.02 – Any subsequent service of a doubtful legality of that player or his doubles partner will result in a point to the receiver.
How many let serves are allowed in table tennis? Just one. If the player repeats the unverified violation again within the game, or if he performs a second doubtful violation, then a point will automatically be granted to the opposing player or team.
Note that in games that involve doubles, even if player A was the one who performed the doubtful serve, player B will not be given a warning for another doubtful serve. That is, a let will only be provided once per team.
2.06.05.03 – Whenever there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a good service, no warning shall be given and the receiver shall score a point.
If an umpire decides however, that the serve did not comply with standard regulations, then a point will be automatically granted to the opposing team without the need for a warning.
· 2.06.06 – Exceptionally, the umpire may relax the requirements for a good service where he is satisfied that compliance is prevented by physical disability.
If for example, the server is physically handicapped, the umpire can relax the rules so as to accommodate the disability. A good example of this would be in the first stipulation, 2.06.01, with the ball held freely in the player’s palm.
If the player has a condition that limits the hand’s range of motion, creating a cupped posture as the result of a contracture, then the umpire should seek to relax the first stipulation in that the player can’t comply given his physical disability.
This does not mean however, that disabled players will be allowed to bend the rules out of their own volition. Only those rules violated by their physical limitations will be allowed to slide.
Umpire Hand Signals
Intended as a guide for both players and spectators, an umpire’s hand signals should tell you how the game should proceed. Understanding what they mean will help you figure out what to do next.
1. Next Server – The umpire extends an open front facing palm to the side of the next server. Usually, they will announce the player’s surname along with the current score. For international games, the umpire may announce the server by the country they represent.
2. Let – To signal a let, the umpire should raise an open front facing palm over their head. This is also used to stop the game in case the umpire needs to verify the validity of a service.
3. Illegal Service – There are several hand signals that can be used to identify the variety of illegal ping pong serves.
o Ball not resting on palm – One open upwards facing palm extended forward, while the other hand points to the region of the fingers.
o Palm not flat and open – One hand extended with fingers flexed and pointing upwards.
o Ball below the playing surface – One hand extended with the palm facing down, and the other hand pointing to the area under the other hand’s palm.
o Ball in front of end line – One hand extended with the palm facing down, and the other hand pointing to the back of the wrist of the extended hand.
o Ball thrown less than 16 cm – One hand extended with the palm facing up, and the other hand pointing a short height above the extended palm.
o Ball not thrown vertically upwards – One hand extended with the palm facing up, while the other hand points to the extended palm and moves horizontally as it draws a downward facing curve.
o Ball is hidden from the receiver – One hand is placed flat against the chest.
Conclusion
The serve is the single most important stroke in a game of ping pong. Without it, a game would never start! So make sure you know your ping pong serving rules to make the most of each new rally’s beginning.
There’s a lot that goes into the delicate art of the perfect serve, but understanding the technicalities behind this pivotal stroke can make it a lot easier for you to meet regulations and make each serve a meaningful start.