GAME OF TABLE TENNIS

TABLE TENNIS





Table Tennis is one of the popular game in India. Table Tennis is an indoor game based on Tennis, Played with small bats and a ball bounced on a table divided by a net. This game is also known as ping-pong.


The origin of the game is not known, Britain, The united states of America, India and south Africa have each been named as the birth place of this popular sport. In 1921, the ping-pong Association was established in Britain. The name of the association was subsequently changed to Table Tennis Association In 1926. In 1933, the US Table Tennis Association was formed as one of its affiliates.



It was only in 1937, that the Table Tennis Federation of India was formed in KOLKATTA with four State Association affiliated to it. T.D Ranga Ramnujan; 'T.D.R' as he was called played an important role to strenghten the federation. India was not only a founder- member of the International Table Tenis Federation but took part in the inaugral world Championships held in London in 1926. Worls championship was held at Mumbai in 1952 for the first time in Asia.

Field and Equipments

The Table

The table shall be rectangular, 2.74 m in length and 1.52m in width. It shall be supported so that its upper surface, termed the playing surface, shall lie in a horizontal plane 76 cm above the floor. It shall be made of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of not less than 22cm and not more than 25cm when a standard ball is dropped from a height of 30 cm above its surface. The playing surface shall be dark-coloured, preferably dark green and matt with a white line 2cm wide along each edge. The lines at the 1.52 cm edges or ends, shall be termed 'end- lines' and the lines at the 2.74m edges or sides shall be termed 'sides lines'.

For doubles, the playing surface shall be divided into two halves by a white line 3mm broad, running parallel to the side lines, termed the center-line. The center line may be permanently marked in full length on the table and this in no way invalidates the table for Singles play.

Net and its supports

The playing surface shall be divided into two courts of equal size by a net running parallel to the end lines. The net with its suspension, shall be 1.83 mm in length. Its upper part shall be 15.25 cm above the playing surface and its lower part shall be close to the playing surface. It shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post 15.25 cm high. The outside limits of each post shall be 15.25 cm outside the side line.

The Racket

The racket may be of any size, shape or weight, but each side shall be uniformly dark coloured and matt. The blade shall be of wood of even thickness flat and rigid. Any trimming or binding round the edge of the blade need not be of the same colour as neither side but shall not be white, yellow or brightly reflecting. If a side of the blade used for striking the ball is covered, this covering shall extend over the whole striking surface. It shall be covered either by ordinary pimpled rubber with pimples outwards, having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2mm or by sandwich rubber consisting of a layer of cellular rubber surfaced by ordinary pimpled rubber with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4mm. If a side of the blade used for striking the ball is not covered, the wood shall be dark-coloured, either naturally or by being stained, not painted in such a way as not to alter the frictional characteristics of the surface. The part of the blade nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be covered with material such as cork for convenience of grip and is to be regarded as part of the handle. A side of the blade never used for striking the ball may be painted or covered with any material provided that the surface is uniformly dark-coloured and matt; a stroke with such a surface would be illegal and result in a lost point. Minor variations of shade, due to wear or ageing of the surface, should not be regarded as infringing the requirement for uniformity, which is intended to prevent the use of basically different colours on a single side of the blade.

Rules

The rally is a let:

• If the ball served, in passing over or around the net, touches it or its supports, provided the service be otherwise good or be volleyed by the receiver or his partner.

• If a service be delivered when the receiver or his partner is not ready, provided that a player may not be deemed to be unready if he or his partner attempts to strike at the ball.

• If a player fails to make a good service or a good return or otherwise to comply with the laws due to a disturbance outside the control of the player.

• If it is interrupted, for correction of a mistake in playing order or ends and for application of the expedite system.

The order of Serving, Receiving and Ends

The player or pair who started at one End in a game shall start at the other in the immediately subsequent game and so on until the end of the match. In the last possible game of the match, the players or pairs shall change ends when first either player or pair reaches the score 10.

In singles, after five points, the receiver shall become the server and the server, the receiver and so on until the end of the game or the score 20-20 or until the introduction of the expedite system.

From the score 20-20, or if the game being played under the expedite system, 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.

The player or pair who served first in a game shall receive first in the immediately subsequent game and so on until the end of the match. In the last possible game of a doubles match, the receiving pair shall alter its order of receiving when first either pair reaches the score 10.

In each game of a doubles match the initial order of receiving shall be opposite. The first five services shall be delivered by the selected partner of the pair who have the right to do so and shall be received by the appropriate partner of the opposing pair. The second five services shall be delivered by the receiver by the partner of the first server. The third five services shall be delivered by the partner of the first server and received by the partner of the first receiver. The fourth five services shall be delivered by the partner of the first receiver and received by the first server. The fifth five services shall be delivered as the first five and so on in sequence until the end of the game or the score 20-20 or until the introduction of the Expedite system.

The Expedite System:

1. The expedite system shall come into operation if a game is unfinished after fifteen minute's play, or at any earlier time at the request of both players or pairs.

2. If the ball is in play when the time limit is reached, play shall be stopped by the umpire and shall resume with service by the player who served in the rally that was interrupted.

3. If the ball is not in play when the time limit is reached, play shall resume with service by the player who received in the immediately preceding rally of the game.

4. Thereafter, each player shall serve for one point in turn, until the end of the game and if the receiving player or pair makes thirteen good returns the server shall lose a point.

5. Once the Expedite System is introduced it shall remain in operation till the end of the match.

Out of Order of Serving, Receiving and Ends

1. If a player serves or receives out of turn play shall be interrupted by the umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with those players serving and receiving who should be server and receiver respectively at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the beginning of the match, and in doubles, to the order of serving chosen by the pair having the right to serve first in the game which the error is discovered.

2. If a player have not changed ends where they should have done so play shall be interrupted by umpire as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with the players at the ends at which they should be at the score that has been reached according to the sequence established at the start of the match.

3. In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error shall be reckoned.

Game

A match shall consist of the best of three or the best of five games. Play shall be continuous throughout, except that either player or pair is entitled to claim an interval of not more than two minutes duration between successive games.

The choice of ends and the right to serve or receive first in a match shall be decided by toss. The winner of the toss may choose the right to serve or receive first and the loser shall then have the choice of ends and vice versa.

In doubles, the pair who have the right to serve the first five services in any game shall decide which partner shall do so. In the first game of the match the opposing pair shall then decide similarly which shall be the first receiver. In subsequent games the serving pair shall choose their first server and the first receiver will then be established automatically to correspond with the first server.

Service shall begin with the ball resting on the palm of the free hand, which must be stationary, open and flat, with the fingers together and the thumb free. The free hand while in contact with the ball in service shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the servers end line. The whole of 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.

The server shall then project the ball upwards within 45 degree of the vertical, by hand only and without imparting spin, so that the ball is visible at all times to the umpire and that it visibly leaves the palm.

As the ball is then visibly descending from the height of its trajectory it shall be struck so that it touches first the server's court and then, passing directly over or around the net, touches the receivers court.

A Rally is the period during which the ball is in play. A Let is a rally of which the result is not scored. A Point is a rally which the result is scored.

A player volleys the ball if he strikes it in play when it has not touched his court since last being struck by his opponent. An umpire and an assistant is appointed to control the match.

Scoring

A player shall lose a point, unless the Rally is a Let.

• If he fails to make a good service.

• If, a good service or a good return having been made by his opponent, he fails to make a good return.

• If, before the ball in play shall have passed over the end lines or side lines not yet having touched the playing surface on his side of the net since being struck by his opponent, it comes in contact with him or anything he wears or carries.

• If he volleys the ball.

• In doubles if any one of the pair strikes the ball out of proper sequence.

• If, under the expedite system, he serves and the receiving player or pair make thirteen or successive good returns.

• If he or his racket or anything that he wears or carries touches the net or its supports or moves the playing surface while the ball is in play.

• If his free hand touches the playing surface while the ball is in play.

Result

A game shall be won by the player or the pair first scoring 21 points, unless both players or pairs shall have scored 20 points, when the winner of the game shall be the player or pair first scoring 2 points more than the opposing player or pair.

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