Table Tennis

Table Tennis, game played on a table, by two or four contestants, with a small, lightweight celluloid ball and small rackets, often called bats or paddles.
The table is 9 ft by 5 ft (2.74 m by 1.52 m) with its upper surface 30 in (76 cm) above the floor. The table is divided into opposing courts by a net 6 in (15.24 cm) high and a white stripe, running lengthwise down the centre, that is used only for doubles play. The surface of a standard table is made of 3/4-in (1.91-cm) five-ply wood, the resiliency of which is such that a standard table tennis ball, when dropped from a height of 1 ft (30.5 cm), will rebound to a height of from 8? to 9? in (22.2 to 24.8 cm). The white (or orange) celluloid ball is hollow; it is about 1.5 in (40 mm) in diameter and about 0.88 oz (2.7 g) in weight. The rackets may be any shape but usually are oval and made of wood, faced with rubber or sponge that may be pimpled or smooth.
Like tennis, table tennis involves hitting the ball back and forth over the net until one of the players misses the ball, or hits it into the net or off the table; in each of these cases the opponent scores a point. To serve properly, a player holds the ball on the flat, outstretched palm of the hand, then throws it up and strikes it as it falls. There are two distinctive ways of holding the bat: either as if holding a pen or as if shaking a hand. The ball must then hit the table on the server's side of the net first, whereupon play continues as in tennis, but the ball must hit the table before being returned by a player. When a serve touches the net but is otherwise a good serve, it is called a “let” and played over. One player serves until 2 points have been scored, after which the opponent serves for the next 2 points. A game is won by the player who first scores 11 points. If the score is tied at 10-all, deuce, the service changes after each point until one player gains a 2-point advantage to win the game. Players change ends after every game. So-called net and edge balls—that is, shots that touch either the net or table edge—are valid shots. When, in the opinion of the umpire, a ball hits the side instead of the end edge of the table, the player who made the shot loses the point.
Doubles play in table tennis differs from singles play in the following respects: 1. Service must be from the right hand court into the opponent's right hand court. 2. Each partner must hit or return alternate shots. Each player receives service for 2 points, then, as opponents shift positions, serves for 2 points. The sequence of one specific partner hitting to one specific opponent must be changed after each game. Matches can be the best of five, seven, or nine games.