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The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, shall be rectangular, 2.74 m long and 1.525 m wide, and shall lie in a horizontal plane 76 cm above the floor.
The playing surface shall include the top edges of the table but not the sides of the table top below the edges.
The playing surface may be of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of about 23 cm when a standard ball is dropped on to it from a height of 30 cm.
The playing surface shall be uniformly dark coloured and matt, but with a white side line, 2cm wide, along each 2.74 m edge and a white end line, 2 cm wide, along each 1.525 m edge.
The playing surface shall be divided into two equal courts by a vertical net running parallel with the end lines, and shall be continuous over the whole area of each court.
For doubles, each court shall be divided into two equal half-courts by a white centre line, 3 mm wide, running parallel with the side lines; the centre line shall be regarded as part of each right half-court.
The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting posts.
The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post 15.25 cm high, the outside limits of the post being 15.25 cm outside the side line.
The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be 15.25 cm above the playing surface.
The bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be as close as possible to the playing surface and the ends of the net shall be as close as possible to the supporting posts.
The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 40 mm since August 2000.
The ball shall weigh 2.7 gm.
The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar plastics material and shall be white or yellow, and matt.
The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and rigid.
At least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood; an adhesive layer within the blade may be reinforced with fibrous material such as carbon fibre, glass fibre or compressed paper, but shall not be thicker than 7.5 % of the total thickness or 0.35 mm, whichever is the smaller.
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 2mm, or sandwich rubber with pimples inwards or outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4mm.
Ordinary pimpled rubber is a single layer of non-cellular rubber, natural or synthetic, with pimples evenly distributed over its surface at a density of not less than 10 per square cm and not more than 50 per square cm.
Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber not being more than 2 mm.
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 with any material.
The blade, any layer within the blade and any layer of covering material or adhesive shall be continuous and of even thickness.
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 uniformly dark-coloured and matt; any trimming round the edge of the blade shall be matt and no part of it shall be white.
Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of colour due to accidental damage, wear or fading may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.
At the start of a match and whenever he changes his racket during a match a player shall show his opponent and the umpire the racket he is about to use and shall allow them to examine it.
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 of which the result is scored.
The racket hand is the hand carrying the racket.
The free hand is the hand not carrying the racket.
A player strikes the ball if he touches it with his racket, held in the hand, or with his racket-hand below the wrist.
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.
A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in play when it has not passed over the playing surface or his end line, not having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.
The server is the player due to strike the ball first in the rally.
The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.
The umpire is the person appointed to control a match.
The assistant umpire is the person appointed to assist the umpire with certain duties.
Anything that a player wears or carries includes anything that he was wearing or carrying at the start of the rally.
The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net assembly if it passes under or outside the projection of the net assembly outside the table or if, in a return, it is struck after it has bounced back over the net.
The end line shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions.
At the start of service the ball shall rest freely on the flat, open palm of the free hand and shall be stationary, behind the server's end line and above the level of the playing surface.
The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, without imparting spin, so that it rises at least 16 cm after leaving the palm of the free hand.
As the ball is falling from the highest point of its trajectory the server shall strike it so that it touches first his court, passes over or around the net assembly and touches the receiver's court; in doubles, the ball shall touch the right half court of server and receiver.
Both the ball and the racket shall be above the level of the playing surface from the last moment at which the ball is stationary until it is struck.
When the ball is struck it shall be behind the server's end line but not farther back than the part of the server's body, other than his arm, head or leg, which is farthest from his end line.
It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or assistant umpire can see that he complies with the requirements for a good service.
If the umpire or assistant umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service but neither is sure that it is illegal the server may, on the first occasion in a match, be warned without losing a point.
If subsequently in the match the same player's service is of doubtful legality, for the same or for any other reason, he shall not be given the benefit of the doubt and shall lose a point.
Whenever there is a clear failure to comply with the requirements for a good service no warning shall be given and the server shall lose a point, on the first as on any other occasion.
Exceptionally, strict observance of any of the requirements for a good service may be waived where the umpire is notified, before play begins, that compliance is prevented by physical disability.
The ball, having been served or returned, 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.
In singles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall then make a good return and thereafter server and receiver alternately shall each make a good return.
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 in turn in that sequence shall make a good return.
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 the rally is otherwise decided as a let or a point.
The rally shall be a let:
- if in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it, provided the service is otherwise good or the ball is volleyed or obstructed by the receiver or his partner;
- if the service is delivered when the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither the receiver nor his partner attempts to strike the ball;
- if failure to make a good service or a good return or otherwise to comply with the Laws is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player;
- if play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.
Play may be interrupted:
- to correct an error in the order of serving, receiving or ends;
- to introduce the expedite system;
- to warn or penalise a player;
- because the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which could affect the outcome of the rally.
Unless the rally is a let, a player shall lose a point:
- if he fails to make a good service;
- if he fails to make a good return;
- if he volleys or obstructs the ball, except as provided in 1.10.1.1;
- if he strikes the ball twice successively;
- if the ball touches his court twice successively;
- if he strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface does not comply with the requirements;
- if he, or anything he wears or carries, moves the playing surface;
- if his free hand touches the playing surface;
- if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches the net assembly;
- if in doubles, except in serving or receiving, he strikes the ball out of proper sequence;
- if, under the expedite system, he serves and the receiving player or pair makes thirteen successive good returns.
Update: new rules since second half of 2001
A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring subsequently 2 points more than the opposing player or pair.
A match shall consist of the best of five games or the best of seven games.
Play shall be continuous throughout a match except that any player shall be entitled to claim an interval of not more than two minutes between successive games.
The right to make first choice shall be decided by lot.
The player or pair winning this right may:
- choose to serve or to receive first, when the loser shall have the choice of ends;
- choose an end, when the loser shall have the choice of serving or receiving first;
- require the loser to make the first choice, when the winner shall have whichever choice is not made by the loser.
In doubles, the pair having the right to serve first in each game shall decide which of them will do so and in the first game of a match, the opposing pair shall then decide which of them will receive first; in subsequent games of the match, the first receiver will be determined by the choice of server.
After 2 points (new since second half of 2001) have been scored the receiving player or pair shall become the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, or until each player or pair has scored 10 points or until the introduction of the expedite system.
In doubles:
- the first server shall be the selected player of the pair having the right to serve first and the first receiver shall be the appropriate player of the opposing pair;
- the second server shall be the player who was the first receiver and the second receiver shall be the partner of the first server;
- the third server shall be the partner of the first server and the third receiver shall be the partner of the first receiver;
- the fourth server shall be the partner of the first receiver and the fourth receiver shall be the first server;
- the fifth server shall be the player who was the first server and the players shall thereafter serve in the same sequence until the end of the game.
If both players or pairs have scored 10 points or if the expedite system is in operation the sequence of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only one point 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 of the match.
In each game of a doubles match after the first, the first server having been chosen, the first receiver shall be the player who served to him in the immediately preceding game.
In the last possible game of a doubles match the pair due next to receive shall change the order of receiving when first either pair scores 10 points.
The player or pair starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the immediately subsequent game of the match.
In the last possible game of a match the players shall change ends when first either player or pair scores 10 points.
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 during which the error is discovered.
If the players have not changed ends when they should have done so, play shall be interrupted by the 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 beginning of the match.
In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error shall be reckoned.
The expedite system shall come into operation if a game is unfinished after fifteen minutes' play unless both players or pairs have scored at least 19 points, or at any earlier time at the request of both players or pairs.
If the ball is in play when the time limit is reached, play shall be interrupted by the umpire and shall resume with service by the player who served in the rally that was interrupted.
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.
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.
Once introduced, the expedite system shall remain in operation for the remainder of the match.