how to score in ping pong
The main ways to score in ping pong include legal serves, legal returns, and opponent fouls.
Rules of Scoring
Lawful serve: The ball shall be served in the palm of the hand not holding the racket, which must be open and flat, and the ball shall be thrown almost vertically upwards after it leaves the palm of the hand without spinning, and shall not be struck until it has risen not less than 16 centimeters. The server, standing on the right side of the table, throws the ball vertically and hits it, with the ball bouncing once on the server's side of the table, then over or around the net and touching the opponent's side of the table.
LEGAL RETURN: A legal return means that after the opponent has served or returned the ball, the player must hit the ball so that it goes directly over or around the netting device and touches the opponent's table area. If the opponent fails to return the ball legally (e.g., returns the ball out of bounds, goes over the net, fails to hit the ball within the allotted time, etc.), the team making the legal return scores the point.
Special Circumstances:
Rubbing Ball: If the ball touches the edge of the playing surface and does not go out of bounds, it is considered a valid shot and the opponent scores.
Rubbing the net: If the ball touches the net and lands in the opponent's effective area during the serve or stroke, the ball is also considered a valid shot and the opponent scores.
Other Rules and Scoring Implications in Match Play
Serving and change of serve: In singles matches, the opposing team changes serve after every two points; in doubles matches, the receiving team becomes the serving team after every two points or service error.
Number of sets: Singles matches are usually won in four out of seven sets, while doubles matches are won in three out of five sets.
Time-outs and Side Changes: After the first exchange of serves in each set, or before each break, a player may ask for a time-out to wipe his or her sweat. Side changes may also be made when the match reaches 1:1 or 2:2 for a tiebreaker.
By understanding these rules and strategies, it is possible to score better and improve your game in table tennis.
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