PHYSICAL EDUCATION 14

Table Tennis- Handouts

Lyndon L. Maningo- Instructor

Historical Background

The sport got its start in England towards the end of the 19th century when, after dinner, some
upper-middle class Victorians decided to turn their dining room tables into miniature versions of the
traditional lawn tennis playing field. Several different every-day objects were employed in constructing
the sport. They used a line of books as the net. Rackets were lids from empty cigar boxes, and a little
later, parchment paper stretched around a frame.

Before “Table Tennis.”

When the game first started it was called by a number of different names. “Whifwhaf,”
“gossamer,” and “flim flam” were commonly used to describe it. The words, as can be assumed, were
derived from the sound that the ball made when hit back and forth on the table. In 1901 though, English
manufacturer J. Jaques& Son Ltd registered one of the more popular names, Ping-Pong, as a copyright.
He later sold the trademark to the Parker Brothers in the United States. Then in the 1920's the name
and the sport were revived in Europe as table tennis.

The name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong Association formed in
1902 was revived. The original association had broken up about 1905, though apparently the game
continued to be played in parts of England outside London and by the 1920s was being played in many
countries and in 1921 the Table Tennis Federation (TTF) I England was founded. Led by representatives
of Germany, Hungary, and England, the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International
Table Tennis Federation) was founded in 1926, the founding members being England, Sweden, Hungary,
India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the mid-1990s more than 165 national
associations were members. London hosted the first official world championship in 1927.

The first world championships were held in London in 1926, and from then until 1939 the game
was dominated by players from central Europe, the men’s team event being won nine times by Hungary
and twice by Czechoslovakia. In the mid-1950s Asia emerged as a breeding ground of champions, and
from that time the individual and team events (for both men and women) have been dominated by
athletes from China. The popularity of the game in China was notable for giving rise to so-called “Ping-
Pong diplomacy,” a period during the 1970s in which Cold War tensions between China and the United
States were eased via a series of highly publicized table tennis matches between athletes from the two
countries. The first such event—held in Beijing in 1971—is widely credited with paving the way for U.S.
Pres. Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China the following year. In 1980 the first World Cup was held,
and Guo Yuehua of China won the $12,500 first prize. Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988,
with singles and doubles competition for men and women.

Evolution

The turn of the century brought many other refinements to the sport. Players started using
celluloid balls after the English man James Gibb discovered them during a trip to the United States in
1901 and proved them to be perfect for Ping-Pong. In 1903, E.C Goode replaced parchment paper and
cigar box lids with pimpled rubber on light wooden “blades” as rackets. And after the world
championships in Prague in 1936, where two defensive players took over an hour to contest one point,
the net was lowered to make the pace of the game-play faster. (In another effort to make the game
faster paced and entertaining, rules were again changed in 2001.

Development

 1950’s, rackets with rubber sheets and underlying sponge were introduced by S.W. Hancock Ltd.
 Resulted in greater spin and speed
 To slow down the game they use large ball, 44mm.
 1990’s, the older 38mm balls were replaced by 40mm balls.
 The 21 point scoring system was decreased to 11.

Asian Factor

Although it may seem today that the sport, in the professional realm, is dominated by Asian
countries like China and Korea, it wasn’t always that way. Before the late 1950’s and early 60’s,
European players from Hungary especially, but also from France and Sweden seemed without
competition. But in 1952, Japanese player Horoi Satoh introduced the foam rubber paddle. The paddle
made the game faster and spinning the ball became an even greater factor. Japan became the main
winner in the world competitions in 1960, and by the mid 1960’s China took over the reigns through to
the early 1980’s. Their absolute domination of the sport was finally subdued with the entering of table
tennis into the Olympic Games in 1988 and the participation of players from Korea and Sweden.

Table Tennis and the Cold War

On April 6th, 1971, the US table tennis team was invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to play in
China. Four days later, nine players, four officials and two spouses crossed the bridge from Hong Kong to
the Chinese mainland. They were the first group of Americans to be allowed into the country since the
communist take-over in 1949. One of the first signs during the Cold war of improved relations between
the United States and China, Time magazine called it “the pong heard throughout the world.” It was
shortly followed with a visit to China by President Nixon.

Nature of the sport

 Played with 2 or 4 players

 Ball spin, speed, placement, strategy, and tactics is very significant
 Demands quick reactions
 Ball speed varies from slow serves with much spin to smashes that travel as fast as 112.5 kph.
 First to score 11 points ahead by 2 points wins the game
 Players alternate serves every 2 points or more
 10-10 points (deuce), players alternate with every serves; 2 points advantage shall be
considered winner
Social Values

 Accuracy  Coordination  Endurance

 Consistency  Reaction time  Balance
 Shot variety  Power  Strength
 Decision making  Speed
 Timing  Agility

Game Courtesies

 In a team event, players may receive advice from anyone.

 In an individual event, a player or pair may receive advice only from one person.
 Players may receive advice only during the intervals between games or during other authorized
suspension of play, and not between the end of practice and the start of a match.
 Players and coaches or other advisers shall refrain from behavior that may unfairly affect an
opponent, offend spectators or bring the sport into disrepute.
 Players, coaches and officials shall uphold the object of good presentation of the sport; in
particular players have to do their utmost to win a match and shall not withdraw except for
reasons of illness or injury.
 Playing clothing shall normally consist of a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt and shorts or skirt or
one-part sports outfits, socks and playing shoes.
 The main color of a shirt, skirt or shorts, other than sleeves and collar of a shirt shall be clearly
different from that of the ball in use.

Equipment

The Table
The playing surface, should be rectangular, 2.74m long and 1.525m wide, and shall lie in a
horizontal plane 76cm above the floor

.The playing surface should not include the vertical sides of the tabletop.

The playing surface should yield a uniform bounce of about 23cm when a standard ball is
dropped on to it from a height of 30cm.

The playing surface shall be uniformly dark colored and matt, but with a white side line, 2cm
wide, along each 2.74m edge and a white end line, 2cm wide, along each 1.525m edge.

The playing surface shall be divided into 2 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 2 equal half-courts by a white center line, 3mm
wide, running parallel with the side lines; the center line shall be regarded as part of each right half-
court.

The Net Assembly

The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post 15.25cm high, the
outside limits of the post being 15.25cm outside the side line.
The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be 15.25cm above the playing surface.

The Ball
The ball, which is spherical and hollow, was once made of white celluloid. Since 1969
a plastic similar to celluloid has been used. The ball, which may be coloured white, yellow, or orange,
weighs about 0.09 ounce (2.7 grams) and has a diameter of about 1.6 inches (4 cm).

The Racket
The blade of a racket, or bat, is usually made of wood, is flat and rigid, and may be covered with
a thin layer of ordinary stippled, or pimpled, rubber, which may be laid over a thin layer of sponge
rubber and may have the pimples reversed. The covering material (rubber sheets) 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. Whatever combination is used, each of the two
sides of a paddle must be different in colour, bright red on one side and black on the other. Slight
deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of color due to accidental damage or wear may be
allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.
The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade (wooden face) shall be flat and
rigid.

Terminologies
Rally – Is the period during which the ball is in play.

In play - from the last moment at which the ball is stationary on the palm of the free hand before being
intentionally projected in service until the rally is decided as a let or a point.

Racket hand - the hand carrying the racket.

Free hand - the hand not carrying the racket; the free arm is the arm of the free hand.

Strike - if the player touches the ball in play with his or her racket, held in the hand, or with his or her
racket hand below the wrist.

Server - is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally.

Receiver - is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.

Umpire - is the person appointed to control a match.

Assistant umpire - is the person appointed to assist the umpire with certain decisions.

End line - shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions.

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 first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.

Match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games.

Obstruction- A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he or she wears or carries, touches it in play
when it is above or travelling towards the playing surface, not having touched his or her court since last
being struck by his or her opponent.

Let Point
To “Let” a point is to disregard it. A point is let if:
1-the ball touches the net during an otherwise good serve without interruption by either player.
2-Play is disturbed by circumstances beyond the players’ control.
3-Tthe 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.

Scoring Points
When serving, the ball should bounce once on the server’s side of the table and once on your
opponent’s side of the table. (In doubles play, the ball shall touch successively the right half court of
server and receiver.)

When returning however, the ball should only bounce once on your opponent’s side of the
table.
The first player who fails to keep the ball in play, as specified, loses the point.

There are other ways to score points:

 if your opponent's free hand touches the playing surface;
 if your opponent, or anything your opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly;
 if your opponent strikes the ball twice successively, you win a point.

Serving
The server shall project the ball near vertically upwards, without imparting spin, so that it rises
at least 16cm and then falls without touching anything before being struck.

The ball shall not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server
or his doubles partner and 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.

If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service he may, on the first occasion in a match,
declare a let (see below) and warn the server. Any subsequent service of doubtful legality of that player
or his doubles partner will result in a point to the receiver.

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.

Forehand serve
 Basic table tennis serve that a beginner should start with grip your racket properly, it may be a
Shakehand grip or a Penhold grip.
 Forehand side of your racket should face towards the net.
 Toss the ball and strike so that the first bounce is on your side and after flying over the net, the
ball drops on your opponent’s side of the table.

Grips
Penhold Grip
It is a grip in which the player holds the racquet handle in the same manner as holding a pen by clasping
the handle between the thumb and the forefinger.

Shakehand Grip
It is the most common and easier grip in which the player holds the racquet handle in a way that he/she
is performing a handshake.

Penhold grip Shakehand grip

Backhand serve
 Is just the opposite of forehand serve.
 Hit the ball with the backhand side which is the reverse of the forehand side of your racket

THE RETURN
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.

Stroke Techniques
Offensive Stroke Defensive stroke Other strokes
 Speed drive  The half-volley/Push  Backspin
 Flip  Chop  Topspin
 Smash  Block  Sidespin
 Lob
Course of Play

After a combined two points have been scored, the receiving player or pair shall become the
serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, unless both players or pairs score 10 points,
when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1
point in turn.

The right to choose the initial order of serving shall be decided by luck and the winner may
choose to serve or to receive first. The chooser can also decide whether he wants to start at a particular
end of the table, but then gives up the right to decide the service order.

In either case, service order and table ends are switched at the beginning of each new game in a
match ( a match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games).Also, in the last possible game of
a match the players switch ends when the higher score stands at five points.

A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs
score 10 points, at which point the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a
lead of 2 points.

THE ORDER OF PLAY

Singles
Server shall first make a service, the receiver shall then make a return and thereafter server and receiver
alternately shall each make a return.

Doubles
Server shall first make a service, the receiver shall then make a return, the partner of the server shall
then make a return, the partner of the receiver shall then make a return and thereafter each player in
turn in that sequence shall make a return.

ORDER OF SERVING, RECEIVING AND ENDS

 The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be decided by lot and the
winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end.
 When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the
other player or pair shall have the other choice.
 After each 2 points have been scored the receiving player or pair shall
 become the serving player or pair and so on until the end of the game, unless
 both players or pairs score 10 points or the expedite system is in operation,
 when the sequences of serving and receiving shall be the same but each
 player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.
 In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of
them will do so and in the first game of a match the receiving pair shall decide which of them will
 receive first; in subsequent games of the match, the first server having been chosen, the first
receiver shall be the player who served to him or her in the preceding game.
 In doubles, at each change of service the previous receiver shall become the server and the
partner of the previous server shall become the receiver.
 The player or pair serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match and in
the last possible game of a doubles match the pair due to receive next shall change their order
of receiving when first one pair scores 5 points.

Reference:

Barna, V. (2022, December 2). table tennis. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from:
https://www.britannica.com/sports/table-tennis