Table Tennis

Table tennis, also called (trademark) Ping-Pong, ball game similar in principle
to lawn tennis and played on a flat table divided into two equal courts by
a net fixed across its width at the middle. The object is to hit the ball so that it goes
over the net and bounces on the opponent are half of the table in such a way that
the opponent cannot reach it or return it correctly. The lightweight hollow ball is
propelled back and forth across the net by small rackets (bats, or paddles) held by
the players. The game is popular all over the world. In most countries it is very
highly organized as a competitive sport, especially in Europe and Asia, particularly
in China and Japan.

History

The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th century and was
originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. 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. 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.
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 men’s team event has been won by either Japan or China, as has the
women’s event, though to a lesser extent; North Korea also became an
international force. 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.
The Game
Table tennis equipment is relatively simple and inexpensive. The table is
rectangular, 9 feet by 5 feet (2.7 metres by 1.5 metres), its upper surface a level
plane 30 inches (76 cm) above the floor. The net is 6 feet (1.8 metres) long, and
its upper edge along the whole length is 6 inches (15.25 cm) above the playing
surface. 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 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. Whatever
combination is used, each of the two sides of a paddle must be different in
colour. The racket may be any size, weight, or shape.

A match consists of the best of any odd numbers of games, each game being won
by the player who first reaches 11 points or who, after 10 points each, wins two
clear points ahead. A point is scored when the server fails to make a good service,
when either player fails to make a good return, or when either player commits a
specified infraction (e.g., touches the playing surface with a free hand while the
ball is in play). Service changes hands after every two points until 10-all is
reached, when it changes after every subsequent point.

The serve is made from behind the end of the table, the server tossing the ball
upward from the palm of the free hand and striking it as it descends so that it first
bounces on the server’s own court and then, passing over the net, bounces on the
opponent’s court. In serving, no spin may be imparted to the ball by the fingers.
This was not always so. Finger spin, especially in the United States, reached a
stage where the experts could produce untakable services and the game became
farcical. Finger spin was universally banned in 1937.
Interest to the spectator lies in observing the ability of one player to defeat another
by well-thought-out strategy. Increasing the speed of the game, slowing it down,
varying the direction of or imparting different spin or pace to the ball, and
employing gentle drop shots over the net when the opponent is out of position are
some of the tactics that may be used to support the strategy planned.
Slow or defensive play at one time was so dominant that, at the 1936 world
championships in Prague, an hour was needed to decide a single point. Play is now
restricted. If a game is unfinished 15 minutes after it has begun, the rest of that
game and the remaining games of the match proceed under the Expedite System.
Thereafter if the service and 13 following strokes of the server are returned by the
receiver, the server loses the point. The service changes after each point.
Table tennis may be played with one player at each end of the table or with two
players at each end who may be both men or both women or one of each.
Worldwide, the women’s game is comparable in organization to the men’s, and
women take part in world championships and all other organized events. Table
tennis as well as being fully organized is also extremely popular as a recreational
game and is so played in all types of sports clubs, social clubs, and game rooms, in
the home, and even out-of-doors when conditions are reasonably calm.

Ball

The international rules specify that the game is played with a sphere having a mass
of 2.7 grams (0.095 oz) and a diameter of 40 millimetres (1.57 in).[23] The rules say
that the ball shall bounce up 24–26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) when dropped from a height
of 30.5 cm (12.0 in) onto a standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of
restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. Balls are now made of a polymer instead of celluloid as
of 2015, colored white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball color is
made according to the table color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is
easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Manufacturers often
indicate the quality of the ball with a star rating system, usually from one to three,
three being the highest grade. As this system is not standard across manufacturers,
the only way a ball may be used in official competition is upon ITTF
approval[23] (the ITTF approval can be seen printed on the ball).
The 40 mm ball was introduced after the end of the 2000 Summer
Olympics.[19] This created some controversies. Then World No 1 table tennis
professional Vladimir Samsonov threatened to pull out of the World Cup, which
was scheduled to debut the new regulation ball on October 12, 2000.[24]
Table

The table is 2.74 m (9.0 ft) long, 1.525 m (5.0 ft) wide, and 76 cm (2.5 ft) high
with any continuous material so long as the table yields a uniform bounce of about
23 cm (9.1 in) when a standard ball is dropped onto it from a height of 30 cm
(11.8 in), or about 77%.[25][26] The table or playing surface is uniformly dark
coloured and matte, divided into two halves by a net at 15.25 cm (6.0 in) in height.
The ITTF approves only wooden tables or their derivates. Concrete tables with a
steel net or a solid concrete partition are sometimes available in outside public
spaces, such as parks.
Racket

Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one
or two sides depending on the grip of the player. The ITTF uses the term
"racket",[28] though "bat" is common in Britain, and "paddle" in the U.S. and
Canada.
The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly
features anywhere between one and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fiber,
carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, and Kevlar are sometimes used. According to the
ITTF regulations, at least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural
wood.[29] Common wood types include balsa, limba, and cypress or "hinoki",
which is popular in Japan. The average size of the blade is about 17 centimetres
(6.7 in) long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) wide, although the official restrictions
only focus on the flatness and rigidity of the blade itself, these dimensions are
optimal for most play styles.
Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the
racket.[30] Various types of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, and in
some cases they nullify spin. For example, a player may have a rubber that
provides much spin on one side of their racket, and one that provides no spin on
the other. By flipping the racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To
help a player distinguish between the rubber used by his opposing player,
international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be
black.[29] The player has the right to inspect their opponent's racket before a match
to see the type of rubber used and what colour it is. Despite high speed play and
rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used to hit the
ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be
exchanged for another racket at any time during a match