What are the service rules in table tennis?

[davidmorgan]

I’ve been trying to understand the basic rules of Table Tennis, especially when it comes to serving. What are the official service rules in table tennis, and what mistakes commonly lead to a fault? Any tips or explanations would be really helpful.

 

[James]

When it comes to serving in table tennis, the rules can be a bit tricky, but basically, you need to toss the ball up at least 6 inches and hit it so it clears the net and lands on the opponent's side of the table. A common mistake that leads to a fault is if the ball doesn't clear the net or lands outside the table, or if you don't toss the ball high enough. Also, you need to make sure your arm is behind the edge of the table and your hand is above the table surface when you make contact with the ball. If you're having trouble, try practicing your serve in front of a mirror to get a feel for the motion and make sure you're following the rules.

 

[Mathias]

I think the service rules in table tennis are quite straightforward but often misunderstood by beginners - the server must serve diagonally to the receiver with the ball bouncing on the server's side of the table and the receiver's side, not the net, and must make contact with the ball before it touches the net, and the ball must clear the net at an angle of at least 16 cm above the net.

 

[cinderellaa]

Here are the basic service rules in table tennis:

• The ball must rest on an open palm before serving
• Toss the ball at least 16 cm (6 inches) straight up
• Ball must be visible to the opponent at all times
• Serve must bounce once on your side, then opponent’s side
• In doubles, serve diagonally (right to right)
• Service changes every 2 points

 

[Luffy]

In table tennis, the serve has to start with the ball resting freely on your open palm, then you toss it straight up at least 16 cm and hit it on the way down so it first bounces on your side and then on your opponent’s side; the ball must stay visible (no hiding it with your body or arm), and in doubles it has to go diagonally from your right side to your opponent’s right side. From my experience playing casually, the toss and visibility rules are the ones people mess up the most.

 

[lindawilliams]

In Table Tennis, the serve begins with the ball resting on the open palm and must be tossed at least 16 cm into the air. The server needs to hit the ball so that it first bounces on their side of the table before landing on the opponent’s side.It's important that the ball stays visible to the receiver during the serve and isn't obscured by the server’s body or arm.