Rules of table tennis (Laws)

The rules in this page aim to give a basic indication of competitive table tennis in England.

This section is correct as of May 27, 2020

The aim of the game is simple; hit the ball over the net onto your opponent’s side. A point is won by you if your opponent is unable to return the ball to your side of the table (e.g. they miss the ball, they hit the ball but it misses your side of the table, or the ball hits the net), or if they hit the ball before it bounces on their side of the table.

Just starting out in table tennis? Click here to download a quick guide to the basic rules

The Laws of Table Tennis

Table Tennis England’s Articles provide that (unless otherwise decided by special resolution at a general meeting) the Laws of Table Tennis in England shall be those laid down by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Regulations for Competitive Table Tennis

In addition to the Laws, ITTF publishes Regulations for International Competitions and Table Tennis England has produced the Competitive Table Tennis Regulations for national and local competitions.

The Competitive Table Tennis Regulations are based largely on the international regulations and incorporate many of them by reference. They vary according to the grade of the competition. The organisers of a competition state its grade and any deviations from the standard regulations on the entry form. The Competitive Table Tennis Regulations designate certain of the international regulations concerning the racket and the ball as National By-Laws and these are mandatory for all competitive table tennis in England.

 

Attachments

Total Attachments: 21

Laws 2019-20

Type: pdf
Size: 89 KB

A) Competitive Table Tennis

Type: pdf
Size: 435 KB

AC) Anti-corruption regulations

Type: pdf
Size: 283 KB

B) Tournaments

Type: pdf
Size: 333 KB

C) County Administration

Type: pdf
Size: 368 KB

D) Disciplinary Regulations

Type: pdf
Size: 230 KB

E) Right of Appeal

Type: pdf
Size: 152 KB

F) English Leagues Cup Competitions

Type: pdf
Size: 99 KB

H) Coaching

Type: pdf
Size: 71 KB

I) Election of Directors

Type: pdf
Size: 323 KB

J) Affiliation & Registration

Type: pdf
Size: 95 KB

K) County Championships

Type: pdf
Size: 694 KB

LG) British League General Regulations

Type: pdf
Size: 434 KB

LJ) British League Regulations - Junior League

Type: pdf
Size: 117 KB

LS) British League Regulations - Senior League

Type: pdf
Size: 305 KB

SBL further change in respect of ranking

Type: vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 13 KB

LV) Veterans' British League Regulations

Type: pdf
Size: 206 KB

LW) Women's British League Regulations

Type: pdf
Size: 106 KB

M) Good Standing

Type: pdf
Size: 6 KB

P) Anti-Doping

Type: pdf
Size: 39 KB

Q) Register of Business Interests

Type: pdf
Size: 68 KB
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