Service rules are one element of the tabletennis game that changes the most in terms of the ITTF. The goal is to give the receiver of the serve the best opportunity to hit the ball and then return it. What is important here is that the receiver of the ball has to see how the ball is being placed, spun or otherwise notice what is happening to the ball.



One key rule then is that the ball must be clearly visible to the receiver of the ball the whole time that the ball is being served. It can not be hidden. It is illegal to place your hand below the table when service or any other part of your ball. The receiver must be able to see the ball.

For a ball toss, the ball must be thrown upwards without any type of spin to it. It should be virtually vertical. It must rise at least 16cm from where your hand releases it, not by raising the ball higher with your hand first.

When the ball is on the way down from the toss, the ball can be hit. It can not be hit on the way up. In addition, the ball has to be above the playing surface and it must be behind the endline during the service. You do have to do this including the time of contact. You can have the bat out of view, though.

Warnings And Faults.

The umpire is free to make warnings when he needs to but there is no requirement that he must issue a warning before calling a fault. Usually this is only when the umpire is doubtful that the serve was legal that a warning will be issued. When there is a fault, the fault will be called, without any warning.

Generally, when a warning is called, it is one warning per match, meaning that it is not one type of warning per type of incident that is called. One warning only is given.

Another problem area to know about is obstruction of the ball. The only time that this happens is if the player touches the ball when the ball is above the playing surface, or when the ball is traveling towards the playing service and hasn't yet touched the side of the court.

Additional Rules.

When a toss is conducted to start the game, the winner of the toss can determine if they wish to serve, if they wish to receive or they wish to start at a particular end of the table. Once the winner of the toss chooses his element, the other player chooses the other element. For example, if you win the toss and select to receive, the other player can choose the side of the table he wishes to play on.

Changing the ends of the table is supposed to happen during the final game of the match when the first player reaches five points in the game.