The playing surface is a table, 30 inches above the ground which is about 9 feet long and five feet wide. A six-inch high net divides the table in two. The ball table tennis has a diameter of 40 mm, is made of celluloid, and is hollow. This article discuss some basic elements of table tennis, scoring, rules and basic strokes.

Table Tennis Official rules mandate table tennis matches constitute a best of five or the best series of seven games to 11 points. The first player to reach 11 points with a margin of two wins.

In a best-of-five match, the first player to win three sets wins the match. In a best-of-seven match, the first player to win four games wins the match. In the 11 points format game, players alternating serves every two points. If the game reaches a score of 10-10, players alternate serve all points until a player achieves a margin of two points.

Historically, a 'game of table tennis was played to 21 points with the players used in rotation every five points. This method is the preferred method of recreation for players of table tennis.

To begin each point, the server throws the ball, a palm open, at least 6 inches in the air. The server hits the ball with the paddle so that the ball bounced on its side of the table before bouncing on his opponent. A table tennis player wins a point by hitting a shot which hit the table and is not returned by the opponent.

A table tennis player loses a point if it does not return his opponent's shot, allowing the ball to bounce more than once on its side of the net, fails to hit the table with his shooting, hitting the ball twice, places his hand on the table, hitting the ball before it bounces on its side of the table, or fails to execute a ping-pong legal serve.

Table tennis players have many traits at their disposal. Table Tennis offensive moves include the speed by car, loop drive, and smash.

Speeding is a blow struck with a square face racket was parallel to the table of results in a flat disc shot.

A loop is a blow struck with a racket face has closed almost perpendicular to the table. The loop drive in table tennis is comparable to one in tennis groundstroke hit with a lot of topspin.

The smash is a coup very offensive which involves swinging the racket on a bouncing ball high to generate a lot of speed.

Table Tennis defence include beatings and chopping block.

The chopping table tennis is the version of the tranche. Table tennis players performing the chop by swinging the range from high to low with a racket face to impart backspin.

Finally, the block is just one used in the fight against attacking shots. To execute the block, players of table tennis just have to put the paddle behind the approaching ball and allow the ball hit the racket.

Players must strategically use a mix of offensive and defensive plans to win a game of table tennis.