How many games are in an Olympic table tennis match?

Olympic singles and mixed doubles matches are played as best-of-seven, meaning the first player or pair to win four games wins the match. Olympic team matches use a best-of-five format for individual matches.

How does serving work in Olympic table tennis?

Players typically alternate serving every two points. When the score reaches 10-10, players alternate serves after every point. A legal serve must begin with the ball resting on an open palm, be thrown upward, and be struck so that it first bounces on the server's side before crossing the net.

What are the rules for doubles in Olympic table tennis?

In doubles, players must alternate hitting the ball, and the serve must travel diagonally from the server's right half of the table to the receiver's right half. Teams must also follow a specific serving and receiving rotation throughout the match.

Understanding Olympic Table Tennis Rules: A Comprehensive Guide

Q: Can you touch the table during a table tennis match?

A player cannot touch the playing surface with their free hand while the ball is in play. Doing so results in a point for the opponent.

Olympic Table Tennis Rules: How Scoring, Serving & Matches Work

Table tennis is one of the fastest sports in the Olympic Games. Players have only fractions of a second to react to powerful serves, topspin shots and lightning-fast rallies, making precision, strategy and consistency just as important as speed.

But how does Olympic table tennis actually work?

Whether you're new to the sport, getting ready to watch the Olympics, or simply want to understand the rules better, this guide breaks down the most important Olympic table tennis rules, including scoring, serving, equipment, singles, doubles and how players win points.

What Is the Objective of Table Tennis?

The objective of table tennis is simple: hit the ball over the net and onto your opponent's side of the table so they cannot make a legal return.

Table tennis can be played as:

Singles: One player competes against one opponent.
Doubles: Two players compete against two opponents.

At the Olympic level, players compete in singles and doubles events, as well as team competition depending on the Olympic Games. The Olympic program is subject to change between Games. For example, Los Angeles 2028 will feature men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles and mixed team competition.

Table Tennis Equipment Rules

Before getting into scoring and gameplay, it helps to understand the equipment used in Olympic table tennis.

Table

A regulation table tennis table is:

9 feet (2.74 meters) long
5 feet (1.525 meters) wide
2.5 feet (0.76 meters) high

The playing surface is divided into two sides by a net.

The top edges of the table are part of the playing surface, but the vertical sides are not. This means a ball that clips the edge can be a legal shot, while a ball hitting the side of the table is not.

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Net

The net stretches across the width of the table and is approximately 6 inches (15.25 cm) high.

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Paddle

Players use a racket, commonly called a paddle or bat, consisting of a blade covered with approved rubber.

At the highest levels of competition, rackets are subject to equipment regulations and may be checked before or during competition. Olympic-level rackets must meet ITTF requirements.

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Ball

The modern table tennis ball is made from plastic and measures 40 mm in diameter and weighs approximately 2.7 grams.

Competition balls are typically white or orange and must meet ITTF specifications.

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How Does Olympic Table Tennis Scoring Work?

One of the most important things to understand is the difference between a point, game and match.

Points

A player wins a point when their opponent fails to make a legal return or commits a violation.

Games

A game is played to 11 points.

However, a player must win by at least two points.

For example:

11–8 → Game over
11–10 → Not over
12–10 → Game over
15–13 → Game over

If the score reaches 10–10, play continues until one player or pair has a two-point advantage.

Matches

A match consists of an odd number of games, with the specific number determined by the competition format. Olympic individual matches have traditionally been played as best of seven games, meaning the first player to win four games wins the match.

In other words:

Win 4 games → Win the match

How Does Serving Work in Table Tennis?

Serving is one of the most important parts of table tennis because a legal serve must follow several specific requirements.

To serve legally:

The ball must begin stationary on the open palm of the server's free hand.
The server must throw the ball upward.
The ball must be thrown at least 16 cm (about 6.3 inches) into the air.
The server must strike the ball as it falls.
The ball must first bounce on the server's side of the table.
It must then travel over or around the net and bounce on the receiver's side.

The server must also make sure the ball is not hidden from the receiver during the serve.

How Often Does the Serve Change?

Normally, players alternate serving after every two points.

For example:

Player A serves for two points.
Player B serves for two points.
Player A serves for two points.
And so on.

When the score reaches 10–10, the serve changes after every point until the game is decided.

What Is a Let Serve?

A let occurs when a legal serve touches the net but still lands correctly on the receiver's side.

Instead of awarding a point, the serve is replayed.

For example, if a player serves and the ball clips the net before bouncing legally on the opponent's side, the umpire can call a let and the server serves again.

A let is not a point for either player.

How Do You Return the Ball?

After the serve, players take turns hitting the ball.

A legal return requires the ball to:

Travel over or around the net
Bounce on the opponent's side
Be returned before the player loses the point

Unlike the serve, the ball does not have to bounce on your side before you hit it. In fact, hitting the ball before it bounces on your side can result in losing the point.

Players can also legally hit the ball around the side of the net as long as the ball ultimately lands on the opponent's side of the table.

How Do You Win a Point?

A player wins a point when their opponent:

Fails to make a legal return
Hits the ball into the net
Hits the ball off the table
Allows the ball to bounce more than once on their side
Hits the ball before it has bounced on their side
Touches the playing surface with their free hand
Commits an illegal serve or other violation

For example, if your opponent hits a shot that completely misses your side of the table, you win the point.

Can You Touch the Table During a Point?

Players can accidentally make contact with the table with certain parts of their body or equipment without automatically losing the point.

However, a player cannot touch the playing surface with their free hand while the ball is in play. Doing so results in a point for the opponent.

Players also cannot move the table during play.

Olympic Table Tennis Doubles Rules

Doubles table tennis adds another layer of strategy because teammates must alternate hitting the ball.

Players Must Alternate Shots

In doubles, the two players on each team must hit the ball alternately.

For example:

Player A → Opponent A → Player B → Opponent B → Player A

A team loses the point if the same player hits the ball twice in a row.

Doubles Serves Must Be Diagonal

In doubles, the serve must travel diagonally from the server's right-hand half of the table to the receiver's right-hand half.

This is different from singles, where the serve can generally be placed anywhere on the opponent's side.

The serving and receiving order also rotates throughout the game and match according to the established doubles sequence.

How Does Olympic Team Table Tennis Work?

Team competition is different from a singles match because a team victory is determined by the results of multiple individual matches.

At recent Olympic Games, a team has consisted of three players, and the team match has included doubles and singles matches. The first team to reach the required number of individual-match victories wins the team match.

The exact Olympic team format can change from one Games to another, so it's important to check the rules for the specific Olympic Games being played.

What Happens If the Score Is 10–10?

This is one of the most common table tennis rules beginners want to understand.

If both players reach 10 points, the game enters a deuce situation.

The players continue playing until one player leads by two points.

For example:

10–10 → 11–10 → 11–11 → 12–11 → 12–12 → 13–12 → 14–12

The player who reaches a two-point advantage wins the game.

The same principle applies whether the score reaches 10–10, 15–15 or even higher. There is no fixed maximum score under the standard rules.

How Do Players Change Sides?

Players change ends of the table after each game.

In the final possible game of a match, players change ends when one player or pair reaches 5 points.

This helps ensure that factors such as lighting and playing conditions do not consistently favor one side.

Olympic Table Tennis Rules vs. Recreational Table Tennis

If you've played table tennis casually, some Olympic rules may look familiar, while others may be more precise than the rules you use at home.

For example, recreational players might:

Keep score differently
Allow informal serves
Ignore the requirement to toss the ball 16 cm
Play games to 11 without enforcing every service rule
Use different rules for doubles

At the Olympic level, however, players compete under internationally standardized rules governed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Frequently asked questions

Olympic table tennis follows the official rules established by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Players score points by successfully returning the ball over the net and onto the opponent's side of the table. Matches include singles, doubles/team competition, and mixed doubles, with specific rules governing serving, scoring, and player rotation.