Table tennis, better known as ping-pong, is a sport created in England in the 19th century.
It is one of the most popular sports in existence, with an estimated 300 million players worldwide.
The game consists of a dispute for points between players who hit the ball with their rackets on the table.
The objective is to prevent the opponent from performing the same action and returning the ball to the playing area. The winning athlete is the one who achieves the most successes within the number of sets in dispute.
The Story
A sport created in England at the end of the 19th century, table tennis quickly gained popularity among players.
The game came to be called table tennis, but the name ping-pong is still used to refer to the recreational practice of the game, without competitive or official purposes.
In 1902, the first official table tennis tournament was held. In 1926, the International Table Tennis Federation (IFTT) was created and the first world championship was held, won by Hungarians Maria Mednyansky and Roland Jacobi.
The game became popular in Eastern European countries and from the 1950s onwards, it began to be widely played in Asian countries such as Japan and China. Since then, these countries have had a certain hegemony in the sport.
Because it is a very fast game, in which the ball can reach speeds of close to 200 km/h, some adaptations have been made over time to improve playability and make it easier for spectators. In 1988, table tennis became an Olympic sport.
In 2001, the size of the ball increased from 38 mm to 40 mm, increasing air resistance and decreasing the speed of the game. In the same year, the sets They became 11-point matches (previously, they were 21 points), seeking to reduce the game time. In Brazil, table tennis became popular in clubs and schools, having many fans and some influential names in the sport.
Table Tennis Rules
Equipment
To play the game you will need:
- Ball (size: 40 mm; in white or orange colors. The ball, when dropped from a height of 30 centimeters from the table, must bounce to a height of 23 centimeters).
- Table (2.74 m long, 1.52 m wide and 0.76 m high).
- Rackets (wooden, with a rubber covering with one side black and the other red).
- Net (height 15.25 centimeters and extension of 15.25 centimeters on each side).
Match
The number of sets can vary, as long as there is an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7…). The player who wins the most sets won the match.
The winner of the set is the participant who reaches the 11-point mark. In the event of a 10-all tie (10-10), the first player to open up a two-point lead over their opponent wins (12-10, 13-11, 14-12, etc.). The opponents switch sides of the table after each set. In the case of the last set (tie-break set), this change occurs every 5 points.
Withdraw
The game begins with a serve. The player must throw the ball to a height of at least 16 centimeters with one hand (free hand) and must hit it with the racket, making the ball bounce in his court and in the opponent's court, without touching the net.
If the serve hits the net and lands in the receiver's court, it is considered a burn and the server can repeat the serve. If the ball does not go over the net or does not touch one of the courts, it is considered a service error, guaranteeing 1 point for the receiver. Servers and receivers alternate every multiple of two in the sum of the set score.
Points
- Athletes score points when one of their opponents:
- Let the ball touch your court twice in a row.
- Move the game table.
- Misses the serve.
- Can't return the ball.
- Touch the net or its supports.
- Touch the ball twice in a row.
- Touch the table with your hand during the play.
Now that you know the sport, take the opportunity to practice it.