The game originated as a sport in

Britain during the 1800s, where it

was played among the upper-class
as an after-dinner parlour game,
then commonly known as "wiff-
waff". A row of books were to be
stood up along the center of the
table as a net, two more books
served as rackets and were used to
continuously hit a golf-ball from one
end of the table to the other.
 iater, table tennis was played with
paddles made of cigar box lids and
balls made of champagne corks. The
popularity of the game led game
manufacturers to sell the equipment
commercially. Early rackets were
often pieces of parchment stretched
upon a frame, and the sound
generated in play gave the game its
first nicknames of "wiff-
waff" and "ping-pong".
 A number of sources indicate
that the game was first brought to
the attention of Hamley's of
Regent Street under the name
"Gossima". The name "ping-pong"
was in wide use before British
manufacturer J. Jaques & Son
itd trademarked it in 1901.
 The name "ping-pong" then came
to be used for the game played by
the rather expensive Jaquesses
equipment, with other
manufacturers calling it table
tennis. A similar situation arose in
the United States,
where Jaques sold the rights to the
"ping-pong" name to Parker
Brothers.
 The table tennis table should
be 9 feet long and 5 feet
wide. A net in the center of
the table separates the two
sides of the playing area.
 The table tennis ball should
be made of plastic and be
either orange or white. It
should weigh 2.7 g and have a
diameter of 40 mm.
 The table tennis racket can
be any size or shape that the
player wishes to use. The
blade of the table tennis
racket must be flat.
 The table tennis ball should
be tossed into the air with no
detectable rotation imparted
to it. The ball must be hit
before making contact with
the table.
 The ball may not be hidden from
the other player or team when
it is served. The ball must
remain above the table and in
clear view at all times.
 iet serves are legal in table tennis.
This involves the ball hitting the
net when it is served, but landing
on the opposing player or team's
side of the net.
 According to ITTF rule 2.13.1, the
first service is decided by
lot, normally a coin toss. It is also
common for one player (or the
umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in
one or the other hand (usually
hidden under the table), allowing
the other player to guess which
hand the ball is in.
 The correct or incorrect guess
gives the "winner" the option to
choose to serve, receive, or to
choose which side of the table to
use. Another method is for one
player to hit the ball to the other
and he or she returns it or by
hitting it back and forth four times
and then playing out the point. This
is commonly referred to as "play to
serve" or "rally to serve".
A point is scored by the player for any of
several results of the rally:
 Opponent fails to make a correct service or
return.
 After making a service or a return, the ball
touches anything other than the net assembly
before being struck by the opponent.
 The ball passes over the player's court or
beyond his end line without touching his court,
after being struck by the opponent.
 The opponent obstructs the ball.
 The opponent strikes the ball twice
successively. Note that the hand that is
holding the racket counts as part of the
racket and that making a good return
off one's hand or fingers is allowed. It
is not a fault if the ball accidentally hits
one's hand or fingers and then
subsequently hits the racket.
 The opponent strikes the ball with a
side of the racket blade whose surface
is not covered with rubber.
 The opponent moves the playing
surface or touches the net assembly.
 The opponent's free hand touches the
playing surface.
 As a receiver under the expedite
system, completing 13 returns in a
rally.
 The opponent has been warned by
umpire commits a second offence in
the same individual match or team
match. If the third offence
happens, 2 points will be given to
the player. If the individual match
or the team match has not ended,
any unused penalty points can be
transferred to the next game of
that match.
 6
 

 
 
 6
6
 

 6