Technical details
Players toss a coin to decide who will serve. The serve changes after every
five serves. Points are scored by the player who wins each rally. The game is
won by a player reaching 21 points, unless the game goes to 20 all, in which
case the winning player must be two points clear.
Matches are determined by the best of three sets. At the knockout stage, it is
the best of five sets.
Over the years, there have been many changes to the bat. These have included:
the sponge layers between the blade and rubber; use of different rubbers the
same colour, which gave rise to players 'twiddling' the bat below the surface of
the table and concealing the type of spin. Although twiddling is now permitted
at the Games, the bats have different coloured rubbers on each side.
The latest advance is the use of fast glues, which remain wet, and are
designed to give greater speed. However, there is a ban on the most toxic glues
being used.
Tables measure 2.74m in length, 1.525m wide and 0.760m high. The net must be
15.25cm above the table. The ball is made of celluloid and weighs 2.5gm.
Five facts
1) Table tennis first appeared in the Olympic programme at the 1988 Olympic
Games in Seoul.
2) Table tennis was popular in Britain and Europe before spreading to Asian
countries, who have dominated the sport since the 1950s.
3) Bats must be 85% natural wood.
4) The table surface must be dark coloured and is usually blue or green.
5) At the Seoul Olympics in 1988 Yoo Nam Kyu beat Kim Ki Taik in an all-Korean
men's singles final.
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