Table Tennis: History, Equipment, Techniques, and Rules

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the history, equipment specifications, strokes, tactics, and standard rules of table tennis.

J. Jaques and Son Ltd

The English manufacturer that registered the name "Ping-Pong" in 1901 before later selling the trademark to Parker Brothers in the United States.

James Gibb

The Englishman who discovered celluloid balls during a trip to the United States in 1901 and proved their suitability for the sport.

E.C. Goode

The innovator who in 1903 replaced parchment paper and cigars with pimpled rubber on light wooden blades to create modern rackets.

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)

The governing organization founded in 1926 with headquarters in Berlin that organized the first official world championship in London in 1927.

Hōrōi Satōh

The Japanese player who introduced foam rubber to table tennis rackets, making the game faster and more exciting.

Playing Surface

The upper horizontal surface of the table measuring $274\,\text{cm}$ ($9\,\text{ft}$) in length by $152.5\,\text{cm}$ ($5\,\text{ft}$) in width, positioned $76\,\text{cm}$ ($2\,\text{ft } 6\,\text{in}$) above the floor, and including the top edges but not the vertical sides below.

Uniform Bounce Requirement

The standard requiring the playing surface to yield a bounce of at least $23\,\text{cm}$ ($8\frac{3}{4}\,\text{in}$) when a standard ball is dropped from a height of $30\,\text{cm}$ ($12\,\text{in}$).

Center Line

A white line $3\,\text{mm}$ ($\frac{1}{8}\,\text{in}$) wide running parallel to the side lines that divides the table into halves for doubles play and is considered part of the right-hand court.

Racket Blade Composition

The regulation mandating that a racket's flat, rigid blade must consist of at least $85\%$ natural wood, with any reinforcing layer not exceeding $7.5\%$ of total thickness or $0.35\,\text{mm}$.

Ordinary Pimpled Rubber

A single non-cellular rubber layer with pimples evenly spread at a density of $10\text{--}50\,\text{pimples per cm}^2$ and an overall thickness not exceeding $2\,\text{mm}$.

Sandwich Rubber

A racket covering composed of a cellular rubber layer surfaced by an outer pimpled rubber layer, with a total thickness not exceeding $4\,\text{mm}$.

Table Tennis Ball

A spherical celluloid or plastic ball with a matte finish in white or orange, having a standard diameter of $40\,\text{mm}$ and a weight of $2.7\,\text{g}$.

Shakehands Grip

The grip favoured by most players in the Western world, used to regulate bat angle, shot speed, depth, spin, and ball direction.

Forehand Drive

A basic stroke that serves as the foundation for forehand topspin, executed with a low-to-high swing, brushing the ball upward while using the body and shoulder for power.

Backhand Push

A basic stroke providing the basis for backhand backspin, characterized by a steady wrist, a soft controlled motion, and contact made slightly in front of the body.

Topspin

A spin generated by starting the stroke below and/or behind the ball and contacting it with an upward and forward brushing motion.

Backspin

A spin produced by starting the stroke above and/or behind the ball and lightly brushing it in a downward and forward motion.

Block

A stroke played close to the table on a rising ball using a short swing from the elbow to angle the ball away from the receiver, reducing their reaction time.

Loop

An attacking stroke that imparts maximum topspin with maximum speed, played deep or angled to apply pressure and reduce opponent control.

Chop

A defensive stroke imparting maximum backspin using primarily the elbow and wrist joints in a downward brushing motion to place the ball short or long/wide.

Crossover Point

The tactical zone on the receiver's body (roughly around the right hip for a right-handed player) where they are forced to decide between playing a forehand or a backhand.

Service

The stroke starting every rally in which the ball is tossed from an open palm behind the end line and struck so it bounces first on the server's side, clears the net, and lands on the receiver's side.

Let

A rally that is not scored and must be replayed, called when a served ball touches the net assembly while otherwise legal or when service occurs before the receiver is ready.

Ball in Play

The operational duration of a rally beginning when the ball is projected from the hand during service and ending when a point is decided or a let is called.