A table tennis club's equipment and rules reference, in one place. Note: the LARC rubber list, WTT formats and diploma names evolve — this page is dated and re-verified every season (last verified: July 2026).
ITTF specifications (Laws 2.1–2.4)
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Table | 2.74 m × 1.525 m × 76 cm; dark matt surface, 2 cm white side line, 3 mm centre line (doubles) |
| Net | 15.25 cm high; posts 15.25 cm outside the side line |
| Ball | 40 mm nominal ("40+", tolerance 40.0–40.6 mm), 2.7 g, plastic, white or orange, matt; 3-star = competition grade |
| Racket | Blade ≥85% natural wood; ITTF-approved coverings only (LARC list); sandwich ≤ ~4 mm; one side black, the other red, pink, purple, green or blue (since 1 Oct 2021) |
| Glues | VOC "speed glue" banned since September 2008 — water-based only; boosters remain a regulatory grey zone |
Blades and rubbers by level
- Blades: speed and control are inverse — DEF → ALL (control/all-round) → OFF (fast). 5-ply all-wood is flexible and forgiving: ideal for learning; 7-ply is stiffer (hitters); carbon (ALC softer, ZLC more direct) enlarges the sweet spot — for later.
- Rubbers: inverted/smooth (~78% of players — the default, max grip and spin); short pips (flat hitting); long pips (spin reversal — defenders); anti-spin. Chinese tacky (huge spin, slower) vs Euro/Japanese tensors (faster, catapult, forgiving). Sponge-hardness numbers use three incompatible scales — a number without its scale is meaningless. Most run a harder forehand + softer backhand.
- By level: beginner → pre-assembled ALL control bat, inverted ~1.6–1.9 mm, training balls; club → move to custom (blade + FH rubber + BH rubber) once the style is clear; competitive → OFF/carbon, tensors; elite → pro gear, ITTF 3-star balls only.
- The budget principle: control over speed, keep the same blade for years — and invest in 3-star balls, proper low-profile gum-sole court shoes (running shoes slip sideways) and a hard case.
- Maintenance: clean rubbers (sponge, lukewarm water), protective films (double rubber life); replacement scales with hours (recreational ~6 months → pro ~2 weeks). Training/1-star balls for multiball and robot, 3-star for matches.
Core rules
- Scoring: games to 11, 2-point margin at 10-10; best of 5 or 7; service alternates every 2 points (every point at 10-10); change ends at 5 in the decider.
- Service: open palm, ≥16 cm vertical toss, struck behind the end line, visible throughout, free arm cleared (Law 2.6 — details in Serve & receive).
- Let (2.9): replay if the serve clips the net but is otherwise good, or the receiver wasn't ready.
- Doubles (2.8, 2.13): diagonal serve right half → right half; strictly alternating hits.
- Expedite (2.15): triggered if a game is unfinished after 10 minutes (unless both have ≥9 points) — service alternates every point and 13 good returns win the receiver the point. (The current trigger is time-based — not the "18-point rule" of the 21-point era.)
- Para table tennis: classes 1–5 wheelchair, 6–10 standing, 11 intellectual impairment.
Categories & the FFTT pathway
- FFTT categories (birth-year based): Baby Ping (~4–7, discovery) · Poussins · Benjamins · Minimes · Cadets · Juniors · Seniors · Vétérans V1–V5. ITTF international groups: U11, U13, U15, U19, U21. Birth-year anchors shift each season — compute, never hardcode.
- Premier Pas Pongiste (PPP): the historic discovery programme (~ages 4–11) — skill workshops and evaluation grids, from club/school up to regional challenges; the entry rung BEFORE ranked competition.
- Critérium fédéral: THE individual ranked ladder — 4 rounds per season, échelons départemental → régional → national, tables A/B, promotion/relegation phase to phase.
- Team championship (interclubs): two phases per season, promotion/relegation up the pyramid départemental → régional → N3/N2/N1 → Pro B → Pro A; typically teams of 4.
- Labels: École Française de Tennis de Table, Baby Ping, Ping Santé.
Recent changes
- Ball 38 → 40 mm (2000); 21 → 11-point games and 5 → 2 serve alternation (2001); no hidden serve (2002); VOC glue ban (2008); plastic ball (2014); racket colours liberalised (2021).
- Circuit side: WTT's branded pyramid (Grand Smash → Contender), reformed in early 2025 after Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng and Ma Long withdrew from the rankings (Dec 2024) — mandatory Smash participation scrapped, Olympic-champion wildcards, higher prize money.
- As of mid-2026, no fundamental change to the core §2 Laws (scoring, service, dimensions) in the past 24 months — recent activity concentrates in WTT regulation and the LARC list. Re-verify each season.
Sources
ITTF Laws of Table Tennis / Handbook (2025) · Technical Leaflets and the LARC list · fftt.com (PPP, Critérium fédéral, team championships, labels) · equipment guides (commercial sources flagged). National federation rules may differ — check the FFTT rulebook. Verified July 2026; re-verify each season.
Paak also manages club equipment (allocations, kits, inventory) — see the Equipment category.
Last updated: July 24, 2026 ID :
help.table-tennis.equipment-and-rules