Stephanie Evangelista

ERD1

Table Tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a
lightweight ball back and forth across a table using small rackets. The game takes
place on a hard table divided by a net.

History
The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th century and was
originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in
1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong Association formed in 1902 was revived. The
original association had broken up about 1905, though apparently the game
continued to be played in parts of England outside London and by the 1920s was
being played in many countries. Led by representatives of Germany, Hungary, and
England, the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de Table (International Table
Tennis Federation) was founded in 1926, the founding members being
England, Sweden, Hungary, India, Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria,
and Wales. By the mid-1990s more than 165 national associations were members.
The first world championships were held in London in 1926, and from then until
1939 the game was dominated by players from central Europe, the menʼs team
event being won nine times by Hungary and twice by Czechoslovakia. In the
mid-1950s Asia emerged as a breeding ground of champions, and from that time
the menʼs team event has been won by either Japan or China, as has the womenʼs
event, though to a lesser extent; North Korea also became an international force.
In 1980 the first World Cup was held, and Guo Yuehua of China won the $12,500
first prize. Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and
doubles competition for men and women.

Court
The ITTF oversees official games held in all the different countries that participate
in international table tennis sporting events. So to make sure that everyone is on
the same page, the organization issued specific dimensions that ping pong tables
used in official games should comply with.
Here are the dimensions of an ITTF compliant ping pong table:
● 9.0 feet in length
● 5.0 feet in width
● 76 cm in height
There are different size requirements based on the level of the tournament in
question. The sizes provided are minimum requirements, which mean the space
may be larger but never smaller than indicated below:
· International events – 46 feet by 23 feet
· National tournaments – 40 feet by 20 feet
· National league – 33 feet by 16 feet and 6 inches
· Local leagues and tournaments – 30 feet by 16 feet and 6 inches
· Recreational play/Training facilities – 28 feet by 13 feet

There are a few other considerations you might want to take into account if you
want to comply with ITTF standards. These wonʼt only help prepare you or your
aspiring professional table tennis players practice your skills and styles, but will
also make it easier to become accustomed to the standards used for actual
tournaments and table tennis events.

1. Lighting – Ping pong should be played in a well-lit area with uniform white
lighting to maximize the visibility of the players and spectators. There are
parameters set by the ITTF to guide organizers as to the intensity of lighting,
depending on the level of the tournament being played. Note that these standards
are the minimum requirement.
o World Championships and the Olympics – 1,000 lux and 5 meters above the
ground
o All Other International Events – 750 – 1,000 lux, at 4 meters above ground level
o National and Local League – 500 lux at 3 meters above the ground level
o Recreational play and training – 300 lux at 3 meters above the ground level
2. Ceiling Height – The previous parameters for lighting should set the standard
for ceiling height. So at the recreational level, the ceiling should be at a height of
at least 3 meters. For World Championships and Olympic Events, the ceiling
should be at least 5 meters high.
3. Flooring – As a general rule, table tennis should not be played on cement floor
or carpeted floor. According to the ITTF, the ideal flooring for an official game of
ping pong should be made from wooden semi-sprung floors, however more recent
updates to the ITTF regulations have indicated that Taraflex flooring can also be
ideal.
In terms of color, the floor should have an obvious contrast with the playing
surface so as to improve the visibility of the ball during play. Itʼs also required that
the floor be perfectly level, allowing players to move around without the risk of
tripping, slipping, and falling.
4. Room Temperature – The recommended temperature for an official table tennis
match is at 15 – 20 degrees Celsius. The reason for the cold temperature is to
reduce the playersʼ sweat, allowing them to grip their paddles more efficiently as
the games progress. Humidity should also be maintained at 40-50% so as not to
affect the performance of the racketʼs rubber and the tableʼs surface.
If youʼre planning to host spectators, you might also want to consider their
comfort. Of course, this becomes secondary to the way temperature affects the
players, but itʼs worth factoring in nonetheless especially if you have a large
space.
5. Wall Colors – Some games are played with spectators at just around the eye
level of the players. So their view of the ball might be more horizontal. That said,
itʼs also recommended that walls be painted a dark color in order to increase the
contrast between the ball and its backdrop.
At up to 8 feet of the wallʼs height, organizers should use a dark wall color. But any
part of the wall above 8 feet should be painted a lighter color so as not to dampen
the intensity of the light.
6. Multiple Tables – Some training centers and tournament venues have enough
room for more than just one table. In this case, tables should be arranged side by
side. A single table should be given the minimum requirement of space around it,
which is set at 28 feet by 13 feet based on recreational standards.
In some cases, you might also want to install dividers between tables in order to
demarcate the boundaries of each table. These barriers should outline the playing
area and be at least 2 and a half feet in height.

Equipment
The Table may be the main equipment required for playing ping-pong, but that is
not the only thing required. Players need a racquet or paddle and a ping-pong
ball as well to go with the game.

Racquet / Paddle
The term keeps changing depending on the country where it is played. As for
Britain, it is bat; in the USA, it is called a paddle. The term followed by ITTF
is racquet.
The racquet is laminated and covered with rubber on either side or on both the
sides depending on the player. The player based on his/her grip decides
whether they need the rubber on either or on both sides.
The handle of the racquet is called blade. This blade could be made of many
different materials varying from glass fiber, cork, carbon fiber, Kevlar to
aluminum fiber. But ITTF recommends that at least 85% of the paddle has to
be made of wood. Woods to be used are cypress and Korina. The bat is usually
is 6 inches (15 cm) wide and 6.5 inches (17 cm) long.

Ball
The accuracy of the ball is determined by bouncing it on a flat uniform surface
from a height of 12 inches. If the ball bounces for about 9.4-10.2 inches, then
that particular ball is perfect for play.
ITTF has set certain rules for the ballʼs dimension and weight. A ball of 40
millimeters in diameter and as light as 2.7 grams should only be used to play
table tennis.
Usually the balls are manufactured in either white or yellow color. The color
might vary depending on the color of table as well as surroundings. The ball is
made of plastic only and it should be ITTF approved. Ball quality is displayed
by manufacturers with star mark ranging from one to three, three being the
highest.