The net on the table is 15.24 centimetres high.ĭuring the game, serves are alternately served twice (if it reaches 10:10 only once), and the ball must be thrown at least 16 centimeters above the table. Matches are played on a table that is 76 centimetres high, 274 centimetres long and 152.5 centimetres wide. Currently, games are played to 11 points (or to a two-point advantage if tied 10-10), and to four sets won. The rules of the match and the number of sets have also been changed. The diameter of the ball increased from 38 to 40 millimetres. After the Olympic Games in Sydney, to make the discipline more attractive to viewers, several modifications were made. The rules have changed significantly over the years. Since then, it has become a permanent member of the Olympic family, although tennis competitions included in the Olympic Games’ programme have changed over the years. Table tennis had to wait for its Olympic debut until 1988, in Seoul. Originally played with a golf ball, the invention of the celluloid ball in 1901 was a major breakthrough, as was the introduction of rubber to the wooden blade, used for the game two years later.Īlthough the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was founded in 1926, and the first official world championships were held then, the unofficial competition for the title of the best player in the world dates back to 1902.

In the 19th century, it was the upper classes’ entertainment, played mostly by officers and the local elite. At the facilities of the Hutnik Arena in Kraków, there will be five sets of medals to be won, not to mention it’s also an opportunity for players to earn the spot at the Olympic Games.Īlthough table tennis is mainly associated with Asia, and above all China, the game comes from Great Britain. Table tennis will appear at the European Games for the third time.

Table tennis live score