Blog/Table Tennis Rules
TABLE TENNIS RULES GUIDE

How Table Tennis Scoring
Works.

A complete guide to table tennis scoring - points, serve rotation, the deuce rule, and match formats. Everything you need to keep score correctly.

Points

Table tennis uses rally-point scoring - every rally is worth a point to whoever wins it, no matter who served. This is different from older sports scoring where only the server could score.

The official modern format, set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) since 2001, is games to 11 points, win by 2 clear points. Before 2001, official games were played to 21 points - some casual and recreational players still play that way out of habit. Scorepion supports both formats.

Serve Rotation

OFFICIAL RULE

Each player serves 2 points in a row, then the serve passes to their opponent. This repeats throughout the game.

The only exception is at deuce (10-10 in an 11-point game, or 20-20 in a 21-point game) - see below.

The Deuce Exception

1
Score reaches 10-10 (or 20-20 in a 21-point game)
Both players have won the same number of points, with the win-by-2 rule already in effect.
2
Serve frequency tightens
Instead of serving 2 points in a row, each player now serves only 1 point before the serve switches.
3
Play continues until a 2-point lead
The game keeps going, with serve alternating every single point, until one player is 2 points clear.

Match Format

Matches are played as the best of an odd number of games. Best of 5 games (win 3) is typical for competitive play, best of 3 for casual matches, and top international team events sometimes use best of 7.

Scorepion supports best of 1, 3, 5 or 7 games, so you can match whatever format you are playing.

TRACK IT AUTOMATICALLY

Never lose count of whose serve it is.

Scorepion handles every rule in this guide automatically. Serve rotation, the deuce switch, win-by-2 - all tracked in real time from your Apple Watch or Wear OS watch.

Common questions

How many points do you need to win a table tennis game?
The official ITTF format is 11 points, win by 2 clear points. Some casual and recreational players still use the older 21-point format - Scorepion supports both.
How often does the serve change?
Every 2 points, throughout the game - except at deuce (10-10 or 20-20), when it switches to alternating every single point.
Why did table tennis change from 21 to 11 points?
The ITTF lowered the target from 21 to 11 points in 2001 to produce more frequent, closer finishes and make matches better suited to television.
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