West Chester University Department of Campus Recreation
Intramural Table Tennis Rules
West Chester University Intramural Table Tennis will follow the current rules of USATT (USA Table Tennis) and
NIRSA (National Intramural and Recreational Association) unless modified to accommodate facility or program
needs. Those who are subject to the rules are: team representatives (players, substitutes, coaches and
spectators) and other persons affiliated with the team are subject to the rules of the game and shall be
governed by the decisions of the Intramural Staff assigned to the game.
Player Eligibility
1. Participation is limited to all currently enrolled, fee-paying WCU undergraduate students. Graduate
students, faculty, staff and alumni are not eligible to participate and no exceptions will be made.
2. In order to be eligible to participate, each eligible player MUST present his/her current, valid RAMCard.
Check-in takes place at designed sign-in locations at the facility, field or court (usually at the
Scorekeeper’s table). Individuals who are unable to provide a current, valid RAMCard will not be
permitted to participate. No other forms of identification will be accepted (email, class schedule,
Driver’s License, etc).
3. For additional information regarding player eligibility and participant check-in refer to the WCU
Intramural Handbook available online at the WCU Intramural Sports website and in the Intramural
Sports office in the Student Recreation Center.
The Table Tennis Table
The playing surface will be a STIGA tennis table and will be provided by the West Chester University Campus
Recreation department. This table must be the only table used in tournament play.
1. The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, shall be rectangular, and about 9 feet
long and 5 feet wide, and shall lie in a horizontal plane 2.5 feet above the floor.
2. The playing surface shall not include the vertical sides of the tabletop.
3. The playing surface shall be uniformly dark colored and matt, but with a white side line, 2cm wide,
along each 9 foot edge and a white end line, 2cm wide, along each 5 foot ledge edge.
4. The playing surface shall be divided into 2 equal courts by a vertical net running parallel with the end
lines, and shall be continuous over the whole area of each court.
The Table Tennis Net
The net will be provided by the West Chester University Campus Recreation department and must be the only
net used in the tournament play.
1. The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting posts, including the clamps
attaching them to the table.
2. The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be about 15.25cm above the playing surface.
3. The bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be as close as possible to the playing surface and
the ends of the net shall be as close as possible to the supporting posts.
The Table Tennis Ball
Table Tennis Balls will be provided by the West Chester University Campus Recreation Department, but
participants may use their own personal table tennis balls as long as they meet the following requirements.
1. The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 38 - 40mm. The ball shall weigh about 2.7g. The ball shall
be made of celluloid or similar plastics material and shall be white or orange, and matt.
2. During a match, both opponents must agree on any ball that has not been provided by the West
Chester University Campus Recreation Department. If an agreement can’t be made, the match must be
played with the table tennis ball that has been provided.
3. If a ball breaks during game play, play will be stopped and the ball shall be reserved by the participant
who served to begin the rally. Any new ball that is used to continue the game must adhere to rules 1
and 2.
The Table Tennis Racket
Rackets will be provided by the West Chester University Campus Recreation Department, but participants may
use their own personal rackets as long as the racket meets the following requirements.
1. The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and rigid.
2. At least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood; an adhesive layer within the blade may
be reinforced with fibrous material such as carbon fiber, glass fiber or compressed paper, but shall not
be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm, whichever is the smaller.
3. A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber, with
pimples outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2mm, or sandwich
rubber, with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness including
adhesive of not more than 4mm.
4. The covering material shall extend up to but not beyond the limits of the blade, except that the part
nearest the handle and gripped by the fingers may be left uncovered or covered with any material.
The Service
1. Service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand.
2. The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, without imparting spin, so that it rises at
least 16cm after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls without touching anything before
being struck.
3. As the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that it touches first the court and then, after passing
over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver's court.
4. From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and
behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server.
The Return
1. The ball, having been served or returned, shall be struck so that it passes over or around the net
assembly and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.
The Order of Play
1. In singles, the server shall first make a service, the receiver shall then make a return and thereafter
server and receiver alternately shall each make a return.
A Let
A rally will result in a let given the following circumstances:
1. If in service the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it, provided the service is
otherwise good or the ball is obstructed by the receiver.
2. If the service is delivered when the receiving player is not ready, provided that the receiver doesn’t
attempt to strike the ball.
3. If failure to make a service or a return is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player.
4. If in service the ball comes to rest on the receiver's half.
5. If in service the ball leaves the receiver’s half after touching it by either of its sidelines.
A Point
Unless the rally is a let, a player shall score a point:
a. If the opponent fails to make a correct service.
b. If the opponent fails to make a correct return.
c. If, after s/he has made a clean service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net
assembly before being struck by the opponent.
d. If the ball passes over his/her court or beyond his/her end line without touching his/her court, after
being struck by the opponent.
e. If the opponent obstructs the ball.
f. If the opponent intentionally strikes the ball twice successively.
g. If the opponent, or anything the opponent wears or carries, moves the playing surface.
h. If the opponent, or anything the opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly.
i.
If the opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.
A Game
1. A game shall be won by the player first scoring 21 points unless both players score 20 points, when the
game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.
2. Timeout: A player is entitled to one time out per game. Timeouts will be one minute in length, and may
only be called while the ball is not in play. Injury timeouts will be awarded when necessary.
A Match
1. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games.
2. The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be decided by lot (coin toss or
rock, paper, scissors) and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular
end.
3. When one player has chosen to either serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the
opponent shall have the other choice.
4. After 5 points have been scored the receiving player shall become the serving player and so on until
the end of the game, unless both players score 20 points, then the sequences of serving and receiving
shall be the same but each player shall serve for only 1 point in turn.
5. The player serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match.
6. The player starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match. If
any player wishes to do so, in the last possible game of a match the players may change ends when
first one player scores 10 points.
Out of Order Serving, Receiving, or Ends
1. If a player serves or receives out of turn, play shall be interrupted by either player as soon as the error
is discovered and shall resume with those players serving and receiving who should be server and
receiver respectively at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the
beginning of the match.
2. If the players have not changed ends when they should have done so, play shall be interrupted by
either player as soon as the error is discovered and shall resume with the players at the ends at which
they should be at the score that has been reached, according to the sequence established at the
beginning of the match.
3. In any circumstances, all points scored before the discovery of an error shall be counted and finalized.
Equipment and Attire
The table tennis tournaments equipment and attire policies will coincide with the policies that have already
been established by the West Chester Campus Recreation Facility.
1. Individual Player Equipment must meet the following requirements:
a. Shirts: Shirts must be worn throughout the game. Shirts must not have arm openings that are
larger than four inches. Referees will measure the arm openings with their fist. Shirts that have
been altered and are missing more than the length of the sleeve will not be permitted.
b. Pants: Players may not wear pants or shorts that have belt loops, metal, cargo pockets or
exposed drawstrings. Players may not wear towels that hang from the waist.
c. Headgear: Baseball caps or other rigid headwear is not permitted. Players may wear rubber or
cloth elastic headbands that are used to control hair. Bandanas with knots are prohibited.
d. Pads or Braces: No pads or braces may be worn above the waist. Leg and knee braces made of
hard, unyielding material must be covered on both sides and all edges with slow-recovery
padding.
e. Shoes: All players must wear shoes. Athletic/Tennis shoes are permitted. Any other type of
shoe that our staff deems unsafe is prohibited.
2. Jewelry is NOT allowed to be worn by any participant during the game. Jewelry consists of visible rings
(wedding bands), watches, necklaces, earrings, studs (including tongue or lip rings), bracelets (metal or
cloth) and any other such similar jewelry. Medical alert bracelets must be taped to the body or
secured under clothing such as a sock to be worn during play. Taping of any other forms of jewelry,
other than a medical bracelet, is prohibited. Players are subject to ejection for failure to remove
jewelry.
Score Indication
1. The player serving the ball must announce the score before striking the ball to serve. There must be a
minimum 2 second pause between announcing the score of the game and serving the ball.
2. In calling the score during a game the server shall call first the number of points they have scored up to
that point in the game, and then the number of points scored by the opposing player up to that point
in the game.
3. Players must be aware of the score after each point in awarded to ensure that the serving order is
correct. Some examples of the scores that would require a service change would be: 5-0, 4-1, 3-2 or
10-0, 9-1, 8-2, 7-3, 6-4.
4. After a match as been completed, it is the responsibility of the winning player to announce the score to
his opponent. The participants must agree on the score, and then report it to the tournament
supervisor.
Practice
1. Players are entitled to practice on the match table for up to 2 minutes immediately before the start of
a match but not during normal intervals; the specified practice period may be extended only with the
permission of the tournament supervisor.
Tournament Specific Rules
The tournament’s rules will vary and be adjusted based upon the number of participants that play in the
tournament.
1. Pre-tournament games may be scheduled and played for the purpose of seeding participants. If
seeding games are utilized, any and all seeding games will be played to a score of 11 points.
Sportsmanship
1. The Sportsmanship Rating System is intended to be an objective scale by which participant attitude
and behavior can be assessed throughout the intramural sports tournament. Behavior before, during,
and after an intramural sports contest is included in the rating. Participants are responsible for
educating and informing themselves and spectators affiliated with him/her about the system.
2. A participant is responsible for their own actions and spectators related to it. Additionally, WCU
Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the tournament participants shall speak
to the intramural staff regarding administrative matters (ejections, disqualifications, etc). Furthermore,
the participant’s efforts in assisting Intramural Staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled
participants are vital to controlling player conduct.
3. Sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every Intramural contest. In order to encourage proper
conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on
whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions are final.
The Intramural Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsportsmanlike
conduct.
4. Each participant should choose his or her team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the
consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for
violation of the intramural rules and sportsmanship guidelines. Protests or appeals of sportsmanship
ratings will not be recognized. The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review
any rating given to a team.
5. Additional information regarding team and participant sportsmanship including the rating method,
factors, and scale is available in the Intramural Sports Handbook, available online at the WCU Campus
Recreation web site.