Doubles Rules In Table Tennis Simplified.

Within table tennis there are a few intricacies that can cause confusion. In this article I breakdown the doubles rules in table tennis so that it is clear what is different from a singles match.

Know The Basics

The first and most important thing to know about doubles is that all the basic rules of table tennis are also in place. So make sure you are fully brushed up on these rules, if you would like a refresher then click here.

Serving

Just like before most of the serving rules are identical to the standard singles matches. All of those serving rules can be found at this link. However, with serving there are additional rules that we must adhere to in doubles matches. Serving must now be done from the right side of the table. If you have ever wondered why the table is split into quarters – this is why. Your serve must first bounce on your side in the right quadrant. The second bounce must be on the opponents side in the left quadrant. This is very similar to how serves in tennis work. In the diagram below it is set up as if you are serving from the bottom of the picture.

Alternating

Although serving within table tennis doubles was similar to tennis, there is a massive difference in doubles between the two games. In tennis either of the two players on a doubles team may hit the ball at any time but this is not the case for table tennis. You must alternate shots – if you hit the ball twice in a row then you lose the point. There is an exception to this however, if one or more of the players within a doubles team are a wheelchair player then either player may hit the ball at any point.

Within A Set

Due to this alternating of shots, one player will always hit the ball to the same player on the opponents team. Sometimes, this can give you or your opponent an advantage. To overcome this when one set is over and you swap ends of the table you have to ensure that the hitting order is reversed. Meaning, if someone was hitting the ball to you during the previous set then now you are hitting to them. If the match goes to the final set then just like singles when a team gets to 5 points you will swap sides. This also causes the direction of play to be reversed.

Who Serves First?

One misconception in doubles is that if you served first in the first set then you will receive first in the second set. Similarly, that would mean if you received first in the first set then you will serve first in the next. However, this gives the team that serves first an advantage as they would get to pick the starting order for each set. So, the rule is that whichever team is serving first decides who serves for them and the receiver is forced to keep the order of doubles correct. Unless it is the first set of the match then the receiving team is able to choose who receives.

This is outlined in the ITTF handbook: In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of them will do so and in the first game of a match the receiving pair shall decide which of them will receive first; in subsequent games of the match, the first server having been chosen, the first receiver shall be the player who served to him or her in the preceding game.

Conclusion

All in all doubles is very similar to singles with a couple of minor rule changes. These rule changes are particularly focused around service but as long as you alternate shots and keep your serves in the right place there is not too much else to worry about. If there are any questions about doubles or any comments about any of the rules don’t hesitate to drop them below.