How Is Table Tennis Scored?
Sets to 11, Deuce at 10-10, Service Rotation & the Complete Point System Explained
Last updated: April 6, 2026
Table tennis uses rally scoring — every rally earns a point for one player. Sets are played to 11 points with a mandatory 2-point advantage at deuce (10-10). Serves alternate every 2 points, switching to every 1 point at deuce. Matches are best of 5 (amateur) or best of 7 (international). The first player to win the required number of sets takes the match.
How Rally Scoring Works in Table Tennis
Table tennis uses rally scoring, meaning every single rally results in a point — regardless of who served. When the server wins the rally, they score a point. When the receiver wins the rally, they score a point. There is no concept of "side-out" or "serving to score" — every completed rally awards one point to the winner.
A rally can end in several ways:
- The ball bounces twice on one player's side (the opponent scores).
- A player hits the ball into the net (the opponent scores).
- A player hits the ball off the table without it bouncing on the opponent's side (the opponent scores).
- A player touches the ball twice consecutively (the opponent scores).
- A player moves the table surface during play (the opponent scores).
- A player touches the net assembly with their free hand during a rally (the opponent scores).
- A player volleys the ball (hits it before it bounces on their side) — this is a fault in table tennis, unlike tennis.
Rally scoring applies universally across all levels of table tennis, from Olympic finals to recreational basement games. The ITTF rules make no distinction between amateur and professional scoring — the system is identical everywhere.
Sets, Deuce & Match Format
A table tennis match consists of sets (also called "games" in official ITTF terminology). Each set is played to 11 points.
Standard set (no deuce): The first player to reach 11 points wins the set, provided they lead by at least 2 points. If the score is 11-9, 11-7, 11-3, etc., the set is over.
Deuce (10-10): If both players reach 10 points, the set enters deuce. In deuce, two things change:
- Serves alternate every 1 point instead of every 2.
- The set continues until one player achieves a 2-point lead — there is no cap.
Deuce scores can reach 12-10, 13-11, 15-13, or even higher. The longest competitive sets have exceeded 20-all.
Match formats:
- Best of 5 sets (first to win 3): Used in most amateur, club, recreational, and lower-tier competitive matches.
- Best of 7 sets (first to win 4): Used at the Olympics, World Championships, WTT events, and most international competitions.
Changing ends: Players switch sides of the table after every set. In the deciding set (set 5 or set 7), players also switch sides when either player reaches 5 points.
Before 2001: Sets were played to 21 points with serves alternating every 5 points. The ITTF changed to 11-point sets in September 2001 to increase drama and improve TV appeal.
Service Rules & Rotation
Service rules in table tennis are strictly defined by the ITTF and frequently enforced at competitive levels:
The legal serve:
- The ball must rest on the server's open, flat palm (free hand), stationary and above the playing surface.
- The server must toss the ball near-vertically at least 16cm upward from the palm — no throwing sideways or at an angle.
- The server strikes the ball on the way down (after it has reached peak height).
- The ball must bounce first on the server's side, then on the receiver's side of the table.
- The serve must be visible to the opponent and the umpire at all times — the server cannot hide the ball behind their free hand, arm, or body during the toss or contact.
Service rotation:
- Each player serves 2 consecutive points, then the serve switches to the opponent.
- At deuce (10-10), the serve alternates every single point.
- The player who received in the last set serves first in the next set.
Doubles service: In doubles, the serve must go diagonally — from the server's right half-court to the receiver's right half-court. A center line divides the table lengthwise for this purpose. After every 2 points, the serve rotates: the server becomes the receiver's partner's target, and the serve passes to the next player in rotation.
Common service faults:
- Ball not resting on open palm before toss
- Toss less than 16cm
- Striking the ball while it is still rising
- Hiding the ball behind the free hand or body
- In doubles: serving to the wrong diagonal half
How Doubles Scoring Works
Doubles table tennis follows the same set scoring (to 11, deuce at 10-10, win by 2) but adds specific rules for hitting and serving:
Alternating hits: Partners must alternate hitting the ball. If Player A serves, Player X receives. Then Player B must return, then Player Y, then Player A again, and so on in strict rotation. If a player hits the ball out of turn, the opposing team scores the point.
Service rotation (per set): At the start of each set, the serving team chooses who serves, and the receiving team chooses who receives. After 2 points, the receiver becomes the server, and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver. This 4-player rotation repeats throughout the set.
At deuce: Service alternates every 1 point (same as singles), and the receiving player also changes every point.
Changing ends: Same rules as singles — switch after every set, and at 5 points in the deciding set.
Mixed doubles: Mixed doubles (one man and one woman per team) follows identical rules to standard doubles. Mixed doubles was added to the Olympic program at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Strategic implications: The alternating-hit rule means that every player on the team must be able to play from any position. A team with one dominant player cannot simply have that player hit every ball — they must move aside and let their partner take their turn. This creates a unique tactical dynamic where consistency across both players is more important than individual brilliance.
The Expedite System (Time Limit Rule)
While table tennis has no game clock, there is one time-related rule: the expedite system.
When it activates: If a set has not been completed after 10 minutes of play and fewer than 18 points have been scored (combined), the expedite system is activated. It can also be activated at any time if both players or pairs request it.
How it works: Under the expedite system:
- The receiver must win the rally within 13 return strokes (the server's stroke does not count as the first). If the receiver fails to do so — i.e., the server successfully returns the ball 13 times — the receiver scores the point automatically.
- Service alternates every point (instead of every 2 points).
- Once activated, the expedite system remains in effect for the rest of the match (not just the current set).
Why it exists: The expedite system prevents excessively defensive play where both players simply push the ball back safely for extended periods. It was introduced to address matches between defensive (chopping) players that could last hours.
In practice: The expedite system is rarely activated in modern table tennis because the 11-point set format (introduced in 2001) naturally creates shorter sets. It was more common under the old 21-point system.
Common Misconceptions About Table Tennis Scoring
"Table tennis is played to 21 points." This was true before September 2001. The ITTF changed sets to 11 points over 20 years ago. If someone tells you it's 21, they are playing by rules that haven't existed since the early 2000s.
"You serve 5 times in a row." Under the old 21-point system, serves alternated every 5 points. Since 2001, serves alternate every 2 points (every 1 at deuce). This is one of the most common outdated rules people still follow recreationally.
"The serve has to go diagonally." This is only true in doubles. In singles, the serve can land anywhere on the opponent's half of the table — there is no diagonal requirement.
"You can volley the ball like in tennis." No. In table tennis, the ball must bounce on your side before you hit it (except on the serve, where it bounces on both sides). Hitting the ball before it bounces on your side is a fault — the point goes to your opponent. This is a fundamental difference from tennis.
"If the ball hits the edge, it's out." If the ball hits the top edge of the table surface, it is a legal ball and play continues. Only if the ball hits the side of the table (below the top edge) is it considered out. Edge balls are among the most contested calls in the sport.
"There's no time limit in table tennis." While there is no game clock, the expedite system can be activated if a set exceeds 10 minutes with fewer than 18 points scored. This is rare in modern play but does exist in the rules.
Worked Example: A Complete Set
Here is a step-by-step example of a complete set between Player A and Player B:
Service: Player A serves first (serves 1-2)
- Rally 1: Player A wins → Score: 1-0 (A serves)
- Rally 2: Player B wins → Score: 1-1 (A serves, last of 2)
Service switches to Player B (serves 3-4)
- Rally 3: Player B wins → Score: 1-2 (B serves)
- Rally 4: Player A wins → Score: 2-2 (B serves, last of 2)
Service switches to Player A (serves 5-6)
- Rally 5: Player A wins → Score: 3-2 (A serves)
- Rally 6: Player A wins → Score: 4-2 (A serves, last of 2)
...play continues with serves alternating every 2 points...
Score reaches 10-8, Player B serving:
- Rally: Player A wins → Score: 10-8 → A needs 1 more point but must win by 2.
- Since A already leads by 2 and has 11 points... wait, score is 10-8.
Let's say score reaches 10-10 (DEUCE):
- Serves now alternate every 1 point.
- Rally: Player A serves and wins → Score: 11-10 (A leads by 1, not enough)
- Rally: Player B serves and wins → Score: 11-11 (tied again)
- Rally: Player A serves and wins → Score: 12-11 (A leads by 1, not enough)
- Rally: Player B serves and wins → Score: 12-12 (tied again)
- Rally: Player A serves and wins → Score: 13-12 (A leads by 1, not enough)
- Rally: Player B serves and loses → Score: 14-12 → Player A wins the set! (2-point lead achieved)
The set score of 14-12 is recorded. Both players switch ends. The next set begins at 0-0, with Player B serving first (the player who received at the start of the previous set).
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