Table Tennis Table
As per the official rules of table tennis, the game is played on a 2.74 x 1.53-metre rectangular table made of fibrewood and is split into two halves.
A table tennis table is made of fibrewood that is split into two halves.
The table is coated with dark and glossy paint, giving it a matte finish. A two centimetre-thick line runs over the border of the table, marking the playing surface.
The table is divided into two halves by a net that’s suspended using two poles attached to the table. The table tennis net stands at a height of 15.25 centimetres.
Table | Net |
|---|---|
9 feet (2.74m) long
| 6 feet (1.83m) long |
5 feet (1.525m) wide | 6 inches (15.25 cm) high |
2 feet 6 inches (76cm) high |
Table Tennis Racquet
A table tennis racket is made up of two distinct parts.
1) A wooden blade which incorporates a handle…
and…
2) table tennis rubbers which are affixed to each side of the blade using water-based glue and then trimmed to fit the blade.
The most common type of rubbers are “sandwich rubbers” where the top rubber and sponge underneath are combined into one sheet.
Here’s a side view of a racket showing the wooden blade with sandwich rubbers affixed to each side of the blade.
Note: Some rackets have rubbers with no sponge underneath, including the traditional “hardbat”, but these are much rarer than sandwich rubbers.
Rule 2.04.01 states…
"The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and rigid"
In addition the rules state that at least 85% of the blade by thickness must be of natural wood.
But of course, even though your racket can be any size you want, the larger it is, the more difficult it will be to use.
Therefore you’ll find that the majority of rackets are all a similar size … about 15cm (6 inches) across and 25cm (10 inches) long including the (10cm / 4 inch) handle.
Table Tennis Ball
The ball, usually orange or white, weighs about 2.7 grams and is spherical with a diameter of 40 millimetres as per rules and regulations.
