How to Keep Score in Ping Pong – Top Tip and Tricks You Must Follow

You’ve received your new table for ping pong and are thrilled to be playing with your friend. But you discover that scoring isn’t as simple as it seems. In this article, we’ll give you the complete guide to score points in ping pong to start playing your game in no time and without any confusion! The process of keeping score in ping-pong seems like a straightforward job. Still, many aspects are involved, including how many serve each player receives and questionable decisions regarding points. In general, keeping track of scores during ping-pong might seem somewhat confusing at first. Still, after you’ve played several games, it becomes second nature. Without further delay, we will learn to score points in Ping Pong!

How to keep score in ping pong

If you play ping pong or table tennis at home, you can make the rules of your game and track your score however you want. Suppose you’re playing in a game that adheres to regulations set by the International Table Tennis Federation rules and rules and rules. In that case, you must be aware of the rules for keeping scores correctly. It is not unusual to find local tournaments to be played without umpires, and players are required to be the umpires and keep track of the score by themselves.

Check out: How to practice ping pong by yourself

Pre-match discussion

There need to be some discussions before the game has begun. One of the first things that must be decided upon is the number of points per game. When playing in the official competitions, participants may play with up to 11 points; however, you can also choose to play a maximum of 21 points. The players must agree on the game’s duration and then decide on the number of games they would like to play in an entire series. The most common strategy is to play best-of-5 – meaning that the first three games win. The best of five is the duration of matches in official tournaments.

The players should also agree on the order in which they will serve. The most effective way to accomplish this is by placing the ball into either of the hands and placing both hands under the table. The second player must choose a hand they believe might have the ball. If the player can make the correct choice, the player can choose who will serve first. If the selection is incorrect and the player who has the ball chooses.

Another technique is to throw to serve. The ball is gently thrown across the net by any participant, and then a rally begins. In the end, the winner of the rally will decide on who serves. Another method to determine who is doing it is throwing a coin that isn’t as fun as we imagine.

Start at 0-0

Each player starts the game with zero points. Each player gets a chance to serve until two points are scored in the game. The other player does when these points are achieved, and the two players swap places. The players must score 11 points to win the game. However, the game will continue when two players share an identical score or are just one point apart. Ping-pong games will continue till there’s a two-point difference between players after one player has earned 11 points.

The players earn points each time they put the ball into play, not only when serving. This could be a challenging practice for some players, particularly those accustomed to playing volleyball, to keep in mind. The table’s edge is considered part of the table’s surface for scoring and playing; however, the sides aren’t.

Let the service be served

It’s a different scenario that is frequently encountered during a game. When a person serves and the ball lands on the net while going through, yet it remains onto the opposing side of the table, the player is required to take the service, but with no point being gained. There’s no limit to the number of retakes. Suppose a player can get the ball over the net during the service. In that case, however, the ball does not bounce off the opposing side of the table. The player receiving the service will win the point. It is recommended to maintain a record of their entire scoring in both players’ heads not to get confused.

Gain a point

Misses the shot that falls on that side of the table. Don’t let the ball strike its side before serving. It hits an attempt that fails to get across the table. It hits the ball over the table but does not land on the table. The player can touch the playing surface using their hand. The opponent hits the ball with the paddle blade, which is not coated in rubber. The player strikes the ball two times before it crosses the net. Usually, it’s twice using the paddle or using their hands and one time using the paddle.

Lose a point

You are moving the table while you are playing. Bounce the ball 2 times to your side when you’re not serving, returning the ball on the opposite side of the net. Miss the shot that goes to the table’s edge. Take a shot that falls off the table without hitting the player’s side.

Point values

It’s easy to forget who’s serving in a game; however, examining the point’s values is an excellent method to be aware of the turn that is currently being done. Because players alternate their turns each when they score two points, It’s simple to keep track of. If the score is over 10-all, it’s much easier to recall who’s supposed to serve. The server who was the first to serve at the beginning of the contest will serve when the scores are equal, like 10-all, 11 all, or 12-all. However, if the scores differ, the player who received the first is the one to serve.

Length of series and games

Many players believe that the ‘next point is the winner,’ but this isn’t how it is played in official tournaments. Individual matches are played with a final two points. So if both players are at 10, the player with the highest score will need to score 12 points in the scenario. If both players are at 11 points, the other player must reach 13 points, and so on.

How many games will be played during a match for games series? When playing official table tennis tournaments, the games will be played as a top of five series when a player is the winner of most of the five games played. If a player takes the lead in the first three games, the series will be finished as there will be no comeback, so only three games will be played during that game.

It recommends that a second game be played in this scenario. One way to track the progress of the game’s series is to keep a few tiny objects around the table during the game series. Keep a small thing inside your pockets (a match or pebble). One item equals one win in the game. This lets you concentrate on the game at hand and not think about the entire game.

Winning the match

The player who has won more than half of the games played is the overall winner. That means that, out of the five matches, the player needs to win three games to be crowned the winner. Of seven games, a player has to win five games to win the whole match. Because matches vary based on the number of games they include, players must be aware of the number of games they must win to win the entire game.

Conclusion

Scoring in table tennis is easy, but players often have confusion. This article should help remove any confusion and understand how to keep score in ping-pong.